Today's devotional is written by Kate Souther, our Faith Formation Summer Inern Lead. Kate will share future reflections throughout the summer about important figures in church history, today her reflection focuses on Saint Jerome.
St Jerome, originally named Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus, was born in Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia or Slovenia) in 342 AD. He lived in all corners of the ancient world, from Germany to Antioch, and spent a lot of time in Bethlehem, where he founded a monastery. He was a prolific theologian, writing commentaries on a variety of controversial topics of the time. His most famous work, however, was the Latin Vulgate.
Over the course of 30 years, Jerome translated the Old and New Testaments (and some apocryphal books) into early classical Latin, a European semi-vernacular that later evolved into Spanish, French, and other romance languages we hear today. This translation, called the Latin Vulgate (vulgata meaning common or everyday), has been in use by the Roman Catholic church as the most authoritative translation of scripture for over 1600 years. However, Jerome isn’t just important in the Catholic tradition – his legacy inspired key elements of the Protestant reformation, particularly Luther’s German vernacular Bible, widely considered to be the first true vernacular translation of the scriptures.
Over 1000 years later, Jerome’s legacy of biblical scholarship, understanding academics and faith side by side, and textual fidelity lives on in the Lutheran church. Jerome wrote “Ignorance of Scripture of ignorance of Christ” - by critically evaluating the source of our beliefs and holding steadfast to the most original word of God, we maintain that the sacred word, faithfully translated and richly understood, is central to the life of our faith and church.
Today I pray that we may all embody the spirit of St. Jerome and think deeply and critically about what makes up the lifeblood of our faith, and that God may strengthen the commitment in our hearts to live and believe in a way that is even closer to our understanding of His word. May we all be humble and wise, with the word of God gently guiding our every step.
St Jerome, originally named Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus, was born in Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia or Slovenia) in 342 AD. He lived in all corners of the ancient world, from Germany to Antioch, and spent a lot of time in Bethlehem, where he founded a monastery. He was a prolific theologian, writing commentaries on a variety of controversial topics of the time. His most famous work, however, was the Latin Vulgate.
Over the course of 30 years, Jerome translated the Old and New Testaments (and some apocryphal books) into early classical Latin, a European semi-vernacular that later evolved into Spanish, French, and other romance languages we hear today. This translation, called the Latin Vulgate (vulgata meaning common or everyday), has been in use by the Roman Catholic church as the most authoritative translation of scripture for over 1600 years. However, Jerome isn’t just important in the Catholic tradition – his legacy inspired key elements of the Protestant reformation, particularly Luther’s German vernacular Bible, widely considered to be the first true vernacular translation of the scriptures.
Over 1000 years later, Jerome’s legacy of biblical scholarship, understanding academics and faith side by side, and textual fidelity lives on in the Lutheran church. Jerome wrote “Ignorance of Scripture of ignorance of Christ” - by critically evaluating the source of our beliefs and holding steadfast to the most original word of God, we maintain that the sacred word, faithfully translated and richly understood, is central to the life of our faith and church.
Today I pray that we may all embody the spirit of St. Jerome and think deeply and critically about what makes up the lifeblood of our faith, and that God may strengthen the commitment in our hearts to live and believe in a way that is even closer to our understanding of His word. May we all be humble and wise, with the word of God gently guiding our every step.
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