A letter from Jerome (374-76)

Translated letter:

To Castorina, his aunt. John the Apostle and Evangelist in his Epistle says: “Whoever hates his own brother, is a murderer”—and rightly so. For a murder is often born from hatred: whoever hates, even if he has not yet struck someone with a sword, is a murderer in spirit. Why such a beginning, you ask? Certainly so that, after we put our old grudge aside, we may prepare a clean place in our hearts for God. David says, “Be angry and do not sin”. Or, as the Apostle interprets more fully, “Do not let the sun set upon your wrath”. What shall we do on the day of judgment, when the sun, as witness not of one day but of so many years, sets upon our wrath? The Lord says in the Gospel: If you bring forth your gift to the altar, and remember that your brother holds something against you, leave your gift there at the altar and reconcile with your brother, and then, return to offer your gift. Woe to me in my wretched state—may I not say woe to you as well. We are the ones who, at such an important time, either failed to bring a gift to the altar, or did so still angry for no reason. How did we ever say in our daily prayer, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”, when our minds did not match our words, nor our speech our actions? Thus I pray for what I had sought the year before in previous letters—namely, that we may possess the peace which the Lord has given; may Christ have regard for my desire and for your mind. Shortly, before His tribunal, our reconciled harmony will receive a reward, or our broken harmony will receive punishment. But if you should not wish it (which I hope is not the case), I shall be free nevertheless. This letter of mine, when it is read, will absolve me.(1)

Original letter:

ad Castorinam materteram Iohannes idem apostolus et evangelista in epistula sua ait: quicumque odit fratrem suum, homicida est, et recte. cum homicidium ex odio saepe nascatur, quicumque odit, etiam si gladio necdum percusserit, animo tamen homicida est. “cur,” ais, “tale principium?” sicilicet ut veteri rancore deposito mundum pectoris deo paremus habitaculum. irascimini, inquit David, et nolite peccare [Ps.4:5]. hoc quid velit intellegi, apostolus plenius interpretatur: sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram [Eph.4:26]. quid agimus nos in die iudicii, super quorum ira non unius diei, sed tantorum annorum sol testis occubuit? dominus loquitur in evangelios: si offeres munus tuum ad altare ibique rememoratus fueris, quia frater tuus habet aliquid adversum te, relinque ibi munus tuum ante altare et vade prius reconciliari fratri tuo, et sic offeres munus tuum [Matth.5:23-24]. vae mihi misero, ne dicam et tibi, qui tanto tempore aut non obtuli munus ad altare aut ira permanente sine causa obtuli quomodo in cotidiana prece umquam diximus: dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris [Matth.6:12], animo discordante cum verbis, oratione dissidente cum factis? precor itaque, quod et ante annum prioribus litteris rogaveram, ut pacem, quam nobis dominus reliquit, habeamus, et meum desiderium et tuam mentem Christus intuetur: in brevi ante tribunal eius reconciliata seu scissa concordia aut praemium recuperabit aut poenam. quod si tu, quod procul absit, nolueris, ego libero ero; epistula me haec, cum lecta fuerit, absolvet.

Historical context:

Jerome seems to have been estranged for some time from his aunt and to have attempted several times to be reconciled. This letter, he implies, will be his last attempt.

Scholarly notes:

(1)This translation was provided by Amy Oh.

Printed source:

Sancti Eusebii Hieronymi Epistulae, 3 v. ed. Isidorus Hilberg (CSEL, Vienna: Tempsky, 1910-18, repr. NY: Johnson, 1970) , ep.13, 42-44.

Date:

374-76