Memorial of Saint Jerome, priest and Doctor of the Church
(Zechariah 8:20-23; Luke 9:51-56)
The two principal readings of today’s Mass contain an irony that
resembles the one found in today’s patron, St. Jerome. In the first reading the prophet Zechariah envisions
the nations of the world coming to Jerusalem to give glory to God. The prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus
Christ who has drawn millions of pilgrims from all over the world to the city
where he was martyred and rose from the dead.
Nevertheless, the gospel shows his initial rejection by the people of
Samaria. Five hundred years earlier the
Samaritans tried to block the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Here they likewise impede the Temple’s
substitute from going to the city.
St. Jerome studied and wrote so prodigiously of Sacred
Scripture that he was early on declared a saint and in time a Doctor of the
Church. Yet he often contended
ruthlessly with others. He not only
refuted heretical ideas but also offended the sensibilities of righteous
people. A few great Patristic
theologians like Origin and Tertullian were never canonized, but somehow Jerome’s
virtues outweighed his irascibility.
We are not perfect and may possess character defects similar
to St. Jerome’s. Whether ours is a
tendency to distort the truth or to imbibe too much alcohol, we must control it. We are bound to the celestial Jerusalem and do
not want to be waylaid in the journey.
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