Jerome: A Saint After My Heart
The great St. Jerome is my beloved patron saints, and there is a reason why he is. The following is taken from St. Jerome- Biblical Scholar. All emphasis is mine.
“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” These words spoken by our next intellectual of Church history capture the heart of his life and mission. Born 347 AD in modern-day Albania, Jerome grew up in a Catholic family. His parents provided him with a fine education in his youth and even sent him to Rome for further study in his young adult years. Jerome received the sacrament of Baptism in 366 AD at the age of 19 and began to live a life of intense study, fasting and prayer. He went to live with a group of Christians in Northern Italy before moving East where he became a hermit residing in the desert caves of Syria. It was during this time that Jerome, who had a natural gift for languages, learned Greek and Hebrew so at to transcribe ancient texts. The young Roman also focused much of his energies to prayer and repentance. In his earlier years, he struggled with several vices, not least of which was the sin of wrath. Jerome had a quick temper, sarcastic tone and would often curse or use foul words when angered. He also had little patience for stupidity or shallowness. This caused him to make a number of enemies throughout his life, particularly in Rome where he was disliked by both the clergy and pagan officials. To combat this sin of wrath, Jerome would carry a stone with him wherever he went. Anytime he cursed or committed a sin against charity, he would use the stone to beat his chest as penance for his actions. By the end of his life, his chest developed callouses and scars from the frequency of the thrashings. Jerome, and indeed every saint, was human. He had personal problems he had to overcome throughout his life. Yet, what made him a saint was not that he was sinless, but that he was a sinner trying his best. He recognized his shortcomings and sought constantly to improve them turning towards God in constant prayer, fasting and study. In 385 AD, the 38 year-old Jerome went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Egypt. The following year he visited the city of Bethlehem where he had a profound encounter with the Lord. The young priest decided to make Bethlehem his home. He lived there until his death in 420 AD dedicating himself to what would become one of the most important task in Western history; the translation of the Bible into Latin. Until this point, the scriptures were in Greek and Hebrew making them inaccessible to many Christians. Jerome sought to remedy this issue by providing the world’s first translation of the Bible 1000 years before Martin Luther was even born. It is thanks to St. Jerome’s efforts that the European continent and eventually all of Western Civilization was able to read, teach and produce the Bible for the masses.
This next one is taken from Struggle with Anger? Turn to Saint Jerome, the Hot-Head. All emphasis is mine.
Caroline Perkins, September 29, 2025
Even the saints struggled with anger!
September 30 is the feast day of Saint Jerome, a priest, Doctor of the Church, and notable hot-head.
During his life on earth, Saint Jerome took on the great task of translating the Holy Scriptures into Latin. The Church relied on his translation for centuries!
However, Jerome also built up quite the reputation due to his cranky nature, which makes him a special saintly intercessor for modern times.
Saint Jerome was stubborn and sharp-tongued during his scholarly debates. He didn’t always teach the Gospel with a spirit of kindness.
It’s worth clarifying that the feeling of anger itself is not a sin, but it can easily lead us to wrath or other occasions of sin. Acting on our angry impulses can result in some of the worst human behavior!
Saint Jerome’s example shows that it doesn’t have to be this way.
Knowing his weaknesses, Saint Jerome performed great acts of penance. He expressed deep regret after his angry outbursts. He didn’t excuse his anger. Instead, he sought to rise above it.
Some say that his penitential spirit helped with his quest for holiness and that God redeemed him through this particular struggle. It sanctified him!
According to the National Catholic Register,
“In artwork, Jerome is often pictured with a stone, which he would use to beat his chest as he repented for his sins. Once, upon seeing a painting of the great saint, Pope Sixtus V commented: ‘You do well to carry that stone, for without it the Church would never have canonized you.’ His words are a beautiful reminder that the great deeds of the saints are not what ushered them into eternity.”
It is easy to give in to our anger these days. With everything going on in our culture, our anger is often, dare I say, justified.
However, what if we looked to Saint Jerome for help to calm our tempers and transform our anger into something more virtuous?
What if our struggles help us increase in humility, too?
Saint Jerome rose to sainthood because, although he was a weak and sinful man, he never stopped seeking out God’s mercy. Amid his struggles with his rocky temperament, he was looking to grow closer to Christ.
Next time you’re overcome with anger or tempted to act on your hot temper, ask for the intercession of Saint Jerome! You may be surprised by how much his prayers can help you.
Here is a powerful prayer for Christ’s mercy composed by Saint Jerome:
O Lord, show Your mercy to me and gladden my heart. I am like the man on the way to Jericho who was overtaken by robbers, wounded, and left for dead. O Good Samaritan, come to my aid. I am like the sheep that went astray. O Good Shepherd, seek me out and bring me home in accord with Your will. Let me dwell in Your house all the days of my life and praise You forever and ever with those who are there. Amen.
Saint Jerome, pray for us!