September 30 is the feast day of Saint Jerome, a saint and Doctor of the Church.
Saint Jerome was born around the year 347 in the region of Dalmatia, in present-day Croatia. From a young age, he showed a great interest in learning. He was a highly educated man who loved to read and learn, but he also sought to live an increasingly dedicated life to God, marked by fasting, prayer, and penance.
And there is an event in this saint’s life that deserves special attention.
Jerome tells of a dream in which he found himself before the judgment seat of Christ. When asked about his identity, he answered that he was a Christian. Then he heard a response that deeply marked him:
You are lying. You are a follower of Cicero, not of Christ
At that time, Jerome devoted much of his time to classical literature, especially the works of Cicero, the great Roman writer. The experience of the dream made him realize that he needed to place Christ at the center of his life and seek an even deeper relationship with God.
After this, Jerome went through a period of intense spiritual life and eventually withdrew into the desert, where he devoted himself to prayer, fasting, and penance. He also deepened his study of the languages used in the biblical texts, especially Greek and Hebrew.
The Great Mission of Saint Jerome
Later, as a priest, Saint Jerome received a very important mission from Pope Damasus: to work on the revision and translation of the Holy Scriptures into Latin.
At that time, biblical texts already existed in Latin, but there were different translations and versions. Jerome then devoted himself to an enormous work of study, consulting the texts in their original languages and seeking to convey their meaning faithfully.
It took many years of work, study, and dedication.
This great work became known as the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Holy Scriptures.
Saint Jerome spent his final years in Bethlehem, dedicating himself deeply to the study of the Word of God. His life was marked by his love for Scripture and by his desire to make it increasingly known.
Saint Jerome and the Bible Day
That is why, on September 30when the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Jerome, we also remember his great contribution to helping the Word of God reach so many people.
In Brazil, September is celebrated as the Month of the Bibleand the National Bible Day is observed on the last Sunday of the month.
Saint Jerome may not be as well known to us as other saints, but every time we open a Bible, we can remember the men and women throughout history who dedicated their lives to studying, translating, and sharing the Word of God.
And Saint Jerome was one of them.
He left us a phrase that we should keep in our hearts:
“To ignore the Scriptures is to ignore Christ.”
What a powerful statement, isn’t it?
The Bible should not simply be a beautiful book placed somewhere in our homes. The Word of God needs to be read, known, meditated upon, and, above all, lived.
When we open the Holy Scriptures, we also open an opportunity to draw closer to God.
May Saint Jerome help us to love the Word more and more and to seek in it the light for our journey.
Long live the Bible! 📖💛
Saint Jerome, pray for us!