Patron of scholars and translators; translated the Bible into Latin (Vulgate).
Saint Jerome stands out as one of the most influential early Christian scholars, best known for producing the Latin Vulgate Bible, a translation that shaped Western Christianity for over a millennium. His feast day in the Catholic Church is September 30, and he is honored as the patron saint of Biblical scholars, translators, librarians, and students.
Overview
Saint Jerome (c. 342–420) was a priest, monk, theologian, and one of the four great Latin Doctors of the Church. His fierce intellect, sharp pen, and lifelong devotion to Scripture made him a towering figure in Christian history.
Life and Formation
- Early life in Stridon Born in Stridon, likely in modern Croatia or Slovenia, to a Christian family.
- Education in Rome Studied grammar, rhetoric, and philosophy under the famous grammarian Aelius Donatus.
- Conversion and baptism Baptized in Rome around 366 by Pope Liberius after a period of moral struggle and spiritual searching.
- Monastic beginnings Lived as a monk in Aquileia and later as a hermit in the Syrian desert, where he deepened his study of Scripture and Hebrew.
Major Contributions
- The Latin Vulgate Commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382, Jerome produced a new Latin translation of the Bible, drawing directly from Hebrew for the Old Testament—an unprecedented move. The Vulgate became the authoritative biblical text in the West for centuries and was affirmed by the Council of Trent in 1546Britannica.
- Biblical commentaries Wrote extensive commentaries on Scripture, offering linguistic, historical, and theological insights.
- Letters and polemical works His correspondence—especially with Roman noblewomen like St. Paula—reveals his spiritual guidance and his sometimes fiery temperament.
Legends and Symbolism
- The lion companion A famous legend recounts Jerome removing a thorn from a lion’s paw; the lion remained loyally at his side thereafter.
- Iconography Often depicted with a lion, skull, books, or in a cardinal’s attire (though he was never a cardinal in the modern sense).
Influence and Legacy
- Doctor of the Church Recognized for the enduring theological value of his writings.
- Patron saint of scholars His devotion to Scripture and languages makes him a model for anyone engaged in study, translation, or research.
- Impact on biblical studies His insistence on returning to original languages shaped the future of Christian scholarship.
A Prayer of Saint Jerome for Christ’s Mercy
O Lord, show Your mercy to me and gladden my heart. I am like the man on the way to Jericho who was overtaken by robbers, wounded and left for dead. O Good Samaritan, come to my aid. I am like the sheep that went astray. O Good Shepherd, seek me out and bring me home in accord with Your will. Let me dwell in Your house all the days of my life and praise You forever and ever with those who are there.
Prayer to Saint Jerome
The Liturgical Year: Father Prosper Gueranger 1903
Thou completest, O illustrious Saint, the brilliant constellation of Doctors in the heavens of holy Church. The latest stars are now rising on the sacred Cycle; the dawn of the eternal Day is at hand ; the Sun of Justice will soon shine down upon the Valley of Judgment. O model of penance, teach us that holy fear, which restrains from sin, or repairs its ravages ; guide us along the rugged path of expiation. Historian of great monks,1 thyself a monk and father of the solitaries attracted like these to Bethlehem by the sweetness of the divine Infant, keep up the spirit of labour and prayer in the monastic Order, of which several families have adopted thy name. Scourge of heretics, attach us firmly to the Roman faith. Watchful guardian of Christ’s flock, protect us against wolves, and preserve us from hirelings. Avenger of Mary’s honour, obtain for our sinful world that the angelic virtue may flourish more and more.
O Jerome, thy special glory is a participation in the power of the Lamb to open the mysterious Book; the key of David was given to thee to unclose the many seals of holy Scripture, and to show us Jesus concealed beneath the letter. The Church, therefore, sings thy praises today, and presents thee to her children as the official interpreter of the inspired writings which guide her to her eternal destiny. Accept her homage and the gratitude of her sons. May our Lord, by thy intercession, renew in us the respect and love due to his divine word. May thy merits obtain for the world other holy Doctors, and learned interpreters of the sacred Books. But let them bear in mind the spirit of reverence and prayer with which they must hear the voice of God in order to understand. God will have his word obeyed, not discussed; although, among the various interpretations of which that divine word is susceptible, it is lawful, under the guidance of the Church, to seek out the true one ; and it is praise-worthy to be ever sounding the depths of beauty hidden in that august doctrine. Happy is he who follows thy footsteps in these holy studies! Thou didst say: ” To live ” in the midst of such treasures, to be wholly engrossed in them, to know and to seek nothing else, ” is it not to dwell already more in heaven than on ” earth. Let us learn in time that science which ” will endure for ever.”
A Scriptural Litany
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
God the Father of heaven,
* have mercy on us. *
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,*
God the Holy Ghost,*
Holy Trinity, one God,*
God, of Whom, by Whom, and in Whom are all things,* (Rom. xi. 36.)
God, in Whom we live, and move, and are,* (Acts xvii. 28.)
Who alone hast immortality, and dwellest in light inaccessible,* (1 Tim. vi. 16.)
Whose majesty filleth the whole earth,* (Ps. lxxi. 19.)
Whom heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain,* (2 Kin. viii. 27.)
