Mentorship: “Unraveling All Those Cunning Knots”

What’s in the image?

The tour progresses to the St. Thomas of Villanova Church. The beautiful stained glass windows of the church contain scenes that depict important moments and themes in the life of St. Augustine. The image above displays St. Ambrose, Augustine’s influential mentor. Ambrose holds a staff and book, which symbolize his role in Augustine’s life. The shepherd’s staff signifies his vocation as a bishop and his part in leading Augustine to becoming a better Christian. The book in his other hand indicates how Ambrose taught Augustine how to study the scriptures properly and value continuous learning. Ambrose also appears in the baptism scene, which illustrates the importance of his role in Augustine’s discovery of Christianity and his transformation to a life of spirituality.

What’s in Confessions?

In Confessions, Augustine first meets Ambrose when he travels to Milan to study the bishop’s acclaimed oratory skills. When Augustine heard Ambrose speak, he “hung keenly upon his words, but cared little for their content” (5.13.23). However, while Augustine listens, the content of Ambrose’s words transforms him. As Augustine “opened his heart to appreciate how skillfully [Ambrose] spoke, the recognition that he was speaking the truth crept in at the same time, though only by slow degrees” (5.14.24). Augustine gradually realizes that the bishop’s teaching provides the understanding of faith he searches for. As Reverend George Lawless, O.S.A, states, “Augustine came to hear the delivery of the gospel, but he stayed to hear the gospel of delivery.” Ambrose becomes a mentor for the young, struggling Augustine by instilling hope that he can become a better person, reject sin, and “unravel all those cunning knots of calumny” (6.3.4). Ambrose instructs Augustine to look at the words of the Bible allegorically rather than literally and recognize the symbolism within each story. Augustine thus deciphers the meaning of this holy book and grows to love and understand it. Through his teachings, Ambrose affects Augustine’s life by inspiring his conversion, prompting the renouncement to sin, and molding him into a better person.

What’s in it for us?

Just as Augustine benefitted from Ambrose’s mentorship, students at Villanova have the opportunity to seek out guidance from faculty and older students. Mentorship is especially important for students during college years because these are vital but uncertain times in students’ lives as they make decisions concerning personal values, majors, and career paths. There is a concentration of knowledgeable adults on campus; therefore, students should ask questions and solicit advice. With small class sizes, students have the ability to get to know their professors early in their freshmen year. Students can also take advantage of the presence of faculty advisors, teaching assistants, peer mentors, orientation counselors, club leaders and Resident Assistants to build friendships with older students and adults. After benefitting from counsel as a mentee, students will hopefully assume mentor roles on campus as they become upperclassmen and even working adults. An important aspect of a mentor relationship is its reciprocal nature; students benefit from an experienced adult’s insight, and the mentor learns concurrently from the students’ perspectives.