Thought for the Day – 30 September The Memorial of St Jerome (347-419) Father and Doctor of the Church
This is a saint of explosive likes and dislikes, of tremendous zeal and passion.
As a young man, he made friendships which lasted a lifetime but his thunderous invectives against his enemies, against heretics and critics are just as famous. Thus, he is seen to be the most ‘human’ of saints but still (and this is of huge encouragement to us) one of the most powerful forces for good in the entire history of the Church.
He was, as someone has said, no admirer of moderation whether in virtue or against evil.
He was swift to anger but also swift to feel remorse, even more severe on his own shortcomings than on those of others.
The mortifications he inflicted on himself are legend – even a tiny bit of these would do us well in tempering our own sins.
I, personally, feel less worried about my leanings to explosive anger when I look at Jerome for he is an example to us of learning control, of fighting evil, of doing penance but also of growing in sanctity, of loving the Church and the Holy Scriptures and thus becoming master of tendencies to lose control!
St Jerome, please pray for us!
