SAINT Jerome
He was born in Dalmatia. He founded a monastery, a hospice, and a school, and settled down to the most important work of his life, the translation of the Bible into Latin, a translation which, with some revisions, is still in use today. He died at Bethlehem.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 1: 2-3
Blessed indeed is he who ponders the law of the Lord day and night: he will yield his fruit in due season.
Collect
O God, who gave the Priest Saint Jerome a living and tender love for Sacred Scripture, grant that your people may be ever more fruitfully nourished by your Word and find in it the fount of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Zechariah 2: 5-9, 14-15
Raising my eyes, I saw a vision. It was this: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked him, “Where are you going?” He said, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out her breadth and her length.” And then, while the angel who was talking to me stood still, another angel came forward to meet him. He said to him, “Run, and tell that young man this, ‘Jerusalem is to remain unwalled, because of the great number of men and cattle there will be in her. But I – it is the Lord who speaks – I will be a wall of fire for her all round her, and I will be her glory in the midst of her.’ Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion; for I am coming to dwell in the middle of you – it is the Lord who speaks. Many nations will join the Lord, on that day; they will become his people.”
Psalm Jeremiah 31:10-12, 13
R/ The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
O nations, hear the word of the Lord, proclaim it to the far-off coasts. Say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock.’
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, has saved him from an overpowering hand. They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion, they will stream to the blessings of the Lord.
Then the young girls will rejoice and will dance, the men, young and old, will be glad. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console them, give them gladness for grief.
Gospel Acclamation: Ac16:14
Alleluia, alleluia! Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 9:43-45
At a time when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, “For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.” But they did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said.
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, O Lord, that, having meditated on your Word, following the example of Saint Jerome, we may more eagerly draw near to offer your majesty the sacrifice of salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jer 15: 16
Lord God, your words were found and I consumed them; your word became the joy and the happiness of my heart.
Prayer after Communion
May these holy gifts we have received, O Lord, as we rejoice in celebrating Saint Jerome, stir up the hearts of your faithful so that, attentive to sacred teachings, they may understand the path they are to follow and, by following it, obtain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
This is the second time Jesus is talking about his imminent passion. He talks of His passion just after having healed a possessed man. Remember, many were still full of admiration for the miracle he just operated. But wanted his disciples to enter more deeply into the mystery of salvation. They, on the contrary, were filled with fear. They could not understand how his suffering could be the price of our salvation. This fear also prevented them from freely finding out the meaning of the parable from the Master himself. Let us pray for the intelligence to understand the word of our Lord. We definitely have to accompany Jesus in His passion, but if we do not understand His words, we cannot recognise the situations in life that can help us in do this. Are we prepared to endure Christ’s passion with him in our lives? When we are broken by the troubles of this life, Jesus is always walking very close to us. He gives us the courage to take one more step, for He says: “My grace is enough for you”. We must not be afraid to participate in the passion of Christ.