Calendar Class of August 23, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

Carpe pollinatores! Today was the annual Pollination Presentation at the Little River Schoolhouse that Heidi Litobar and I have hosted for the last three years. Today we were fortunate to be joined by some kids and their families who knew a lot about both bees and butterflies, and I learned a thing or two from them about albino corn snakes as well (which are not pollinators, by the way). More on that in the natural cycle lesson today.

Liturgical: Saturday of the 20th Week of Ordinary Time

The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Matthew 23:1-12

Sanctoral: St. Rose (1586-1617) was born in Lima, Peru, one of ten children belonging to a Spanish immigrant and his wife, a descendant of the Incas. Rose was beautiful and very pious. She was so sensitive to compliments on her physical appearance that, to combat vanity, she disfigured her face with pepper and lime. When her father's finances deteriorated, Rose used her skill at needlework to help support her family. Her parents desired that she marry, but she refused, and lived as a recluse in a hut in her parent's garden. Inspired by the example of St. Catherine of Siena, Rose joined the Third Order Dominicans, dedicated her life to chastity and assisting the sick and poor, and inflicted severe penances on herself daily. For this extreme behavior she endured disapproval and persecution from her family, especially when she began to have visions and other mystical experiences. An evaluation by priests and physicians proved Rose's experiences to be authentically supernatural. She also spoke out against the corruption of her day, as the Spanish grew rich from Peru's natural resources while Peruvians became impoverished. She was greatly revered by the people, and at the time of her death, at the age of 31, her body could not be buried for several days due to the large crowds. After her death many miracles were attributed to her intercession. Rose of Lima was the first native-born saint from the Americas to be canonized. She is the patroness of the Americas, the Philippines, India, Peru, and of gardeners, florists, needle-workers, and against vanity.

Human: The birthday of the one and only Mrs. Ashley Puglia Noronha, the rose of Rome!

• Vulcanalia was celebrated, a feast in honor of Vulcan, the god of fire. At that time, other deities were worshiped: Maia, Hora and Ops. The temple of Vulcan in Rome was located in Forum Romanum on the Capitoline Hill. Vulcan’s shrine was also in Campus Martius. Interestingly, the Etruscan priests (haruspices) recommended to the Romans that the temple should always be outside the city limits.

• 153 BC – in the battle of Numantia, the insurgents crashed a Roman legion under the leadership of consul Quintus Fulvius Nobilior.

• 30 BC – after a successful invasion of Egypt, Augustus condemned the older son of Mark Antony – Marcus Antonius Antyllus – and the only son of Cleopatra and Caesar – Caesarion, to death.

• 20 BC – Ludi Volcanalici, took place in the temple of Vulcan. This way Augustus wanted to clinch the treaty with Parthia and the return of the legionary banners that were lost by Crassus at Carrahe.

• 79 AD – Vesuvius for the first time began to be active; on the day of the feast of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.

• 93 AD – Julius Agricola, Roman chief, governor of Britain died at the age of 53, . He became famous for expeditions against the Picts in Caledonia, which was the only part of Britain that was not conquered by Rome. Inhabited by the Caledonians, it successfully resisted the invasions of both Romans and the next Celtic waves. In 84 CE Agricola defeated the Picts united under Calgacus’ command, and then set up numerous border posts and forts in the passages, thus beginning a thirty-year peace with the Caledonians. Agricola was then dismissed to Rome, where he died in solitude, without accepting the proconsul’s dignity in Asia (the reasons are not clear). There were rumors that Domitian was responsible for Agricola’s death – but this is not confirmed.

• 406 AD – the king Radagaisus, was killed after his defeat with the Roman general Stilicho. Nearly 12 000 barbarian warriors were sent to the Roman army or captivity.

• 476 AD – commander of German mercenaries in the service of Rome, Odoacer was proclaimed by the army “the king of Italy” (rex Italiae). Then 5 days later Orestes, the head of the Roman army and father of Romulus Augustulus – the last emperor – was captured and killed in Placentia. Then his son Romulus was deprived of power and exiled. This event is considered to be the end of the Western Roman Empire. Odoacer was an Arian, and in his youth he fought in Gaul, then in Noricum (today’s Austria), where he met with the monk Severinus, later a saint.

Natural: Albino Corn Snakes!

Italian: 17 Italian Idioms with “Cane” (Dog)

Quote: Words of Wisdom about the humility of the honeybee:

"The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others".

"Anyone who thinks they're too small to make a difference has never met the honey bee."

"The men of experiment are like the ant; they only collect and use. But the bee...gathers its materials from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own." - Leonardo da Vinci

"Humility must always be doing its work like a bee making its honey in the hive: without humility all will be lost." — St. Teresa of Ávila