Scripturae Sacrae Affectus: Pope Francis' Apostolic Letter on Sacred Scripture

This past September 30, being the 1600^th anniversary of the death of St. Jerome, and his feast, our Holy Father, Pope Francis published an apostolic letter, Scripturae Sacrae Affectus on St. Jerome and Sacred Scripture.  Because a knowledge of Sacred Scripture is knowledge of Christ, and since knowledge of Christ is a precursor to love of Christ (which IS the vocation to holiness), it seemed not only worthwhile, but providential that we should take the opportunity to dive into this letter ourselves as a preparation for diving into Sacred Scripture itself.  And so, for the next five weeks, we shall.

Our Holy Father begins by pointing out that “Devotion to sacred Scripture…is the legacy that St. Jerome bequeathed to the Church by his life and labours.”  He then gives us an introduction to St. Jerome.  Particularly striking was a dream St. Jerome had which revealed to him that as much as he considered himself a Christian, he had much to do before he could be convicted of being such before the heavenly tribunal.

Pope Francis then goes on to relate more details about St. Jerome’s life and travels, and then his establishment of “twin” monasteries near the grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem.  In this environment. St. “Jerome came to know himself and to find the face of God and of his brothers and sisters.”  Our holy father further points out that “Jerome saw his studies not as a pleasant pastime and an end unto itself, but rather as a spiritual exercise and a means of drawing closer to God.”  Finally, in this portion of the letter, Pope Francis helps us to see that St. Jerome’s study of scripture in the context of his monastic life led him to a deeper love for the world and for his fellow man.  He finishes with a quote from St. Jerome: “they are blessed who bear within them the cross, the resurrection, the places of Christ’s nativity and ascension!  Blessed are they who have Bethlehem in their heart, in whose heart Christ is born each day!”

Questions for Reflection:

1. If I was dragged before the heavenly tribunal (or any!), is there enough evidence to convict me of being a Christian?

2. When is the last time I sat down and read “The Bible”, not the lections for Mass, not an excerpt in a devotional book, but “The Bible”?

3. What exactly do know about the Bible?

Challenge:  Spend five (5) minutes each day getting to know God better in Sacred Scripture.  Start with either the Gospel According to St. Matthew -or- the Acts of the Apostles.