Novena of Saint Jerome
By Fr. Giuseppe Oddone.
Translated by Fr. Remo Zanatta and Fr.Julian Gerosa
- Jerome’s ascetic journey up to the beginning of his charitable activity (1511 – 1526)
5.1. The period of Castelnuovo
After his escape from Castelnuovo, Jerome continued his hard military service: first, he defended Treviso in the last months of 1511, then in Padua in 1513, and finally in Friuli in 1514, following in the footsteps of the war secretary Giovanni Vettori. In 1514 his mother Eleonora died.
During these years, three great Saints of the Renaissance passed through Padua. In 1504 Gaetano Thiene received his law degree at the University of Padua and then began his career in the Roman Curia; in 1524 Antonio Maria Zaccaria graduated in medicine and philosophy at the same University. Jerome Miani was there as a soldier. In those years, among other things, the university was closed. As soon as the war was over, the Republic immediately took care of restarting it with the institution of the three sages, who were in charge of the university. From 1516, Jerome began his service as the captain of the castle in Quero almost regularly, replacing his brother Luca, renouncing other public (political) and private commitments, which did not allow him to build his own married life.
In 1514, the year of his mother’s death, his 39-year-old brother Luca married Cecilia Bragadin, Vincenzo Minotto’s widow, from whom he had had a son named Gaspare. That marriage blessed, within five years, with the birth of three children, Dionora, Elena, and Giovanni Alvise. On the night of 21 July 1519 Luca died of a fever after five days of illness. He left his wife Cecilia and his children Elena, Dionora and Alvise. He was buried in Santo Stefano, the church of the Augustinian fathers, in the tomb of the Mianis.
On 24 July, immediately after his funeral, his brothers Marco, Carlo and Jerome presented themselves at the College of Ten begging that Jerome could continue to rule the castle of Quero, since only two of the five assignments granted had been completed. The government of Venice, recalling the merits achieved in war by the deceased, and considering the (relative) poverty of the family, in derogation to the law of 1450, granted Jerome the grace to continue in the government of the castle for the three missing regiments, expressly specifying that any income should be donated to the support of the family of Luke. Jerome went back to Quero and took care of his sister-in-law and grandchildren, without any personal interest. Some notarial deeds of purchase of land in Fanzolo, near Treviso, confirm Jerome’s dedication. He returned to Venice frequently both to take care of the administration of the family business and the education of grandchildren, and to deliver the proceeds of the castle that were to be used for food and sustenance of the whole family of Luca. In essence, Jerome renounced a personal political career (he could not take on other public duties) and focused his efforts and energy to help his grandchildren and sister-in-law.
Probably, Jerome stayed in Quero until 1524, even if the guardianship of his grandchildren, the family business, often, brought him to Venice: in the meantime, he also took care of the administration and expansion of the properties of Fanzolo, especially in favor of the sons of Luca.
Here we see Jerome’s first noble project: to help his family and his homeland in a generous and disinterested service. In 1523, Jerome was still one of the doge’s electors. Andrea Gritti was elected and remained in office until 1538.
Marco, brother of Jerome, in his will of 16 October 1522, gives us some idea of the personality of Jerome (the will had two updates: on July 1, 1523 and January 6, 1525 – that is 1526).
It is a very long and extremely detailed will: the executors are his wife Marietta, his brother Jerome, and his son Angelo.
His brother Marco has so much affection (fraternal love) for Jerome. He wrote, “my dear brother, whom I have always regarded him as a son, as he knows”. In his will, Marco gives to Jerome the money necessary to make a golden ring for the family seal, marked by a band with an M and in the middle by the coat of arms of the Miani; he also recommends to him his sons and the sons of Luca, and orders his son Angelo to consider him not only as an uncle, but also as a father; and to Jerome, Marco recommends the prayer for his soul.
Jerome received a lot from his family, but he also gave a lot, especially by replacing his brother Luca in Castelnuovo, taking care of his grandchildren and the family heritage. When Luca died in 1519, he found himself having to administer the economic life of the family and take care as guardian of 3 young grandchildren (Giovanni Alvise is 4, Dionora is 3, and Elena is 2). In 1526, at the death of his brother Marco, Jerome had also to take care of his children too, of Angelo, already autonomous and married, and of Cristina, and of the little Luca, as well as of the poor Scipione, Marco’s natural child.
