Therefore, in surveying Ambrose’s usage of the spiritual senses he employs
each one at least once while sight is the dominant means for experiencing
ravishment.^126 Peter is often captivated by the glorious presence of Jesus but sight is
used more broadly to include others, “[a] sight of Christ in his beauty and glory would
ravish souls, and draw them to run after him.”^127 Many of these experiences relate to
the beauty or the holiness of God or Jesus. The last chapter established that there is a
strong connection between the title, Looking Unto Jesus, and the visual beholding of
Jesus. The spiritual sense of sound, frequently associated with Mary, is also
significant. According to Bernard, hearing must precede seeing due to our fallen
state.^128 Mary’s Easter morning experience clearly confirms this premise.^129 She
didn’t recognize Jesus visually until he spoke her name audibly:
One word of Christ wrought so strange an alteration in her, as if she had been
wholly made new, when she was only named. And hence it is that being
ravished with his voice, and impatient of delayes, she takes his talk out of his
mouth, and to his first and only word Mary, she answers, Rabboni, which is to
say, Master, q.d. Master, is it thou? With many a salt tear have I sought thee,
and art thou unexpectedly so near at hand! ... I feel I am exceedingly
transported beyond myself. 130
The remaining three senses are used far less frequently than sight and sound. This is
one more indication that Ignatius and his richer usage of the senses did not likely
influence Ambrose. However, in his 1641 retreat experience Ambrose spoke of
tasting God’s sweetness.^131 Further, he describes how in reading Scripture people can
“clearly discern the glory and beauty of those heavenly mysteries, and taste of the
goodness of them, they cannot but ravish readers with admiration, yea transport them
(^126) According to my tabulation sight is used twenty times, sound nine times, taste six
times and touch and smell once each. 127
128 Ambrose, Looking Unto Jesus, 793.^
129 McGinn, Growth of Mysticism, 187.^
Mary’s Easter morning experience with Jesus is another common biblical text for
mystical experiences in the early church. McGinn, 130 Foundations of Mysticism, 67.
131 Ambrose, Ambrose, Looking Unto JesusMedia (1657), 183. , 764.