Of all the early Church Fathers and Doctors, none was more learned than St Jerome (c. 347–420). Best known for translating the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin in what’s known as the Vulgate, he lived much of his life as a hermit, continuing this ascetic existence even after he was ordained as a bishop. His extensive writings and letters are largely concerned with fighting what he saw as threats to the orthodoxy of the Church, but if that sounds a little arid, the following prayer, taken from my book A Calendar of Classic Prayer, is remarkably warm and human in contrast.
O Lord,
show your mercy to me and gladden my heart.
I am like the man on the way to Jericho
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.
O Good Samaritan, come to my aid,
I am like the sheep that went astray.
O Good Shepherd, seek me out
and bring me home in accord with your will.
Let me dwell in your house all the days of my life
and praise you for ever and ever
with those who are there.
Amen.