5.2. Lutheran reform
In 1517, the revolt and the Lutheran reform took place, with the rejection of indulgences, of the hierarchy, of the religious life: “sola fides”, “sola Scriptura”, “sola gratia”. Venice was active in the religious debate with its famous printing shops, academies, schools, meetings held in patrician families, where everything was discussed: from Sacred Scripture to Machiavelli, from astrology to the prophecies, of Luther, Erasmus and the reformers.
Religious ferments were active among the Benedictines, Augustinians and Conventuals. The large market and typographic influence of Venice offered the possibility of reading Luther’s writings to those who wished to do so.
In 1519 the General Chapter of the Augustinian Order was held in Santo Stefano (200 meters from the house of Jerome). The Venetian chronicler Sanudo records two sermons by Andrea Baura da Ferrara, one of the first of his Order.
The first sermon is dated January 20, 1519. The friar preaches in St. Stephen and is considered a prophet. He says that today the enemies (the Turks) have begun to take council against Italy and Italy will have a lot to suffer: only two cities will be preserved, one is Venice, if she will want to do well.
The second sermon is on Christmas day 1520. In Santo Stefano square from the balcony of Palazzo Loredan (twenty meters from the house of the Miani), the Augustinian makes a fiery speech against the Pope and the Roman court. According to Sanudo, he follows the doctrine of Martin Luther. The Baura fled to Ferrara, published in 1521 a work in defense of the authority of the Pope against Luther. He claims to have been misunderstood.
The episodes are proof of a climate of interest in religious problems, but also of uncertainty and suspicion. The Venetian republic, however, tends to save its autonomy in the face of pressure from the Roman Curia.
Catholic ideas prevailed in Venice, spread by the Roman Curia and adopted by many men of the Church: it was soon understood that Luther was a fierce opponent of the authority of the pope, of the tradition of the Church, subverting discipline and fomenting lust, even being presented as a religious monster.
On April 19, 1525, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Albert of Brandenburg, who had been in contact with Luther since 1523 and had bishops who had become Lutherans in his territory, embraced the Lutheran religion and imposed it on his entire feud. On June 1, 1526, he married the daughter of the King of Denmark, and changed his coat of arms, no longer the cross, but the Prussian eagle.
Andrea Lippomano, prior of the Trinity of Venice, a monastery affiliated to the Teutonic Order, dreams of re-founding a knightly order, of creating a military religion, to defend the faith, to carry out pious works, also to ensure warranty from any claim on the property of the monastery, which originally belonged to the Teutonic Order.
5.3. Reconstruction of Miani’s life by qualitative leaps
The anonymous noble friend, probably Marco Contarini, who writes the first biography, uses a particular technique in reconstructing the life of Jerome, who is oriented to the perfect conformation to Christ. The anonymous proceeds by qualitative leaps. It means that in life you change in two ways: with your choices that orient you on one side or the other, and with the unexpected, read in the light of God’s will.
At the end of his youth, at the end of his military experiences, Jerome entered a period of piety (pious man) and of charity towards his sister-in-law and grandchildren.
Then, his conversion to God becomes clearer and clearer. First there is the moment of holy thoughts. Moved by grace, he goes to listen to the word of God many times, he remembers his ingratitude and his sins, he cries before the Crucified One so that he may be his savior and not his judge. He begins to enter the royal way of the Cross. He certainly reads the book of the Imitation of Christ and practices some of its advice: the contemplation of the Cross, the rest in the passion and in the sacred wounds of the Crucified One, the advice that often returns in the Constitutions: “nudus nudum Iesum sequi” (following naked the naked crucified One). Jerome begins to hate himself and his past, seeks spiritual friends, chooses a regular canon as his spiritual director.
This is followed by a period of asceticism and the holy custody of the senses: it is always determined in listening to the word of God. Hearing often “whoever wants to come after me take up his cross and follow me”, he is prepared to imitate with all his strength his dear master Christ. The imitation of Jesus also returns in other expressions such as “the sweet opportunity to imitate his captain Jesus”, “taught how by imitation of Christ man becomes son of God and temple of the Spirit”. He tries to win the gluttony with moderate fasting, work vigils (he goes to sleep when he is very tired), reading, and prayer. Then, he humbles himself in the way he talks, dresses and in the heart. He speaks little because the tongue is given to us either to praise God, or to build up his neighbor or to ask for the necessary things. He guards his eyes so that they do not have to see vain things. He is always happy, except when he remembers his sins. He helps the poor in every way he can. He eradicates his defects from the soul one by one and says to his friend: “Brother, if you want to purify your soul of sins, so that it may become the house of God, begin to take one by the hair until you tame it well, then pass on to others and you will soon be healed”.
