The Healing Journey

September 30, 2024

Beneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem are several caves, one of which is the Cave of St. Jerome. It was here, sequestered in the cool stone walls, that the saint spent more than 30 years translating Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, giving us the most enduring translation of the Bible, known as the Vulgate.

This Doctor of the Church once famously said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” He was a priest and monk who was also known for his quick temper and ascetic life. In addition to his translation, biblical scholarship and theological essays, he also wrote letters to friends who were grieving.

“Jerome’s Tears: Letters to Friends in Mourning,” translated and edited by David Bonagura Jr. shows a different side of the saint, who is also the patron of people with difficult personalities.

St. Jerome (347-420) wrote heartfelt letters to help his friends while they were mourning the loss of children, spouses, family members and loved ones. In one case, he addresses a letter to a man of wealth whose young daughters and wife died close to each other.

In his letters, he urged the grieving people to consider the Resurrection of Christ, which offers hope for us all. Grief, he said, also gives us an opportunity, albeit painful, to follow Jesus in a deeper union on the path to Calvary. And to be grateful for the blessings that our deceased loved ones brought to our lives.

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