Jerome on the Good Samaritan

The Gospel reading for this coming Sunday, July 14 is Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37.

Jerome, was a priest and theologian, born about 347 and died on Sept 30, 420.  He is best known for translating most of the Bible into Latin, know as the Vulgate translation.

Jerome wrote: Some think that their neighbor is their brother, family relative or their kinsman.  Our Lord teaches who our neighbor is in the Gospel parable of a certain man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho.  Everyone is our neighbor, and we should not harm anyone.  If, on the contrary, we understand our fellow human beings to be only our brother and relatives, is it then permissible to do evil to strangers?  God forbid such a belief!  We are neighbors, all people to all people, for we have one Father.