Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Introduction
The scholar St. Jerome (347-419/20) translated most of the Bible from the original languages into Latin and revised some parts already translated to make them more understandable. His immense work opened the Scriptures to the parts of Europe that spoke Latin. He fought all his life against his difficult character. He can still inspire us today to love the Word of God… and to live it.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you continue speaking your word to us today
as St. Jerome loved it.
Like him,
may we understand it in your way,
keep your word faithfully in word and deed,
and pass it on to those who are with us
and who will come after us.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Reading 1: Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a
there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered, “To measure Jerusalem,
to see how great is its width and how great its length.”Then the angel who spoke with me advanced,
and another angel came out to meet him and said to him,
“Run, tell this to that young man:
People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country,
because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.
But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD,
and I will be the glory in her midst.”Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.
Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd guards his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Alleluia: See 2 Tm 1:10
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Lk 9:43b-45
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Intentions
– That we may be a Church without discrimination, where everyone is welcome, we pray:
– That with God, who lets the sun shine on all, we may learn to see the good there is in people and refuse to condemn, we pray:
– That our communities may be kind and hospitable to all the people whom God has placed on our way, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Loving Father,
your word has become our food in Jesus Christ.
He makes us one with you.
Through him, give us your strength
to enlighten our minds and to guide us,
that we may put your words into practice
and follow your living Word,
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have made a covenant with us,
a union of life and love,
and you want the whole of creation to share in it.
You speak to us and to the world
your liberating word.
God, may we be the answer to your word,
not only by what we say,
but in everything we are and do.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
An open people is a people where God is welcome and can welcome all his sons and daughters from the whole wide world. There is room there for his kingdom to feel at home and grow. May we be such a people, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection:
September 30; 25th Saturday in Ordinary Time
Luke 9:43-45
Have we fully understood and known Jesus?
In the synoptic gospels, we have three passion, death and resurrection predictions of Jesus followed by the misunderstanding of the apostles and then Jesus teaching them about true discipleship and the cost of discipleship. In today’s gospel, we have the second passion, death and resurrection prediction of Jesus and the misunderstanding of the apostles expressed by fear for what Jesus had predicted. The passage clearly points out that the disciples did not understand and they were also afraid to ask Jesus about what he said. Where there is good relationship and where there is genuine love, there is no place for fear. It is indeed surprising that the apostles even after being with Jesus for a long three years could not understand him properly and fully. It was too much for them to understand that there is gain only after pain; there is life only after death and there is Easter only after good Friday. It is possible that even the apostles understood Jesus fully and correctly only after his death and resurrection with the help of the Holy Spirit. We know of Jesus for long years by the reading the gospel and also from other sources. Have we fully understood and known Jesus? Have we understood that there is Easter only after Good Friday?