JMJ
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Happy feast day to my confirmation saint - Jerome - scholar, translator, and theologian. Jerome was the foremost biblical scholar of the ancient Church. His translation of the Bible, along with his commentaries and homilies on the biblical books, have made him a major intellectual force in the Western Church. Jerome was intemperate in controversy, and any correspondence with him tended to degenerate into a flame war. (His friendship with Augustine, conducted by letter, nearly ended before it began. Fortunately Augustine sized him up correctly, soothed his feelings, and was extremely tactful thereafter.) His hot temper, pride of learning, and extravagant promotion of asceticism involved him in many bitter controversies over questions of theology and of Bible interpretation. However, he was candid at times in admitting his failings, and was never ambitious for either worldly or churchly honors. He was a militant champion of orthodoxy, a tireless worker, and a scholar of rare gifts. To learn more about this great saint visit his biography on Catholic Encyclopedia.
As to the reason why I felt called to Saint Jerome as my confirmation saint, well there could be a multitude of reasons - his devotion, his study, his orthodoxy - but in the end it was only one thing, which I'll get too. You see at the time of confirmation I had no clue as to the meaning of this saint's life or works, he was simply a name I found on-line. (Which at the time, the simple act of logging on to the Internet was a feat of strength, much less actually searching for anything.) As it turns out he was calling me to himself so that he could yell at me for not being holy enough, and point me back toward the Church. (I tell ya, he's a feisty old guy.) So in the end God allowed me to chose this fiery saint as my guide and commander as I was confirmed in my mission. In the end, however, my final and only reason for choosing Saint Jerome - which I presented to my priest and religious educators, whom I can only assume lost all hope for the next generation - stated that he was a doctor who lived in the desert, which I thought was funny enough to be cool. I mean really, why would a doctor live in the desert, nobody gets a cold in the desert.
Alas, this is what you had to work with Jerome, nonetheless, happy feast day. Oh, and if you get the chance, just let me know why you went to practice medicine in the desert, that's just strange!
As to the reason why I felt called to Saint Jerome as my confirmation saint, well there could be a multitude of reasons - his devotion, his study, his orthodoxy - but in the end it was only one thing, which I'll get too. You see at the time of confirmation I had no clue as to the meaning of this saint's life or works, he was simply a name I found on-line. (Which at the time, the simple act of logging on to the Internet was a feat of strength, much less actually searching for anything.) As it turns out he was calling me to himself so that he could yell at me for not being holy enough, and point me back toward the Church. (I tell ya, he's a feisty old guy.) So in the end God allowed me to chose this fiery saint as my guide and commander as I was confirmed in my mission. In the end, however, my final and only reason for choosing Saint Jerome - which I presented to my priest and religious educators, whom I can only assume lost all hope for the next generation - stated that he was a doctor who lived in the desert, which I thought was funny enough to be cool. I mean really, why would a doctor live in the desert, nobody gets a cold in the desert.
Alas, this is what you had to work with Jerome, nonetheless, happy feast day. Oh, and if you get the chance, just let me know why you went to practice medicine in the desert, that's just strange!
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