Saint Jerome Writing (c. 1605–1606). Oil on canvas in Galleria Borghese, Rome by Caravaggio
Saint Jerome, the fourth-century saint born in Stridon, a town in the historic region of Dalmatia (present-day Croatia), is best known for translating the Bible into the Latin Vulgate. His work on Scripture became one of the most significant contributions to the life and teaching of the Church.
After a profound vision and conversion experience in which he was challenged about his preference for the writings of Cicero over Christ, Jerome devoted himself more fully to God. He embraced a life of prayer and discipline, eventually becoming a hermit and dedicating himself to the study of Scripture. He learned Hebrew and other biblical languages so that he could faithfully translate the Scriptures into Latin.
Because of his extraordinary contribution to biblical scholarship, theology, and the study of Scripture, Saint Jerome was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1724. His life continues to remind Christians of the importance of seeking Christ through the Word of God.
As Saint Jerome once said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” These powerful words remind us of the importance of knowing and reflecting upon the Word of God. As Catholics, we are called to prepare ourselves for the Divine Liturgy by prayerfully reading and meditating on the Scripture readings before we come to Mass.
A Bible that simply collects dust on a shelf cannot nourish our faith. We are invited to open the Scriptures, encounter Christ through His Word, and allow it to transform our hearts and lives. Following the example of Saint Jerome, we should embrace the first pillar of the Church by faithfully receiving, studying, and living the Word of God.
Through Scripture, we come to know Christ more deeply and prepare our hearts to participate fully in the sacred mystery of the Divine Liturgy.
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.
Saint Jerome is the Patron Saint of archeologists, archivists, Bible scholars, librarians, libraries, schoolchildren, students, and translators
Saint Jerome, Pray for us!
