Overview:

The Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

“When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?’
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.” (Luke 9:54-56)

Find today’s readings here.

The Bible is often difficult for me to understand. There are lots of situations that make me feel uncomfortable, both content-wise and in the ways characters are described. There are also quite a few names that are pretty tough to pronounce.

But in today’s Gospel, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the message. Jesus is serving as a role model for James and John. Through his actions, he is setting an example for how to respond should we find ourselves in a similar situation.

Despite not being welcomed into the Samaritan village, Jesus does not respond with hostility. And I believe the context here is important. The most important word in this passage is “resolutely,” because it shows that Jesus wanted to go to Jerusalem badly. He was determined to do so, and going through this village was seemingly the best way to do it. 

For us regular people, when there is any sort of problem, interruption or negative moment that arises during something we care deeply about, we tend to act immaturely, irrationally or even unlovingly. 

But Jesus shows James and John that real strength does not come from the act of “calling down fire” or the attempt to make a painful emotion “consume” another person. True strength reveals itself in patience and gentleness—and in the ability to stay focused and positive when you face adversity or people wrong you.

The message here is important because it pertains to the way we travel through life. Most of us have heard that the journey is more important than the destination, or some variation of that general idea. It is almost a guarantee that we will encounter villages that do not welcome us on the course of our respective journeys. Our reaction to these situations might just be the most important part of it all.

The more we are able to resist the temptation to give into hateful feelings, especially in our world today, the more enjoyable the journey will be.

Jackson Goodman is the Strategic Programs Manager at America Media, creating mission-driven events in partnership with Jesuit schools and parishes. He is a graduate of Fordham Prep and Boston College.