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Gospel: Luke 9:51-56
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Saint Jerome, whose feast day we celebrate today, is one of the great heroes of the early Church. Born in the 4th century, he was raised in a Christian household, but did not take his faith seriously until he had a vision of himself standing before the judgment seat of Christ.
In the vision, Jesus accused him of being more committed to Western literature, in particular the works of Cicero, than to the Gospels. The vision struck Jerome to the heart.
Shortly thereafter, he withdrew to the desert in Palestine where he lived as a hermit for several years, learning Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament.
Finally, he was ordained a priest and quickly became the secretary to the pope. During that time, Jerome began the most important work of his life – translating the bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin.
A labor of love that took him 40 years to complete.
His translation of the scriptures into Latin remains the official text used by the Church today, as well as the foundation from which the Bible has been translated into countless other languages.
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In the year 410, Rome fell to the Visigoths, causing many Christians to flee the Holy Land.
Urged by charity, Jerome ended his solitary existence, put down his quill, and opened his heart and home to those in need. He’s remembered as saying, “Today we must translate the words of the Scriptures into deeds.”
He died ten years later in the cave he called his home. Christians have often depicted him in art seated, quill in hand, with a skull on his desk. That skull reminded him of the quick passage of time.
His life leaves us a few questions to ponder:
Like Jerome, do we study the Word of God? Are we responsive to the needs of others? Are we humble of heart, willing to change our ways in light of divine judgment?
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Saint Jerome, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) Catholic News Agency (2) Saint Jerome, Caravaggio (3) Young Catholics