interesting. I don't believe I've read much by or about Saint Jerome. the imagery is beautiful, and sad. that his god would command him to cut himself off from home, family, good food, and books, and Jerome's weak point is his books, well that makes me think. I certainly empathize. because the books were 'literature of the gentiles', and not the true writings of christianity, they are therefore wordly and sinful no matter the content? I've never been comfortable with the idea that abstinence from all worldly things is the best way to bring you closer to god, when the fever of self-denial leads to people fasting in the manner of Catherine of Siena. on another level, the command to abstain from non-christian books reminds me of how young women were often forbidden by their elders to read novels and the newspapers in the 19th century, because the subject matter was generally to indelicate. hmph. christians are awful afraid of the power of the primrose path.

and because my blind eyes could not see the light, I blamed not my eyes, but the sun.

this is gorgeous.