Calendar Class of August 16, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

We have now passed Ferragosto and the Feast of the Assumption and the summer sun is waning, beginning its transformation into the autumnal sun. The signs are all around us, from the aggressive bees (see the natural cycle lesson), to the cooler mornings and the shower of beechnuts from the busy squirrels overhead. When the last two weeks of August arrive, both nature and humans get serious about soaking up and savoring what's left of the season. For me, this means spending as much time as possible on or in the water and reading my beloved books. With perfect timing, a new book arrived in the mail yesterday that marries those two loves. I opened it for the first time this morning and found my Carpe Diem moment on this page. I hope you can zoom in and read it, otherwise you'll just have to buy the book (also recommended- see the Book of the Day below). It's a beautiful expression of the methodology of our Calendar Class curriculum-- studying the same themes each day, month, season, and year, but always with new eyes and new insights. St. Josemaria Escriva called this "New Mediterraneans," discoveries which "change the landscape in the interior life" and here is the book.

Liturgical: Saturday of the 19th Week of Ordinary Time

Matthew 19:13-15

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”

Sanctoral: St. Roch, also known as St. Rocco (d. 1327), was born in Montpellier, France, the pious son of the city's governor. He was born with a red cross on his chest, a sign that the Virgin Mary answered his mother's prayer to heal her barrenness. His parents died when he was twenty, after which he gave his wealth to the poor and handed the government of the city over to his uncle. Free from earthly cares, he set off as a pilgrim for Italy. When he came upon a town badly struck by the plague, he sojourned there to help the sick. He cured many people by making the Sign of the Cross over them. These miracles occurred at every plague-infested area that he passed through on his way to Rome. When he reached Piacenza he himself contracted the disease in his leg, and awaited death in a remote forest hut. Providentially, a count's hunting dog found and befriended him, brought him food, and licked his wounds. A spring arose nearby, providing fresh water. The count, who followed his dog one day, discovered the saint and aided him in his recovery. Slowly St. Roch's health was restored, after which he returned to his native Montpellier. He refused to disclose his identity to the townspeople so that he could remain poor and unknown. This secrecy aroused suspicion that he might be a spy, and he was cast into prison by his own uncle, who did not recognize him. St. Roch died in prison five years later. His identity was then discovered by the red cross birthmark on his chest. At his funeral, many miracles attested to his sanctity, and a church was erected for his veneration. St. Roch is the patron saint of dogs, surgeons, invalids, bachelors, and against plague and pestilence.

Human: 1858 Britain's Queen Victoria telegraphs US President James Buchanan for the first time via transatlantic telegraph cable; he replies, "It is a triumph more glorious, because far more useful to mankind, than was ever won by conqueror on the field of battle."

1919 In a pool at Manhattan Beach, New York, Ethelda Bleibtrey swam against Fanny Durack of Australia, winning the race and a place on the United States Olympic team for the 1920 Summer Games in Antwerp, Belgium. She and her teammates were the first American women to swim in the Olympics.

1945 The last Chinese Emperor and ruler of the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo, Puyi, is captured by Soviet troops while preparing to board a plane to escape to Japan.

1946 Direct Action Day: Widespread riots erupt in Calcutta between Muslims and Hindus over whether Pakistan should be a separate state, killing over 4,000 and leaving 100,000 homeless.

Natural: Why Bees Are Aggressive in Late Summer and Fall

Italian: The easiest and hardest things about Italian for English speakers

Book of the Day: Theology of Home III: At the Sea by Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering

Quote: "The cure for anything is salt water; sweat, tears, or the sea." --Isak Dinesen