Memorial of St. Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church
ST. JEROME: LOVER OF GOD’S WORD
What
is the greatest love in your life? How do you pursue it? How much does
it mean to you? To what degree are you willing to lay down your life for
it? These questions help us reflect on what matters most to us. St.
Jerome is known as the man who coined the phrase: “Ignorance of the
Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” This is very true. It is important
that we become men and women of God’s Word if we are serious about
becoming His disciples.
Jesus constantly reflected upon the Word of God. He knew its
importance for Him. The saints reflect on Scripture because they firmly
believe that all answers to life’s questions can be found within.
As I speak to many people in the course of my ministry as a priest, I
am amazed at our — and I include myself here — ignorance of the
Scriptures. When we consider how much time is spent listening to music
and playing video games, and then very few people can quote even one
line from the Scriptures, we know there is something wrong with our
priorities in life. The Desert Fathers have a saying that we should be
dyeing our hearts the color of the Scriptures. That is, we should be
reading and reflecting on them so often that they become one with us.
Imagine how wonderful it would be to call to mind a Scripture verse
every time we
encounter a struggle in life.
We watch a sporting event and people can recite the facts and figures
for their team going back decades, but very few can recite an entire
psalm, even one of the short ones. What does this say about the focus of
our commitment? Not much that is good, I dare to say. The Scriptures
are the Word of God; there is nothing more important to know than God’s
Word for our lives. Let us resolve to get to know the Scriptures better
from this day forward. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTION: What are you going to do to better know the Scriptures and their relevance for your life?
Holy Spirit, awaken in my heart a love for the Word of God such that I will never tire of reading and reflecting upon them.
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