Calendar Class of July 7, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

This morning, a summertime nature study idea that Sheila and I cooked up turned into reality! The Carrolls (see "Books of the Day" below) brought their three grandsons over for some water sports and a nature scavenger hunt. We found a family of turtles on what we call Turtle Island, lots of waterlilies, a lone loon and gull, and Sheila even spotted a blue heron. A good time was had by all and I got a great arm workout thanks to the extra weight in the kayak.

Liturgical: Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 

Matthew 9:18–26

From Bishop Barron's Gospel reflections today: Christianity is, first and foremost, a religion of the concrete and not the abstract. It takes its power not from a general religious consciousness, not from an ethical conviction, not from a comfortable abstraction, but from the person of Jesus Christ. 

It is Christ—in his uncompromising call to repentance, his unforgettable gestures of healing, his unique and disturbing praxis of forgiveness, his provocative nonviolence, and especially his movement from godforsaken death to shalom-radiating Resurrection—that moves the believer to change of life and gift of self. 

And it is the unique Christ—depicted vividly in the poetry of Dante, the frescoes of Michelangelo, the sermons of Augustine, the stained-glass windows of the Sainte-Chapelle, and the sacred ballet of the liturgy—who speaks transformatively to hearts and souls across the Christian centuries.

Sanctoral: —St. Willibald, first bishop of Eichstadt (700-781), son of St. Richard, king of England, and brother of St. Walburga, virgin, who labored with St. Boniface in preaching the Gospel, and converted many nations to Christ.

—St. Pantaenus of Alexandria (d. 190), an early Church Father, filled with wisdom. He had such affection and love for the word of God, and was so inflamed with the ardor of faith and devotion, that he set out to preach the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles inhabiting the farthest recesses of the East. At length returning to Alexandria, he rested in peace.

—Blessed Peter To Rot (1912-1945) was a Catholic and catechist of modern Papua New Guinea who stood firm in the faith during the Japanese occupation of his homeland in World War II. He was arrested for his opposition to polygamy and was poisoned and suffocated to death.

--Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions (1804 – 1860) Born of humble parents in Santander, Spain, he became a Franciscan priest and served as a missionary in Damascus. This was at a time when anti-Christian riots shook Syria and thousands lost their lives in just a short time. Among these were Emmanuel, superior of the Franciscan convent, seven other friars, and three laymen. When a menacing crowd came looking for the men, they refused to renounce their faith and become Muslims. The men were subjected to horrible tortures before their martyrdom. The Church in Syria has known persecution throughout its history. Yet it has produced saints whose blood was shed for the faith.

Human: Death of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes author) – 1930

717 BC– according to Roman messages, the first king and founder of Rome, Romulus, was lost in the terrible storm that broke out during the joint deliberations of the people and the Senate in the Field of Mars. It was proclaimed that it was virtue and merit that took the king to heaven, where his father, the god Mars, was staying. There were also voices that the enemies, using storm and darkness, murdered the ruler and removed his body. One of the senators then appeared and swore that in the morning Romulus himself appeared to him as the god, Quirinus, announcing the power of Rome as the future capital of the world. In addition, Romulus was to demand a temple for himself.

Natural: Vegetable Nutrition: Healthy Veggies to Add to Your Diet and Summer Salad Recipes

Italian: Menefreghismo (couldn’t-care-less-attitute / indifference)

Books of the Day: I bought these four books by the Carrolls today as they were 50% off and I'm planning on using them with Sheila this summer. The Seasonal Planner will be our simple go-to guide through the year.

Quote: A warm heart requires a cool head.