Who hast made all things for Thyself,* (Prov. xvi. 4.)
Who workest all things according to the counsel of thy will,* (Eph. i. 11)
In Whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh,* (Job xii. 10.)
Who openest thine hand, and fillest with blessing every living creature,* (Ps. cxliv. 16.)
Who hast power to cast body and soul into hell,* (Matt. x. 28.)
Who dost great things and unsearchable, and wonderful things without number,* (Job v. 9.)
Whose eyes are brighter than the sun, beholding all the ways of men,* (Eccl. xxiii. 28.)
Who catchest the wise in their craftiness, and disappointest the counsel of the wicked,* (Job v. 13.)
Who searchest the heart, and triest the reins,* (Jer. xvii. 10)
Whose judgments are incomprehensible, and whose ways are unsearchable,* (Rom. xi. 33.)
Who art the Father of orphans, and the Judge of widows,* (Ps. lxvii. 6.)
Merciful and patient, of much compassion, and true,* (Ps. lxxxv. 15.)
Our protector, and our reward exceedingly great,* (Gen. xv. 1.)
King of kings, and Lord and lords,* (1 Tim. vi. 13.)
King of ages, immortal and invisible, (1 Tim. i. 17.)
Be merciful, Spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
From all sin,
** O Lord, deliver us. **
From pride and vain-glory,**
From avarice and worldly solicitude,**
From anger, resentment, and envy,**
From calumny, detraction, and rash judgment,**
From gluttony, drunkenness, and impurity,**
From spiritual sloth, and the forgetfulness of our salvation,**
From the abuse of thy grace, and a reprobate sense,**
From the worm that never dieth, and the fire that shall never be extinguished,**
From being deprived of the sight and enjoyment of Thee,**
Through Thy almighty power and infinite wisdom,**
Through Thy incomprehensible majesty and eternal glory,**
Through Thy ineffable bounty and superabundant mercy,**
Through all the humiliations and sufferings of thine only-begotten Son,**
We sinners, Beseech Thee, hear us.
That we may love Thee, the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.
*** We beseech Thee, hear us. ***
That we may adore Thee alone, and serve Thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives,***
That we may never take Thy holy name in vain,***
That we may sanctify the feasts and holy day of the Church,***
That we may give due honor and obedience to our parents and lawful superiors,***
That we may not injure our neighbor in body, soul or peace of mind,***
That we may crucify the flesh, with its vices and concupiscences, and be ever clean of heart,***
That we may not do to others what we whould not have others do to us,***
That we may not covet our neighbor’s goods,***
That Thou wouldst make all grace abound in us,***
That we may present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Thee,***
That Thou wouldest bring us to the kingdom which Thou hast prepared for us from the foundation of the world,***
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen
Let us pray:
O adorable Lord, in Three distinct and equal Persons One God, Who requirest the homage of our reason by the belief of mysteries which are above our understanding, and that of our will by the observances of precepts which are mortifying to our natural inclinations; give us Thy grace to perform this two-fold duty, and grant that we may never oppose our uncertain reasoning to Thy infallible truth, nor deliberately transgress Thy most high and holy commands. Thus continuing until death, in entire subjection to Thee, may we come at last to the clear and perfect enjoyment of Thee. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen
A Prayer of St. Jerome in Time of Agony
Merciful Jesus, thou art my strength, my refuge, and my deliverer; in thee I have believed and hoped; in thee have I loved. Call me now, I beseech thee, and I will answer.–Stretch forth thy hand of mercy to the work of thy hands, and let me not perish, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
It is now time for dust to return to dust, and my spirit to thee who gavest it. Open then, Lord, the gate of life, and receive me; receive me most merciful Lord, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, who receivedst the thief on the cross, and now prepare my soul for hearing the same promise of mercy which he did. I am sick, O Lord, and my life is withering away; therefore I come to thee my physician. Heal me then, my God, and I shall be healed: let me not be confounded; because I put my trust in thee. In thee have I hoped; let me not be cast off for ever.
But what am I, most merciful Lord, that I should speak thus boldly to thee?–I am a sinner, grown up in sin, a rotten carcass, a vessel of corruption, and food for worms. But spare me still, my God; for what victory is there in overthrowing me, who am but as dust before the wind? Forgive me all my sins, and deliver me from my distress.
Arise and help me, Lord; arise and let thy mercy plead for me. Let my prayer ascend before thee, and stretch forth thy hand to help me; for behold I am covered with sin, and have done evil in thy sight, and there is none can heal me but thou, my God. If thou hadst not paid my ransom, by dying on the cross, should not I have been for ever miserable? Remember then, O merciful Jesus, that I have a share in that price that was paid. It was for me also, though most unworthy, thy blood was shed; let me, therefore, have a part in this mercy.
I confess I have many times offended against thee, and therefore am not worthy to be called thy child; but turn away thy face, I beseech thee, from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Deal not with me acccording to what I deserve, nor chastise me according to my iniquities; but help me, O God, my Saviour, and for the glory of thy name deliver me. Now at this hour show mercy to me, and whenever I depart receive me into the number of thy family, that I may be one of those who are to praise thee for ever. Amen
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