Lion of the Word (St. Jerome)

Verbum dei aeternum est
Sancte hieronyme, ora pro nobis
Doctor ecclesiae

Born in stridon, roman blood
Scholar's mind, fire in blood
Rome's bright halls and pleasure halls
But conscience thundered through marble walls

He fled the world, the desert's call
Caves of syria, demons and all
Fasting, prayer, scripture flame
Forged the weapon of Christ's name

Not comfort
Not sleep
But iron discipline
He chose to keep

Stand, saint jerome
Lion of scripture, blade of truth
Scholar-warrior of christian youth
Write, fight, endure
With pen as sword and skull as crown
He tore corruption down

Rome called back the desert flame
Pope's right hand, feared by name
He crushed false teachers without mercy
Heretics trembled at his theology

Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ
Thundered truth at any price
Virginity praised, sin exposed
No soft words for corrupted souls

Not polite
Not mild
But righteous rage
Of God's own child

Stand, saint jerome
Hammer of error, storm of ink
Made heresy finally sink
Write, fight, endure
Rome shook when jerome spoke
False doctrine broke

To bethlehem the war moved on
Beside Christ's cave, the work begun
Hebrew scrolls and greek parchment burned
Into latin the scriptures turned

The vulgate forged for every land
Bible armed in common hand
From altar chant to peasant prayer
Jerome's word filled christendom's air

Not just scholar
But architect
Of western faith
Still standing correct

Stand, saint jerome
Translator of heaven's code
Built the church's battle road
Write, fight, endure
Every mass still speaks his line
Truth divine

Lux veritatis
Scriptura sacra
Miles christi

Old and scarred, skull by his side
Death remembered, ego died
Pen still burning, war not done
Till final breath beneath the Sun

When jerome fell, the lion slept
But christendom his roar still kept
From monks to schools, from pulpits high
His fire still splits the sky

Empires fall
Books remain
His words outlive
Sword and chain

Stand, saint jerome
Doctor of fire, keeper of flame
Scripture preserved in Jesus' name
Write, fight, endure
When lies rise high and truth is torn
Jerome is reborn

Stand, saint jerome
Lion of bethlehem, desert forged
Truth sharpened, battle waged
Word, cross, victory
From cave to eternity
Saint jerome reigns in me

Sancte hieronyme
Defensor scripturae
Amen