30/09 ST JEROME

30th SEPTEMBER is the feast of St JEROME.

Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (Jerome) was born at Stridon, a village near Emona which is now in modern-day Bosnia.

Jerome was the first to create a Latin translation of the Old Testament based on the Hebrew version, rather than the Greek Septuagint, which previous Latin translations were taken from. He also wrote Biblical commentaries and polemical & historical essays, but always from a theologian's perspective - through the lens of faith. He is recognised as a Doctor of the Church because of his development of the Christian faith through Biblical studies.

Jerome was born around 342–347 AD and travelled to Rome with his friend to study. There he learned Latin. As a student, Jerome was pretty wild (when in Rome...). He indulged himself quite casually but he suffered terrible bouts of guilt afterwards.

He would spend time on Sundays visiting the tombs of the martyrs and the Apostles in the catacombs (underground passages where the Christians would hide in times of persecution). Here, he would reflect on the lives of these saints and the life he was living.

When Jerome moved to Rome to study, he got caught up in the city's party life. This seemed fun in the moment, but left him feeling empty and broken afterwards. Are there choices you make to fit in with others rather than being true to who you are? Do you do or say things that you later regret?

Let us pray for the wisdom to make good choices based on our own values; for the courage to be ourselves and not be swayed by the opinions of others and healing from the way we have hurt ourselves through poor choices.

O God, who gave the Priest Saint Jerome

a living and tender love for Sacred Scripture,

grant that your people

may be ever more fruitfully nourished by your Word

and find in it the fount of life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever. Amen.