Jesus’ suffering for those condemned because of sin, “[i]ndeed with what lesse than
ravishment of spirit can I behold the Lord Jesus, ... into what extasies may I be cast to
see the Judge of all the world accused, judged, condemned?... Oh what raptures of
spirit can be sufficient for admiration of this so infinite mercy? be thou swallowed up
O my soul in the depth of divine love.”^141 Ambrose also provides a list of ten
different categories of biblical passages that affected his soul personally from “rebuke
of corruption” to “comfort him against outward crosses” to the “privileges in Christ”
to “sweet passages, which melted his heart” to “[p]laces that in reading, he found
sensible comfort and ravishing of heart in.”^142 The list is vast and far ranging and
includes numerous specific references to fourteen different Old Testament books and
eleven different New Testament books. This suggests that Ambrose could be
ravished by a very broad cross section of biblical texts.
The experiences of Peter at the Transfiguration and Mary at Easter morning
have already been considered and it is now clear that both of these situations created a
deepening knowledge of Jesus’ identity and mission as well as a responsive love to
this new awareness.^143 Peter sees the glorified and transfigured Christ and hears the
voice of God and gains new insight and information about Jesus. Similarly, Mary
hears the voice of Jesus and discovers the good news that he is truly alive, as the
angels had declared. Mary’s ravishing encounter confirmed the promise of Jesus that
he would rise after three days (Mt 16:21; Mk 8:31; Lk 9:22). Therefore, in both of
these experiences, Peter and Mary were led to a deepening awareness of knowing and
(^141) Ambrose, Looking Unto Jesus (^) , 658.
(^142) Ambrose, Media (1657), 486-8, 492.
(^143) See McGinn, “Love, Knowledge and Unio Mystica” for the history of love and
knowledge as it relates to union with God.