HOMILY FOR FEAST OF ST. JEROME

HOMILY FOR FEAST OF ST. JEROME

By: Fr. Bill Frere

HOMILY: Life’s a Journey

Gospel – Luke 9:43-46
St. Jerome’s Cave (home), Bethlehem

Speaking strictly as a certified sci-fi geek, I love my Doctor Who. And one of my favorite lines in the decades-long series is when the Doctor complains to his intelligent time machine (it’s a long story) that it never takes him where he wants to be. And the Tardis’ response? Yes, but I always take you where you need to be!

Looking back on my life, I could have stayed home in the countryside of Southern Maryland and taken over Dad’s country store and post office. I could have stayed in the seminary and served as a priest in Mississippi or Alabama. I could have finished college at U. of Maryland instead of moving out to Chicago. I could have continued my job in retail sales (ugh). Different life, different wife! And you all have similar stories! So many forks in the road; so many choices! And yet here you are; here I am! I truly believe that, as much as I don’t always get to go where I want to go, God has always taken me where I need to be, where He needs me to be!

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But not all of us are called to that physical journey; not all of us will be traveling to other towns or even countries to spread the Word. Many of us are called to spread the Word right where we are and with the people we interact with on a daily basis, to share the Gospel message simply in our words and actions, in how we treat each other day in and day out.

And some of us are called to a more spiritual journey, living our lives in prayer and contemplation, like St. Jerome whose feast we celebrate today. His journey was a spiritual one, spending much of his life as an ascetic living in a small cave in Bethlehem (see today’s pic).

One of the original 4 Doctors of the Church, Jerome was a prolific writer and defender of the faith against Arianism. He translated the Bible into Latin (Vulgate) and wrote a wealth of Biblical commentaries. His was also a physical journey. Born into a wealthy and influential family, he enjoyed a comfortable life and an extensive education, particularly in the classical languages. He was not baptized until he was almost 20 and then spent the next 20 years living a rather nomadic lifestyle travelling from place to place before he finally settled in Bethlehem to live an ascetic life.

We are all on a journey; we are all called to share the Good News, sometimes in our dealings with others, sometimes in our prayer and meditation. We may not always discern what’s going on or where we are headed. Like the Apostles in today’s Gospel, we may be clueless and not understand what Jesus is saying! But we do know that He is with us on this journey.

May we all find strength for the journey!

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