ST JEROME P.D, (Memorial) White

Jerome was born to a rich pagan family and he misspent his youth. After his conversion, he was baptized in 365 and began his study of theology. Ordained a priest, he was a student of Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, and secretary to Pope Damasus who commissioned him to revise the Latin text of the Bible, translating most of the Old Testament from the Hebrew. The result of his 30 years of work was the Vulgate translation, which was in common use until the Vatican II Council. Saint Augustine said of him, “What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known.” He is also known to have said that “The ignorance of scripture is the ignorance of Christ.”

First Reading: Job 38:1.12-21.40:3-5; Psalm: 139. R. v. 24b; Gospel: Lk 10:13-16

SEIZING OUR OPPORTUNITIES

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

Jesus expressed his frustration, disappointment and pain by pronouncing ‘woe’ upon the towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida. Obviously, he has spent his time and energy preaching the gospel to this people but all effort seemed to be in vain. His frustration and pain was that these towns were completely passive to his teachings and mighty works. In the final analysis, they made him a fool; a noisy gong.

It is a grave sin when opportunities that should have enhanced or changed others are given to us and we wasted it all. Any father should be frustrated if he spent his resources in training his child and that child passively wasted the whole opportunity without becoming any better. There are several people praying for the opportunities we have in life but never got them. When we passively waste opportunities that others do not have, we not only incur the curse of a failed chance but are also guilty of wasting the glorious opportunities that others would have utilised.

Opportunities come our way every day. Opportunities to work, love, serve, give or share; and most importantly, opportunities to repent of our sinful ways. Unfortunately, we often do not make good use of these opportunities. The sad truth is that these opportunities will not always be there waiting for us to respond to them accordingly. And we may not even be lucky to live to see them again. So Jesus is warning us today of the danger of a failed chance that can only cause regret and nothing more. Let us therefore seize every positive opportunity that comes our way and use them well that we may be at peace with God and ourselves.  

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, grant us a docile and a humble spirit. Amen.