Epistola Ad Constantinum [Incertus]

In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity, here begins the letter of Saint Jerome to Constantius. Preface of the following book, which is called the Comes. Although the gathering of heavenly readings may be freely undertaken in a work, and the little work itself is customarily called the Comes by ecclesiastical men—which I judge to be done in two ways, either according to the custom of each individual church (inasmuch as this very type of compilation is recognized to be varied), or certainly according to the will of the studious reader, who (if it were possible) desires to have everything that shines wonderfully in the divine Scriptures, everything that is abundant in moral precepts, all united in a small body, due to the necessity of poverty: nevertheless, with Christ’s help, with whatever ability I could, and especially given the opportunity presented, by which you wished this to be done by me, Constantius, my venerable brother, I have undertaken this work, although less instructed, in such a way that the understanding of so many excerpts may seem to have a head and a reasonable cause.

For since all Scripture is divinely inspired, as the Apostle says, it is useful for teaching, for instructing, for righteousness; so that the man of God may be perfect, instructed for every good work, and whatever has been written thus far has been written for our instruction, so that through the patience and consolation of the Scriptures we may have hope: what shorter, what more useful thing did I judge, than that from such a great abundance of divine books, for each festival I should excerpt what is suitable or fitting from them, and arrange it in a most distinct manner. Therefore, beginning from the Nativity of Christ, which is the eighth day before the Kalends of January, in the Vigils at the Ninth Hour in order, the readings of both Testaments which I had assiduously learned in the Church, I have provided to the simple. Moreover, that edition which is known to have been translated from the Hebrew volumes into Latin, in this very manner, which reading of each prophecy is suitable for the present festival, what the apostles teach, or what the authority of the Gospel announces for the same title, as the year was already turning, I deemed it opportune that for all the feast days of the Church everything should be read according to the season. But many other things for the sake of edification have been gathered there, and inserted with their own designations, that is, at the beginning of Lent concerning abstinence from food and sobriety; likewise in Lent concerning penance, concerning chastity, concerning the remission of enmities, or many other things.

All these things, indeed, I have taken care to write for the benefit of many, obedient to your requests, venerable and most beloved brother.