Saint Jerome, Pray For Us

Saint Jerome, the 4th century saint born in Stridon in the historic region of Dalmatia (present day Croatia) was responsible for translating the Bible into the Latin vulgate. After a vision and conversion experience that asked him why he appreciated the words of Cicero more than Christ, Jerome became a hermit and learned Hebrew so that the good work of translating the Bible into Latin could begin.

As Saint Jerome once said, Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ. It is important for us as Catholics to prepare ourselves for the Divine Liturgy ahead of time by reflecting on the readings before we come to Mass.

A reflection on the Book of Isiah from the Liturgy of the Hours by Saint Jerome:

I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: Search the Scriptures, and Seek and you shall find. Christ will not say to me what he said to the Jews: You erred, not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God. For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

Therefore, I will imitate the head of a household who brings out of his storehouse things both new and old, and says to his spouse in the Song of Songs: I have kept for you things new and old, my beloved. In this way permit me to explain Isaiah, showing that he was not only a prophet, but an evangelist and an apostle as well. For he says about himself and the other evangelists: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news, of those who announce peace. And God speaks to him as if he were an apostle: Whom shall I send, who will go to my people? And he answers: Here I am; send me.

For more about Saint Jerome, visit https://thecatholicheroes.com/history-biographies/st-jerome-the-greatest-translator-of-the-bible-and-defender-of-scripture/

Saint Jerome, Pray for us!