 In Milan, he met the man who did perhaps more than any other to help him toward conversion, the Bishop St. Ambrose. Augustine confessed to God, to him did you lead me, unknowing that by him I might be led knowingly to you. Ambrose was one of the great doctors of the church. He was widely celebrated for his firm orthodoxy in the face of heretical opposition and a compelling eloquence in preaching that displayed great learning and clarity of thought. That man of God welcomed me like a father, Augustine recalls gratefully, and I began to love him, not first as a teacher of truth, but as a man kindly disposed toward me. What a wise reminder that our love for others can prepare the way for their conversion, even before they are able to accept the truth of the gospel.