History
How does one celebrate St. Jerome and his day on September 30th, you might ask. Well, in our opinion, the best way to celebrate Jerome’s feast day might be quite obvious! Read Scripture as much as you are able, not only this day but everyday, growing in your understanding of the Word of God!
Jerome’s Scriptural Study
The Bible is certainly a hard book to read. Jerome himself spent many long years studying to acquire facility in biblical languages, historical study, philological knowledge, and textual criticism in order to better ascertain a holistic, deep, and rich comprehension of God’s Word. It was only through this work that he could provide a rendering of Scripture that would translate the meaning of the biblical texts to thousands of Christians who could not read them in the original languages.
We might think about our pastors attaining a similar understanding of Scripture through their long years of study, too. And fortunately for us they are commanded, called, and ordained to use that knowledge to shepherd the rest of us within the body of Christ. You can even ask them to pull out their St. Jerome Vulgate to consult with his translation! But what about our own understanding of Scripture? How can average lay people emulate Jerome’s love for the biblical texts in their own study of the great book?
First of all, in the struggle that many have to understand Scriptures, it is important to remember that familiarity with the Bible’s patterns of speech, themes, and conceptual frameworks comes through diligent study. One cannot simply open up the Bible once in a while and hope that they will garner a Jerome-like level of clarity in their understanding of the text.
This is perhaps one of the reasons why there is such an emphasis on repetition and regularity within the contours of Lutheran liturgical living. We come into contact with God’s Word often when we do things like pray the Office throughout the day and have the opportunity to speak back the Scriptural fragments found in prayers such as Matins (page 218 of the LSB), Evening Prayer (page 243 of the LSB), or Compline (page 253 of the LSB). We will begin to recognize parts of Scripture more easily and readily when we attend Divine Service regularly and give ourselves the chance to hear God’s Word through the public reading of Scripture, preaching, and administration of the sacraments at Church. We become better acquainted with the stories of the biblical text when we know the narratives of the lives of the saints such as the Old Testament patriarchs or those who walked alongside our Lord Jesus Christ.
So on St. Jerome’s day on September 30th, you don’t necessarily need to add anything new to your festive celebration of this fourth-century saint! Instead, do what you always do in terms of reading the Scripture and give some consideration to the ways in which familiarity with God’s Word helps shape the contours of our Christian faith. Like Jerome, may we all develop a deep love for Scripture and involve ourselves deeply in God’s Word.
Resources:
1. Jeremy J. Priest, “Jerome’s Living and Tender Love for Sacred Scripture,” Adoremus.
