Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Jerome and the Bible: Daily Mass Homily--Monday, September 30th, 2013


            St. Jerome’s famous quote—“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”—remains true today.  When you think about it, the Bible is all about Jesus.  This is most clear in the New Testament, but is also true of the Old Testament.  Indeed, “The Old Testament is fulfilled in the New, and the New Testament is hidden in the Old.”  The whole Bible is about Jesus.
            Jerome had another insight into the holiness of God’s Word.  You all know the care Fr. Rich, Deacon Walt and I take in purifying the vessels after Mass.  We do this to honor Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, even in the smallest crumbs of the host.  Jerome said that we should be as careful with the words of Scripture as the crumbs of the Eucharist.  It can be easy to daydream or zone out when listening to the readings at Mass or in our personal prayer with the Bible.  We must stay focused because it is in the Bible we hear God’s Word.
            Never let a day go by where you don’t read with and pray with the Scriptures.  Through St. Jerome’s intercession, we pray that the Word of God may be planted ever more deeply in our hearts.

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