HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF SAINT JEROME, PRIEST, AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF SAINT JEROME, PRIEST, AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

By: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe S

HOMILY THEME: Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ (Saint Jerome)

READINGS OF THE DAY
Zechariah 2:5-9,14-15
Jeremiah 31:10-12,13
Luke 9:43-45

LITURGICAL COLOUR
WHITE

INTRODUCTION
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Jerome, a great priest and servant of God, who is one of the four original Doctors of the Church, who is a great disciple of the Lord, and whose life and holiness should inspire us all in how we can live our lives in a more committed way to the Lord.

WHO WAS SAINT JEROME?
The man who came to be known as Saint Jerome was born as Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymusin around AD 345 in Stridon, Dalmatia (possibly in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina). Jerome is considered one of the early church fathers for his work in translating the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures into Latin, the most widely used language at that time. This translation of the Bible is called the Latin Vulgate and was a critical part of the expansion of Christianity in the early centuries.

WHAT IS THE VULGATE OF WHICH SAINT JEROME IS WIDELY KNOWN FOR?

Vulgate means “common or commonly known.” Jerome’s desire was that the Word of God would be readily available to the common man in a language he understood. His desire became reality, and it was the Vulgate that brought the Scriptures out of the churches and into everyday life. The Latin Vulgate is still the official Latin Bible of the Catholic Church. Jerome was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church as a saint in 1767.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM. THE FEAST OF SAINT JEROME?
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the faithful examples of St. Jerome, his works and commitment should inspire all of us to live our lives worthily of the Lord as well, with focus ever directed towards God and not upon our own personal ambitions and desires. We should also help one another in putting our faith and trust ever more in God, and in doing what we have been all called to do as Christians, as God’s people. Each and every one of us should always be filled with the desire to love the Lord our God and to have constant faith in Him, at all times. We should not easily be swayed or distracted by the many temptations and challenges present all around us.

CONCLUSION AND BLESSINGS
May God be with us always, and may He strengthen all of us in our devotion to Him. St. Jerome, holy man of God, and devout servant of God, pray for us all sinners.

FOR RELATED HOMILY: CLICK HERE >>>>