“Brother” is a typical term of the Company of Divine Love. Jerome was also determined to suffer every adversity for the love of Christ. At this point of the biography written by the Anonymous, the episode of the beard is inserted, narrated by Paolo Giustiniani; it took place in 1525/1526. The episode was known to all the friends of Miani who were amazed how much he corrected his character. In this phase of his life Jerome leads a life of recollection (care of his soul and desire for the heavenly homeland) and at the same time of activity (contemplative in action).
5.4. The episode of Omobono of the Asperti
In 1526, Jerome was active, probably already socially and ecclesiastically engaged, as shown by the story of Omobono degli Asperti.
Omobono degli Asperti was born in 1504 in Cremona. He went to Rome in 1521 and he became “canon regular lateranense.” He then returned to Cremona, and again left for Rome where he became again a canon and received the minor orders. Pushed by his father, later he left the congregation with the intention of becoming a secular priest. After changing his name (Gianmaria), in 1526, at the age of 22, in Venice, Omobono happened to be in the hands of “Sir Jerome Miani, a very good man and catholic”. Jerome tried to educate Omobono, telling him not to be become a priest in order to maintain his father, but in order to serve God. Omobono had continued to ask Jerome’s help because he wanted to become a priest.
At the end Jerome led Omobono to the legate of the Pope (Averoldo Altobelli, from Brescia, a friend of Giberti, legate from 1526 to 1530) and had obtained from him the dispensation to be ordained priest by any bishop, “non obstante aetate”. Jerome presented Omobono to Bishop Grechetto (Dionisio Zanettini, Bishop of Mylipotamos), who wanted the good standing letters from the ordinary of Cremona. This bishop was rather intransigent and distinguished himself in the years to come for his hunt for cryptoluterans, participating in the Council of Trent. Having obtained the testimonial letters, he ordered Omobono.
Jerome Miani was already engaged in charitable work. He was looking for collaborators, was introduced and had influence with the highest religious authorities of the time. He was opposed to heresies and in the choice of the bishop showed a certain conservative mentality.
5.5. The circle of friendships of Jerome (1525-27)
Most probably Jerome closed his mission of the 5 assignments at Castelnuovo, which involved a service of 13 years and 4 months (each assignment included a service of two years and 8 months). In 1524 he renounced the political career, limited himself to family affairs, cultivated old friendships and built new ones, devoting himself intensely to Christian life.
After 1524, Jerome began to get in touch with many people who shared his same ideas. In fact, Jerome appears to us as the creator of a network of friendships: he did not lack many friendships.
In the years between 1525 and 1527, Jerome’s circle of friendships widened. These are friends who counted in society, people who shared his ideals of personal and religious reform. Among them, above all, we have the Contarini brothers, Pietro, governor of the hospital of the incurables and his twin brother Paolo, who on 25 January 1525 married Vienna Gritti, nephew of the doge and stepdaughter of the procurator Sebastiano Contarini. We have Marco (the probable author of the first biographical profile), who enjoys the trust of Bishop Giberti and from 1529 will be at the side of the Bishop of Verona as curator of his interests. Then, we see Domenico Sauli, minister of Duke Francesco Sforza, who fled for political reasons from Milan to Venice, at least for two years. In February 1534, he became the father of Alessandro Maria Sauli, the future Barnabite Saint.
Another friend of Jerome was Marcantonio Flaminio, an exquisite humanist with many religious and classical interests. He ended up in the spiritual group of the Waldensians. Then, the Count Bishop and Ambassador of France Ludovico da Canossa from Verona, an extraordinary figure of a gentleman (he was the protagonist of the Cortegiano of Baldassar Castiglione), a diplomat, a bishop, a man of charity (he helped the hospital of the incurables and the orphanage of Verona, his native city). And again, Paolo Giustiniani, humanist and founder of the hermitages of Santa Corona, and Andrea Lippomano, prior of the Trinity, generous in hospitality and in the promotion of aid to the poor, and above an honored canon regular Venetian, his spiritual director. These friendships revolve around a project of personal sanctification and charity, somehow carried out by the Company of Divine Love that is spreading in Venice. These were the years in which Jerome embraced a fervent religious life, of prayer and interiority, of correction of his own defects, of still generic help to the needy.