September 30
Saint Jerome
Priest,
Doctor of the Church
(Around 347 – 420)
“The Scriptures are shallow enough, for a babe to come and drink, without fear of drowning and deep enough, for theologians to swim in, without ever reaching the bottom.”
Saint Jerome
Saint’s Life Story
His Early Life
Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus was born around 347 at Stidon, near Dalmatia, (near Aquileia, north of Rome and now the border of modern-day Croatia). He belonged to a wealthy pagan family. Initially educated at home, his parents soon sent him to Rome, Italy to further his intense desire for intellectual learning. There, he studied and excelled at grammar, Latin and Greek, rhetoric, and philosophy. Alongside his fellow students, Jerome acquired many worldly ideas and made little effort to control his pleasure-loving instincts.
Baptized and Converted
He travelled throughout western Europe with a friend but that ceased when he had a conversion experience in Trier. It was during this time that he encountered Christianity and underwent a formal conversion. In the year 365, he was baptized, but his true conversion and deepening of faith came when he began studying theology. In 370, Jerome joined a community in Aquileia, where he met some who would become his close friends and others his enemies.
In the spring of 375, he became seriously ill and had a dream that profoundly impacted him, because in it he was accused of being a follower of Cicero – an early Roman philosopher – and not a Christian. Afterwards, Jerome vowed never to read any pagan literature again – not even the classics for pleasure. He separated himself from society and left to become a hermit in the desert so as to atone for his sins and dedicate himself to God.
Monk and Hermit
Feeling called to a life of solitude and contemplation, Jerome decided to become a monk. Seeking isolation to devote himself entirely to the study of Scripture, he spent several years as a hermit in the Syrian deserts. Legend has it that during this time, he encountered a lion with a thorn in its paw, and with great compassion, Jerome removed the thorn, forging an unbreakable bond between them. The lion stayed by his side as a loyal companion for many years.
Having no experience of monasticism and no guide to direct him, Jerome suffered greatly and was often quite ill. He was plagued terribly with temptations of the flesh and would impose harsh penances on himself to repress them. While there, he undertook the learning of Hebrew, as an added penance, and was tutored by a Jewish convert.
Ordained
Jerome’s exceptional intellect and dedication to his faith did not go unnoticed. He was ordained a priest in Antioch after being persuaded by Bishop Paulinus, on the condition that he be allowed to continue his monastic lifestyle and not be obliged to assume pastoral duties. At the age of 40, Jerome went to Constantinople, where he met and became friends with Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (one of the four great Greek Doctors of the Church.) In 382, he served as the secretary to Pope Damasus I.
Created Vulgate – Latin Translation on the Bible
In 382, he served as the secretary to Pope Damasus I. It was Pope Damasus who urged him to undertake a Latin translation of the Bible from its original Greek and Hebrew origins. This commission resulted in a monumental work that would occupy Jerome’s attention for about 30 years. The result of his labor was the Vulgate, a Latin translation of the Bible that became the standard version for over a millennium and continues to be used in the Catholic Church to this day.
His views were often considered controversial. He said: “Plato located the soul of man in the head. Christ located it in the heart”. His harsh temperament and his biting criticisms of his intellectual opponents made him many enemies in the Church and in Rome. So, Jerome was forced to leave the city.
After the death of the Holy Pontiff, Jerome left Rome for the Holy Land with a small group of virgins who were led by his students and close friends, Saint Marcella, Saint Paula of Rome, and her daughter, Saint Eustochium.
His Death
With Saint Paula of Rome, Jerome established a monastery for men in Bethlehem and three cloisters for women. In addition, Jerome established a hostel for the countless pilgrims who came to see the birthplace of Christ. At the monastery, Jerome lived the rest of his years in study, prayer, and asceticism at this monastery. Jerome died in Bethlehem, Palestine (now Israel) on September 30, 419. Saint Jerome’s was buried at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, next to Saint Paula of Rome and Saint Eustochium. His relics are in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, Italy.
Saint Jerome’s contributions to the Church and his vast knowledge earned him the titles of Doctor of the Church and Father of the Church. Saint Jerome is often represented as a rough-looking hermit or dressed as a cardinal. In most depictions of him, he is shown with a copy of the Scriptures.
Born: Around 347 in Stridon, Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia)
Died: September 30, 419 in Bethlehem, Palestine (now Israel)
Beatified: Pre-Congregation
Canonized: Pre-Congregation
Feast Day: September 30, June 15 (Eastern Calendar)
Reflection
Saint Jerome’s greatest contributions to the faith came in terms of biblical studies and translation. Jerome believed that Christians should be well grounded in and possess a good knowledge of Scripture. In his commentary on Isaiah, Jerome stated: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
What Bible Scripture can you read today, such as the daily mass readings, so you are not “ignorant of Christ”?
Prayers
Saint Jerome,
Wise Doctor of the Church and devoted servant of the Word, you who tirelessly translated and illuminated the Holy Scriptures, guide us in our journey of faith and understanding.
Through your dedication to the study of God’s Word, inspire us to seek the truth with the same fervor and commitment.
Help us to open our hearts and minds to the wisdom contained in the Bible and to live out its teachings in our daily lives.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
Saint Jerome, pray for us. Amen.
Saint Links
Aleteia – Saint Jerome
AnaStPaul – Saint of the Day – 30 September – St Jerome (347-419) Father and Doctor of the Church
Catholic Exchange – St. Jerome
Catholic Insight – Saint Jerome by Pope Benedict XVI
Catholic Ireland – Sep 30 – St Jerome 340-420 Priest and Doctor of the Church
Catholic News Agency – St. Jerome Feast day: Sep 30
Catholic Online – St. Jerome
CatholicSaints.Info – Father Francis Xavier Weninger’s Lives of the Saints – Saint Jerome, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
Christian Iconography – Saint Jerome: The Iconography
CNewsLive – Saint Jerome
Daily Prayers – Jerome
Editions Magnificant – Saint Jerome Doctor of the Church (329-420)
Franciscan Media – Saint Jerome
Heralds of the Gospel – St. Jerome – Sun Who Illuminated the Scriptures, Lion in Defence of the Faith
Independent Catholic News – St Jerome
Loyola Press – Saint Jerome Feast day September 30
My Catholic Life – Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor
National Catholic Register – St. Jerome Did Well to Carry That Stone
New Advent – Saltet, L. (1910). St. Jerome. In The Catholic Encyclopedia
Orthodox Church in America – Saint Jerome (Hieronymus) of Stridon
RC Spirituality (Uncle Eddy) – St Jerome
Rev Alban Butler’s Lives Of The Saints Complete Edition – St Jerome, Doctor of the Church
Saint Mary’s Press – Saint Jerome (c.345-420)
Saint Peter’s Basilica Info – St. Jerome
The Saint Challenge – St. Jerome – September 30
uCatholic – St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church
Video Link
St. Jerome – YouTube (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network – USA)