Your Word is a Lamp for my Steps

As we remember St. Jerome and the enormous work he contributed to spreading the Word of God through his translation of the Bible into Latin, the language spoken by most people of the Roman Empire in the late fourth century, and his commentaries on the Scriptures, we pause to reflect on the importance of the Word.  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Mt. 24: 35).  We have a special treasure, especially in the Gospels, the Epistles and the Psalms.  They are nourishing, challenging, enlightening and comforting.  It is as God were talking directly to us.  Amazingly, a verse of Scripture can leap out at us as if it were written for us that morning.  It sometimes brings us to tears as it answers a need or a question that has been plaguing us.  Jerome poured over the Scriptures as no other person has done.  These efforts transformed his life.  We need to do more than just hear them on Sunday, or admire them from a distance; we need to digest them, ponder them, and allow them to transform us as well.  May we find some time today to open our Bibles, or take the Mass readings for today and allow them to become a lamp for our steps.  Perhaps we'll become "hooked" on Scripture and make this a daily practice.  It would bring a smile to St. Jerome and a light to us and those whom we encounter during the day.
Bro. Rene