By Nna Anulumadu
The Chief Shepherd of Onitsha Archdiocese Most Rev Valerian Okeke last Saturday enjoined Christians to make positive mark in the world like St Jerome.
The prelate gave the advise while preaching a Homily during a holy Mass that kick started the 6th matriculation ceremony of the college of Nursing Sciences of St Charles Borromeo Specialist Hospital Onitsha.
Reflecting on the life of St Jerome whose feast was marked same day, Archbishop Okeke recalled that it was St Jerome who transcribed the Bible from Greek into Latin language. According to him, the Saint spent greater part of his life translating the Bible into Latin, a positive achievement that made Bible acceptable and accessible throughout the whole world.
” He made it possible for everybody to have access to word of God. It is from his translation that translations into other languages started such as English, Italian, German, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and rest of the languages. Let the life of St Jerome motivates you to do something good and remarkable while you are in this world. The world will come and go whether you like it or not. By the time you are 60 or 70, the younger ones at 20s may think you are above 100 years because of your appearance.
And when you are old enough, you begin to worry that many of your mates have gone and your body will be telling you that it is time go. Either the eyes, or the ears or the legs will be reminding you that you have stayed long in this earth and your mates are going gradually and you will go one day. While you are here, God gives you the privilege to walk, think and work. Use this privileges to do something remarkable as St Jerome did.
“He was very hardworking. He was once a secretary to one of the past Popes. When that Pope died, he established a monastery and began the Bible translation. He had opportunity to impact on many young people. Sometimes, people look for work that will only bring money. For then if there is no money coming forth, then that work is useless. But there are other works that can give life to people, that will be of help to humanity and provide great assistance to many people.
“Today some people only wanted do something that will give them money whether good or bad. For them, the important thing is money and by the time you gather it enough, you get confused and you may not know what to do with it again. Learn from St Jerome how to touch lives. If you want to be the greatest, live in such a way that will touch many lives. There are works that are greater than other works and one of them is such a work that will have impact on others and that is what Jerome did. No one remembers the millions of money that lived at St Jerome’s era but we always remember his efforts in making the word of God accessible to the whole world and we will continue to remember him until end of the time and whenever we pick up the Bible to read, we will remember we are enjoying the works of St Jerome and we can do the same. In this passing world, don’t waste your energy in doing anything you considered evil. Spend your time in doing what you considered very good. If you do that, you wil be fulfilled and your life and works will bless others,” he advised.
