Hello everyone! Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elise and Miles, a podcast where we read the daily Gospels and the Saint of the Day.
Let’s get started! Today is Tuesday, September 30th, and the Gospel reading is Luke 9, 51-56, and the Scripture to reflect on is Luke 9, 54.
And when his disciples, James and John, saw it, they said, Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?
Have you ever started something but then didn’t finish it, like a long game of Monopoly, or maybe a hard puzzle, or an art project, or even cleaning your room?
Why didn’t you finish one of these?
A lot of times, we didn’t finish something because something else seems more important or exciting.
There is a lot that seems unfinished in today’s Gospel reading, but we read that there is one task that will be completed.
Jesus will visit the city of Jerusalem.
Today’s Saint of the Day is Saint Jerome.
He was born in 347 and died in 420.
He’s a patron saint of archaeologists, librarians, and Bible scholars.
Saint Jerome was born in Dalmatia and went to Rome to study.
Saint Jerome was not always a Christian.
He was baptized and converted to Christianity.
He studied for two years under Saint Gregory and then went back to Rome to be the secretary for Pope Damasus.
When the Pope died, he decided to travel to the Holy Land.
He lived in a cave in Bethlehem and spent all of his time writing and studying Scripture.
He often fell to guilt and would visit catacombs when bodies of martyrs were buried.
He learned how to read, write, and speak in Hebrew and Greek.
He often advised others to avoid living with a lot but to live a simple life, speaking time in prayer and fasting.
Saint Jerome is known as a doctor of the Church and best known for his work on the Bible.
He translated Old Testament from Hebrew to Latin.
He also made a revised translation of the New Testament called the Vulgate.
This was a huge work for just one man.
James and John were angry that the people would not welcome Jesus.
They were so angry that they asked Jesus if they could bring down fire from heaven on the people.
But Jesus did not want them to do that.
He just does, however, want us to call down the burning fire of love from heaven for healing and help.
We have power to pray for this fire to come down on us and on the whole world.
There is legend told about Saint Jerome of how he found a lion in the desert suffering from a painful floor and stuck in its paw after he healed it.
He became devoted to him and followed close by him by becoming a pet.
That’s why when you see Saint Jerome in a picture, he has a lion with him.
Saint Jerome’s example of importance for study and scripture reading can help us on the importance we give to reading scriptures.
How well do you know the Bible?
Do you take time to read it every day?
In what ways can you find the goodness for a gift of God has given us in the scriptures?
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to bring the fire of God’s love and goodness to anyone that we come across today.
Help us to be led by your spirit of love.
And help us to live like Saint Jerome, studying the scriptures and letting your word be a lamp and light for our path.
Saint Jerome, pray for us.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Thank you so much for listening.
We’ll be back tomorrow scattering more flowers.
See ya!