When Saint Jerome decided to live in the Holy Land, more precisely near the Grotto of Bethlehem, the holy Doctor of the Church had no idea what Divine Providence had in store for him. Jerome was already a man famous worldwide for his holiness and also for his translation of the Bible into Latin. However, he was not satisfied and continued his life of humble prayer, penance and study of the Holy Scriptures.
Once, on Christmas Eve, Jerome entered into deep prayer, when meditating on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Divine Word. On this night, which had everything to be just another Christmas night, Jerônimo had a mystical experience that marked his spirit forever. The holy man tells us that the Baby Jesus himself suddenly appeared to him and asked him a disconcerting question: “Jerome – said the Baby Jesus – what are you going to give me for my birthday?
"Saint Jerome - a special request from the Baby Jesus" Saint Jerome, who is also known as Jerome of Estridão, Estridão is the city where he was born, there in the ancient Roman province of Dalmatia. Today that region is Croatia. He was born in 347 AD and would become known throughout Christianity as "Patron Saint of librarians, archivists, archaeologists, students and also students of the Bible, as well as encyclopedists and translators".
From an early age, Jerônimo dedicated himself to study as a form of sanctification. He was quite strict with himself and decided to live for a period as a hermit on an island in the Adriatic Sea, where he studied Rhetoric, Philosophy, Latin Grammar and also the Greek language. Then he went to Rome and, still as a young student, he realized that he was letting himself be influenced by the worldliness of the time.
So, to maintain the purity of his spirit, Jerome used to do penance by visiting the catacombs of the martyrs. And it was there that he meditated on the importance of a life consistent with the Gospel. Later, Jerome decided to live an experience as a hermit, also in the desert of Chalcis, which is located in Antioch.
There in that region, in that desert, several other hermits lived. And, remembering that in that period, it was quite common to find Christians who, feeling a spiritual vocation, abandoned large urban centers to live ascetics in the deserts. An emblematic case is Santo Antão do Deserto, who later became known as the precursor of this style of Devotion and Service to God.
I recommend that you watch a video here on the channel about the life and temptations of Santo Antão in the Desert. And Jerome also decided on this mystical experience and, apparently, he found time to study and write. He honed his talent for writing and translated several fragments of ancient sacred texts.
In the images of Saint Jerome we see that the Saint is generally represented writing and surrounded by books. Even when he lived in the desert! This reference to the books is a way of paying homage to the enormous translation work that Jerome did, when he translated the Bible into Latin.
In other words, the Holy Scriptures were written in Hebrew and Greek, therefore, this was a text that was almost always inaccessible to the majority of Christians. Until Pope Damasus had the sensitivity to reverse this situation and summoned Saint Jerome to translate the Bible. And your work could only have a formidable result!
In the last years of his life, Jerônimo decided to live in a small cave, which was very close to the Grotto of Belém, which is the place where Jesus of Nazareth was born. The famous Basilica of the Nativity was built over this cave, which today is a sacred site that attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. And it was there in that small cave that he chose as his home, that Saint Jerome had a mystical experience that deeply marked his soul.
It was Christmas Eve when Jerônimo went to the Belém Grotto and there he bent his knees to pray. And when he entered into deep prayer, the holy hermit had a moving encounter with the Baby Jesus, who suddenly appeared to him and asked him: “Jerônimo, what are you going to give me as a gift for My birthday? ” Saint Jerome was quite surprised by this unusual encounter.
And with a heart full of gratitude, Jerome said: “Lord, on Your Holy Birthday I give you my health, my fame and my honor, so that the Lord may do with all of this what seems best to you. ” And the Child Jesus said to Saint Jerome: “Is that all? And you don’t give me anything else?
” Saint Jerome was a little disconcerted. He looked at his elderly body, at his material possessions, which, in fact, were basically limited to a copy of the Holy Scriptures, some sheets of paper and ink to write. .
. And with that humility that was quite characteristic of him, the Old Jerome said: “Oh, my beloved Savior! For You, I have already distributed all my goods among the poor.
For You I dedicated my time to studying the Holy Scriptures and I. . .
I don't know what else I can offer You. . .
If You want, I can give my body to be burned in a fire and thus consume myself completely for You". And the Baby Jesus simply said: “Jerônimo, offer me your sins, so that I may forgive them. ” Jerome began to cry, very moved by so much love with which he was loved by Jesus!
Suddenly, it was as if some scales fell from Jerome's eyes and he realized that what God most desired from the human heart is that this heart approaches His Divine Mercy with confidence and humility. It was September 30, 420, when Saint Jerome, almost 80 years old, left this Land of Exile and entered Eternal life. On this day, all of Christianity observed a minute of silence, for the entry of this great Soul into Eternity.
Later, the Church established this date, September 30th, as “Bible Day”, which is actually a stimulus for Christians to study more the Word of God contained in the Holy Book.
