Prayers and Petitions

FEAST OF ST. JEROME, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH – 30th SEPTEMBER

FEAST OF ST. JEROME, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
FEAST DAY – 30th SEPTEMBER

Saint Jerome (347 – 420) was born to a wealthy pagan family in Dalmatia. He was sent to Rome for his schooling and there converted to Christianity, being baptized by Pope Liberius. He studied theology and traveled widely to the important intellectual and theological centers across the newly-established Christian Empire. He was ordained a priest at Antioch and lived many years as a hermit in a nearby desert. He became an extraordinary scholar, considered to be the most learned of the Latin Church Fathers.

Because of his many significant theological works, most notably the thirty years he spent writing the Latin translation of the Bible (the Latin Vulgate), he is one of the most influential and orthodox theologians in the life of the early Church. In his final years Saint Jerome lived in a monastery that he founded in the Holy Land near Bethlehem, where he worked on writing histories and biographies in addition to drawing deeper into a life of prayer and asceticism. For his important scholarly contributions St. Jerome was named a Doctor of the Church. He is the patron of libraries, archaeologists, students, and translators.

Most of the saints are remembered for some outstanding virtue or devotion which they practiced, but Jerome is frequently remembered for his bad temper! It is true that he had a very bad temper and could use a vitriolic pen, but his love for God and his son Jesus Christ was extraordinarily intense; anyone who taught error was an enemy of God and truth, and Saint Jerome went after him or her with his mighty and sometimes sarcastic pen.

He was above all a Scripture scholar, translating most of the Old Testament from the Hebrew. Jerome also wrote commentaries which are a great source of scriptural inspiration for us today. He was an avid student, a thorough scholar, a prodigious letter-writer and a consultant to monk, bishop, and pope. Saint Augustine said of him, “What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known.”

The Vulgate, translated by Saint Jerome is not the most critical edition of the Bible, but its acceptance by the Church was fortunate. As a modern scholar says, “No man before Jerome or among his contemporaries and very few men for many centuries afterwards were so well qualified to do the work.” The Council of Trent called for a new and corrected edition of the Vulgate, and declared it the authentic text to be used in the Church.

In order to be able to do such work, Jerome prepared himself well. He was a master of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldaic. He began his studies at his birthplace, Stridon in Dalmatia. After his preliminary education, he went to Rome, the center of learning at that time, and thence to Trier, Germany, where the scholar was very much in evidence. He spent several years in each place, always trying to find the very best teachers. He once served as private secretary to Pope Damasus.

After these preparatory studies, he traveled extensively in Palestine, marking each spot of Christ’s life with an outpouring of devotion. Mystic that he was, he spent five years in the desert of Chalcis so that he might give himself up to prayer, penance, and study. Finally, he settled in Bethlehem, where he lived in the cave believed to have been the birthplace of Christ. Jerome died in Bethlehem, and the remains of his body now lie buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀—𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵. 𝗛𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀.

𝗦𝘁. 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, “𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁: ‘𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀,’ 𝗮𝗻𝗱 ‘𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱.’ 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 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁.”

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵, 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝟰𝟮𝟬.

PRAYER

𝙊 𝙂𝙤𝙙, You 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

𝙎𝙩. 𝙅𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙨!

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