Letter 31: Jerome writes to thank Eustochium for some presents sent to him by her on the festival of St. Peter. He also moralizes on the mystical meaning of the articles sent.
Barbarian peoples/invasions; Persecution or exile; Military conflict
Letter 31: To Eustochium (384 AD, St. Peter's Day, Rome)
[A charming thank-you note for gifts Eustochium sent Jerome on St. Peter's feast day. Eustochium was the daughter of the Roman noblewoman Paula and one of Jerome's closest companions for life — she would follow him to Bethlehem and remain with him until his death.]
1. Doves, bracelets, and a letter — outwardly these are small gifts to receive from a consecrated virgin, but the spirit behind them multiplies their value. And since honey may not be offered in sacrifice to God [Leviticus 2:11], you've shown real cleverness by cutting the excessive sweetness and making them pungent — if I may put it this way — with a dash of pepper. Nothing that's purely pleasurable or merely sweet can please God. Everything needs the sharp seasoning of truth. Christ's Passover must be eaten with bitter herbs [Exodus 12:8].
2. Granted, a festival like the birthday of Saint Peter [the feast day commemorating his martyrdom, June 29] calls for more gladness than usual — but our merriment shouldn't overshoot the limits set by Scripture, and we mustn't wander too far beyond the bounds of our arena. Your presents, in fact, remind me of the sacred text: in Ezekiel, God adorns Jerusalem with bracelets [Ezekiel 16:11]; Baruch receives letters from Jeremiah [Jeremiah 36]; and the Holy Spirit descends as a dove at Christ's baptism [Matthew 3:16]. But to give you a sprinkling of pepper in return and remind you of my earlier letter, here's a three-fold warning: Never stop adorning yourself with good works — the true jewelry of a Christian woman [1 Timothy 2:10]. Don't tear up the letter written on your heart [2 Corinthians 3:2] the way the wicked king slashed Jeremiah's scroll with his penknife [Jeremiah 36:23]. And don't let Hosea say to you as he did to Ephraim: "You are like a silly dove" [Hosea 7:11].
My words are too harsh, you'll say — hardly suitable for a celebration. Well, you provoked me with the nature of your gifts. As long as you mix bitter with sweet, expect the same from me: sharp words as well as praise.
3. Still, I don't want to undervalue your presents — least of all that basket of gorgeous cherries, blushing with such virginal modesty that I could imagine Lucullus himself [the Roman general, c. 118-57 BC, who introduced cherries to Rome from Cerasus — modern Giresun, Turkey — on the Black Sea coast after his eastern campaigns] had just picked them. The cherry tree gets its name from Cerasus, the town he brought it from. Now, since Scripture doesn't mention cherries but does mention a basket of figs [Jeremiah 24:1-3], I'll use figs instead for my moral lesson. May you be made of fruit like the good figs that grow before God's temple, of which he says: "Behold, they are good — very good" [Jeremiah 24:3]. The Savior has no time for anything half-hearted: he welcomes the hot and doesn't reject the cold, but the lukewarm, he tells us in Revelation, he'll spit out of his mouth [Revelation 3:15-16].
So we must take care to celebrate our holy day not so much with abundant food as with exuberant spirit. It would be thoroughly absurd to try to honor a martyr through gluttony when the martyr himself, as you know, pleased God through fasting. When you eat, always remember that eating should be followed by reading and by prayer. And if this approach displeases anyone, repeat to yourself the apostle's words: "If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ" [Galatians 1:10].
To Eustochium
Jerome writes to thank Eustochium for some presents sent to him by her on the festival of St. Peter. He also moralizes on the mystical meaning of the articles sent. The letter should be compared with Letter XLIV., of which the theme is similar. Written at Rome in 384 A.D. (on St. Peter's Day).
1. Doves, bracelets, and a letter are outwardly but small gifts to receive from a virgin, but the action which has prompted them enhances their value. And since honey may not be offered in sacrifice to God, Leviticus 2:11 you have shown skill in taking off their overmuch sweetness and making them pungent — if I may so say — with a dash of pepper. For nothing that is simply pleasurable or merely sweet can please God. Everything must have in it a sharp seasoning of truth. Christ's passover must be eaten with bitter herbs. Exodus 12:8
2. It is true that a festival such as the birthday of Saint Peter should be seasoned with more gladness than usual; still our merriment must not forget the limit set by Scripture, and we must not stray too far from the boundary of our wrestling-ground. Your presents, indeed, remind me of the sacred volume, for in it Ezekiel decks Jerusalem with bracelets, Ezekiel 16:11 Baruch receives letters from Jeremiah, and the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove at the baptism of Christ. Matthew 3:16 But to give you, too, a sprinkling of pepper and to remind you of my former letter, I send you today this three-fold warning. Cease not to adorn yourself with good works — the true bracelets of a Christian woman. 1 Timothy 2:10 Rend not the letter written on your heart 2 Corinthians 3:2 as the profane king cut with his penknife that delivered to him by Baruch. Jeremiah 36:23 Let not Hosea say to you as to Ephraim, You are like a silly dove. Hosea 7:11
My words are too harsh, you will say, and hardly suitable to a festival like the present. If so, you have provoked me to it by the nature of your own gifts. So long as you put bitter with sweet, you must expect the same from me, sharp words that is, as well as praise.
