Sometimes Catholics "fall away" from the Church for various reasons, and many remain detached from the Church for the rest of their lives.
This can be disheartening for Catholics still within the Church. They want to encourage those who have left to return to the Church, but don't know how.
For St. Ambrose, a central key in welcoming Catholics back into the Church is maintaining a spirit of gentleness and mercy.
He explains this method in his letter Concerning Repentance.
Furthermore, if we want to bring others back to the Church, we must do so by preaching the truth with compassion, not with "harsh and proud opinions."
This does not mean Catholics need to water down the truth, or change the truth in order to be more accommodating and welcoming.
What St. Ambrose is writing about is having a spirit of compassion and gentleness when talking to others about the Catholic faith, showing them the beauty of Catholicism.
He believed that "You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."
Preaching the truth with compassion, showing others the freedom and peace possible in the sacrament of confession, will attract more than a harsh rebuke.
