Calendar Class of August 2, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

This is one of our favorite spots, the so-called "Secret Beach"! Nearby there is an artesian well fountain dubbed "Old Faceful" because it gushes up fresh, freezing cold water into the drinker's face the way Old Faithful geyser gushes forth steam every thirty minutes. The stream in the foreground of this photo is icy cold, flowing into now-chilly Lake Michigan. Even though it's August, a recent storm pushed all the warmer water out into the depths, making the water colder now than it was in June and July. Only Cordelia was brave enough to submerge herself in those temperatures. This great body of water is constantly shifting, affecting both fish and fishermen in the process. This morning I checked in with my fisherman friend Tim and got a whole education in the science of salmon fishing and the technology he employs to "read the mood" of Lake Michigan because it's only possible to snag those salmon under very particular circumstances. The recent storm and changing temperatures sent the salmon scrambling recently, resulting in Tim's catch of just one fish yesterday, despite spending four hours out on the big lake. Salmon seek temperatures of 54 degrees or less, so Tim uses a

transducer on a downrigger weight that descends to determine the temperature, which is read by a computer chip in the transducer that wirelessly transmits information about the water temperature, speed, and depth to the display screen on the boat, which is constantly trawling. Late next month Tim has promised to take Tony and me out for a salmon fishing adventure when hopefully the conditions will be just right and the pretty pink fish will be biting!

Liturgical: Saturday of the 17th Week of Ordinary Time

Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 7-8

That your way may be known upon earth,    

your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;    

let all the peoples praise you.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;    

let all the peoples praise you.

May God continue to bless us;    

let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Sanctoral: —St. Eusebius of Vercelli (283-371) was a Roman priest of the fourth century. According to the acts relating his martyrdom, he was condemned by Constantius, the Arian Emperor, to be starved to death in a room in his own house. He was buried in the cemetery of St. Calixtus. His cult has always enjoyed special favor in Rome and his house was transformed into a church.

—Saint Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868) was born in La Mure, France, became a parish priest in 1834 and joined the Marists five years later. He fostered Eucharistic adoration throughout his life and founded a religious order of priest-adorers of the Holy Eucharist who came to be known as the Priests of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Roman Martyrology also commemorates St. Stephen I (d. 257), a Roman, who ruled the Church from 254 to 257 during the reign of Emperor Valerian. He is famous for his correspondence with St. Cyprian about the validity of baptism administered by heretics. The pope's martyrdom was the beginning of Valerian's persecution.

Human: 216 BC – Carthaginian commander Hannibal destroyed more numerous Roman army in the battle of Cannae. The maneuver, based on encircling Roman forces, was an innovative solution. Hannibal’s tactical plan became an example for adepts of military schools over the centuries. Its perfection is evidenced by the fact that over the centuries it has been used many times by the most prominent leaders. The battle of Cannae was a terrible disaster for the Roman Republic.

Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President FDR explaining the possibility of an atomic bomb, thus marking the beginning of atomic weaponry – 1939

Iraq invaded Kuwait – 1990

Natural: We are learning a lot about wildfires and wind currents today thanks to the on-going fires in Canada (again). Check out this real-time map of the downdraft. Another effect of the haze traveling south is the Fall-like mellow light. The sun dawns bathed in a shade of ocre as we sometimes see in late September, and the moon last night was a gorgeous shade of vermilion that we see with October's Harvest Moon.

Italian: All the Ways to Say “I’m Fine” in Italian

Quote: All Nature helps to swell the song 

And chant the same refrain; 

July and June have slipped away 

And August's here again. 

—Helen Maria Winslow, American author (1851–1938)