Letter 44: Marcella had sent some small articles as a present (probably to Paula and Eustochium) and Jerome now writes in their name to thank her for them. He notices the appropriateness of the gifts, not only to the ladies, but also to himself. Written at Rome in 385 A.D.

Letter 44: To Marcella (385 AD) [Jerome writes on behalf of Paula and Eustochium to thank Marcella for some small gifts, then playfully extracts hidden spiritual meanings from each one — a typical exercise in the allegorical ingenuity that Jerome's circle loved.] When we are absent in body we are accustomed to converse in spirit [Colossians 2:5]. Each of us does what she can. You send gifts; we send back letters of thanks. And since we are veiled virgins, it's our duty to find hidden meanings lurking in your charming presents. The sackcloth, then, is a reminder of prayer and fasting. The chairs tell us that a virgin should rarely venture out. The wax tapers mean we should watch for the bridegroom's coming with our lamps burning [Matthew 25:1]. And the cups warn us to mortify the flesh and always be ready for martyrdom. "How radiant," says the psalmist, "is the cup of the Lord, that intoxicates those who drink from it!" As for the little fly-whisks you offer to married women to brush away mosquitoes — what a delightful way of hinting that they should swat away voluptuous feelings the moment they appear. "Dying flies," after all, "spoil the perfumer's ointment" [Ecclesiastes 10:1]. In gifts like these, then, virgins find a model and married women a pattern. And even I can draw a lesson, though of a rather different kind. Chairs suit the idle; sackcloth belongs to penitents; cups are for the thirsty. And I shall be glad to light your tapers — if only to banish the terrors of night and the fears of a guilty conscience.

To Marcella Marcella had sent some small articles as a present (probably to Paula and Eustochium) and Jerome now writes in their name to thank her for them. He notices the appropriateness of the gifts, not only to the ladies, but also to himself. Written at Rome in 385 A.D. When absent in body we are wont to converse together in spirit. Colossians 2:5 Each of us does what he or she can. You send us gifts, we send you back letters of thanks. And as we are virgins who have taken the veil, it is our duty to show that hidden meanings lurk under your nice presents. Sackcloth, then, is a token of prayer and fasting, the chairs remind us that a virgin should never stir abroad, and the wax tapers that we should look for the bridegroom's coming with our lights burning. Matthew 25:1 The cups also warn us to mortify the flesh and always to be ready for martyrdom. How bright, says the psalmist, is the cup of the Lord, intoxicating them that drink it! Moreover, when you offer to matrons little fly-flaps to brush away mosquitoes, it is a charming way of hinting that they should at once check voluptuous feelings, for dying flies, we are told, spoil sweet ointment. In such presents, then, as these, virgins can find a model, and matrons a pattern. To me, too, your gifts convey a lesson, although one of an opposite kind. For chairs suit idlers, sackcloth does for penitents, and cups are wanted for the thirsty. And I shall be glad to light your tapers, if only to banish the terrors of the night and the fears of an evil conscience. About this page Source. Translated by W.H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W.G. Martley. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1893.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3001044.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.