Thursday – Feast of St. Jerome

Gospel – Luke 10:1-12

Life’s a Journey

St. Jerome’s Cave (home), Bethlehem

Speaking strictly as a certified sci-fi geek, I love my Doctor Who.  And one of my favorite lines in the decades-long series is when the Doctor complains to his intelligent time machine (it’s a long story) that it never takes him where he wants to be.  And the Tardis’ response?  Yes, but I always take you where you need to be!

Looking back on my life, I could have stayed home in the countryside of Southern Maryland and taken over Dad’s country store and post office.  I could have stayed in the seminary and served as a priest in Mississippi or Alabama.  I could have finished college in Maryland instead of moving out to Chicago.  I could have continued my job in retail sales (ugh).  Different life, different wife!  And you all have similar stories!  So many forks in the road; so many choices!  And yet here you are; here we are! I truly believe that, as much as I don’t get to always go where I want to go, God has always taken me where I need to be, where He needs me to be!

But not all of us are called to that physical journey; not all of us will be traveling to other towns or even countries to spread the Word.  Many of us are called to spread the Word right where we are and with the people we interact with on a daily basis, to share the Gospel message simply in our words and actions, in how we treat each other day in and day out.

And some of us are called to a more spiritual journey, living our lives in prayer and contemplation, like St. Jerome whose feast we celebrate today.  His journey was a spiritual one, spending much of his life as an ascetic living in a small cave in Bethlehem (see today’s pic). 

One of the original 4 Doctors of the Church, Jerome was a prolific writer and defender of the faith against Arianism.  He translated the Bible into Latin and wrote a wealth of Biblical commentaries.  His was also a physical journey.  Born into a wealthy and influential family, he enjoyed a comfortable life and an extensive education, particularly in the classical languages.  He was not baptized until he was almost 20 and then spent the next 20 years living a rather nomadic lifestyle travelling from place to place before he finally settled in Bethlehem to live an ascetic life.

We are all on a journey; we are all called to share the Good News, sometimes in our dealings with others, sometimes in our prayer and meditation.  May we all find strength for the journey!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Sunday – 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42 The Cost/Rewards of Discipleship Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem I’m holding in my hand a simple piece of paper, barely bigger than an index card.   It’s a mini-golf scorecard and it’s 47 years old.   At the time, the game itself probably cost only about $6.   Certainly a lot less than you would pay today.   So the cost today doesn’t seem like much.   But for me all that time ago, it was a wealth of money.   So it cost me a lot.   But the rewards of the card?   Well, that is priceless.   This was one of the first dates Ginger and I went on.   And who would have guessed how that would turn out?   All the memories we have shared, painful and joyful.   All the times we have shared together and the people who have touched our lives!   Priceless! Cost and reward!   Two vastly different concepts but they play a key role in all of today’s readings.   In the first reading, a rich woman goes out of her way t
Read more
Image
  14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 11:25-30 The “Little Ones” Open Market, Jerusalem There’s a story about a rather eccentric teacher who was always looking for creative ways to test (torture) his students.   Sometimes it was crazy project and sometimes it was a wacky exam that tested not just their knowledge but also their experience. So one day he hands out a test, typical normal test, Q/A, except this was the last question.   What’s the name of the school janitor?   One of his students looked at the question and thought – I know he’s short, wears glasses and has light brown hair but how in the world would I know his name?   So he left it blank and turned in his paper. When class was over, he went up to the teacher and asked whether that last question would count in the test grade.   Absolutely, said the teacher.   Throughout your whole life, you will find that every person you cross paths with is important, significant.   They deserve you
Read more
Image
  16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 13:24-30 Be Patient, My Child Tied Up in Knots! Many years ago, I remember one summer when it was time for our daughter Jaime to learn how to ride a bicycle.   So I took off the training wheels, she climbed onto the bike and proceeded to take off.   I followed close behind, holding onto the back bumper, trying to keep the bike upright and trying to make sure she didn’t fall.   It was exhausting for both of us.   I thought I was being a good dad by doing everything I could to keep her from falling.   But it didn’t work.   We were both getting frustrated.   Finally, she had had enough and she banished me to sit on the front porch while she worked it out on her own.   It took time and it took a lot of patience, something neither one of us had much of at the start of the process. I was getting impatient with the process and she was getting impatient with me.   Patience was in short supply.   But in the end, patience w
Read more