3. However, I do not wish to make light of your gifts, least of all the basket of fine cherries, blushing with such a virgin modesty that I can fancy them freshly gathered by Lucullus himself. For it was he who first introduced the fruit at Rome after his conquest of Pontus and Armenia; and the cherry tree is so called because he brought it from Cerasus. Now as the Scriptures do not mention cherries, but do speak of a basket of figs, Jeremiah 24:1-3 I will use these instead to point my moral. May you be made of fruits such as those which grow before God's temple and of which He says, Behold they are good, very good. Jeremiah 24:3 The Saviour likes nothing that is half and half, and, while he welcomes the hot and does not shun the cold, he tells us in the Apocalypse that he will spew the lukewarm out of his mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 Wherefore we must be careful to celebrate our holy day not so much with abundance of food as with exultation of spirit. For it is altogether unreasonable to wish to honor a martyr by excess who himself, as you know, pleased God by fasting. When you take food always recollect that eating should be followed by reading, and also by prayer. And if, by taking this course, you displease some, repeat to yourself the words of the Apostle: If I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Galatians 1:10
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Letter 31: To Eustochium (384 AD, St. Peter's Day, Rome)
[A charming thank-you note for gifts Eustochium sent Jerome on St. Peter's feast day. Eustochium was the daughter of the Roman noblewoman Paula and one of Jerome's closest companions for life — she would follow him to Bethlehem and remain with him until his death.]
1. Doves, bracelets, and a letter — outwardly these are small gifts to receive from a consecrated virgin, but the spirit behind them multiplies their value. And since honey may not be offered in sacrifice to God [Leviticus 2:11], you've shown real cleverness by cutting the excessive sweetness and making them pungent — if I may put it this way — with a dash of pepper. Nothing that's purely pleasurable or merely sweet can please God. Everything needs the sharp seasoning of truth. Christ's Passover must be eaten with bitter herbs [Exodus 12:8].
2. Granted, a festival like the birthday of Saint Peter [the feast day commemorating his martyrdom, June 29] calls for more gladness than usual — but our merriment shouldn't overshoot the limits set by Scripture, and we mustn't wander too far beyond the bounds of our arena. Your presents, in fact, remind me of the sacred text: in Ezekiel, God adorns Jerusalem with bracelets [Ezekiel 16:11]; Baruch receives letters from Jeremiah [Jeremiah 36]; and the Holy Spirit descends as a dove at Christ's baptism [Matthew 3:16]. But to give you a sprinkling of pepper in return and remind you of my earlier letter, here's a three-fold warning: Never stop adorning yourself with good works — the true jewelry of a Christian woman [1 Timothy 2:10]. Don't tear up the letter written on your heart [2 Corinthians 3:2] the way the wicked king slashed Jeremiah's scroll with his penknife [Jeremiah 36:23]. And don't let Hosea say to you as he did to Ephraim: "You are like a silly dove" [Hosea 7:11].
My words are too harsh, you'll say — hardly suitable for a celebration. Well, you provoked me with the nature of your gifts. As long as you mix bitter with sweet, expect the same from me: sharp words as well as praise.
3. Still, I don't want to undervalue your presents — least of all that basket of gorgeous cherries, blushing with such virginal modesty that I could imagine Lucullus himself [the Roman general, c. 118-57 BC, who introduced cherries to Rome from Cerasus — modern Giresun, Turkey — on the Black Sea coast after his eastern campaigns] had just picked them. The cherry tree gets its name from Cerasus, the town he brought it from. Now, since Scripture doesn't mention cherries but does mention a basket of figs [Jeremiah 24:1-3], I'll use figs instead for my moral lesson. May you be made of fruit like the good figs that grow before God's temple, of which he says: "Behold, they are good — very good" [Jeremiah 24:3]. The Savior has no time for anything half-hearted: he welcomes the hot and doesn't reject the cold, but the lukewarm, he tells us in Revelation, he'll spit out of his mouth [Revelation 3:15-16].
So we must take care to celebrate our holy day not so much with abundant food as with exuberant spirit. It would be thoroughly absurd to try to honor a martyr through gluttony when the martyr himself, as you know, pleased God through fasting. When you eat, always remember that eating should be followed by reading and by prayer. And if this approach displeases anyone, repeat to yourself the apostle's words: "If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ" [Galatians 1:10].
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)