Calendar Class of March 29, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

Cordelia's latest costumed creation last night- Moana on her raft, confidently resolute before the dangerous mission before her. To our great amusement, in Italy they have changed the name "Moana" to "Vaiana" for trademark reasons. A huge cardboard box provided the materials to make a raft, and she's all set to sail the seven seas.

Liturgical: Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Mass readings and Bishop Barron's Gospel reflections

"But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14

The gifts received by us from God are derived not from ourselves but from the Holy Spirit, and are to be used, in a spirit of humility, in the service of the Church and of our brothers.

The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is a striking reminder that we have no grounds for self-satisfaction. There are two classes of men, said Pascal: saints, who consider themselves guilty of every fault, and sinners, who do not feel guilty of anything. The former are humble and God will exalt them; the latter are proud and will be humbled by punishment. Going even deeper, St. Irenaeus defined man as "the receptacle of God's gifts."

God is not content with calling on us to observe His commandments; He gives us His Holy Spirit to transform our lives and make them truly Christian.

—St. Andrew Daily Missal

Sanctoral: The Roman Martyrology honors Blessed Berthold of Mount Carmel (d. 1195). He was a soldier who fought in the Crusades. Following a vision of Christ, Bertold gave up the military life and became a hermit on Mount Carmel, trying to live like Elijah the Prophet. His community gave inspiration for the founding of the Carmelites.

The history of Stella Maris, the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites on Mount Carmel.

Human: 845 Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving

1549 The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded

1974 Chinese farmers discover the Terracotta Army near Xi'an, 8,000 clay warrior statues buried to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang

1797 Writer Mary Wollstonecraft marries philosopher and journalist William Godwin

John Jacob Astor, who died on this day, was the first multi-millionaire businessman in the United States.

Natural: In my unending search to simplify health practices, today I came up with a very easy way to remember the basics of good health-- prioritize two things: the quality of what you consume daily (to nourish the body, mind, and soul) and syncing your circadian rhythm with the sun (get up and move when the sun rises, rest when the sun sets). Even I can remember that.

Italian: 13 Ways to Say “Drunk” in Italian

Quote: "Each of us has a vocation, and by that I don't mean a job. I mean a calling in the world as a certain presence... It's a form of service... We all have an appointment with our souls somewhere, and the question is, 'Have I shown up? Do I keep showing up?'"

-- Dr. James Hollis, in this recent podcast