Calendar Class of May 10, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

The other day I found myself stalking a seagull family on the Palatine hill while the conclave was taking place at the Vatican. Given the grand importance of the Papal election, I refrained from posting my seagull shots then, but today I discovered that there was lots of seagull observing going on over at the Vatican during the conclave as well (and around the world, thanks to all those cameras focusing on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel). It just so happens that seagull baby season coincided with the Papal conclave, and it just so happens that one seagull couple chose the roof of the Sistine Chapel as a nest, quite close to the world's most watched chimney! The Piazza San Pietro has become a thriving seagull habitat since they flocked into Rome during the Covid lockdown, when beaches were deserted and trash was scarce. Coincidentally, the stray cat population in Rome has virtually disappeared. Seagulls are regal and refined in appearance but criminal in character, stealing anything they can get their talons on. When I glimpsed the fuzzy head of the seagull chick in a clump of grass atop a palatial arch, I attempted to zoom in on him with my camera. Noticing my intrusive gaze, the Daddy seagull took flight, swooping over the ruins in an arc before dramatically landing just beside me and giving me a threatening squawk. While I did squawk right back at him, I took the hint and put away the offending cell phone, which he may have interpreted as a weapon. It's a good thing all those cameras pointing at the Sistine chapel gave that famous seagull family a very wide berth!

Liturgical: Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 6:60-69

Sanctoral: Today the Proper Calendar for the US celebrates the Optional Memorial of Father Damien de Veuster, SS.CC. (1840-1889), formerly Joseph de Veuster, and fondly called St. Damien of Molokai. (In Hawaii this is an Obligatory Memorial.) He was a Belgian missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and revered primarily by Hawaii residents and Christians for having dedicated his life in service to the lepers of Molokai in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Father Damien is the spiritual patron of lepers, outcasts, and those with HIV/AIDS, and of the State of Hawaii. April 15 is his commemoration date in the Roman Martyrology.

The Universal Calendar celebrates Optional Memorial of St. John of Avila (1499-1569). St. John was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope St. John Paul II in 2012. He was the Apostle of Andalusia and the spiritual advisor of St. Teresa, St. Francis Borgia, St. John of the Cross, St. Peter of Alcantara, and others. He was born on January 6, 1499, at Almodovar del Campo, Spain. After studying law at the University of Salamanca, he left the university to be a hermit. He then went to Alcala, where he was ordained. John drew great crowds with his fiery denunciations of evil and his many sermons. A brief imprisonment by the Inquisition in Seville made him even more popular. His missionary efforts were centered on Andalusia, and his letters and other writings have become Spanish classics. John was canonized in 1970.

Human: 70 AD – the Romans began the siege of Jerusalem during so-called Jewish war. Jerusalem, having three walls, of which the inner was the strongest and the most durable, seemed to be unassailable. The Romans spent four months sieging the city, which they entered on August 29. The historian Josephus claimed that 1 100, 000 people were killed during the siege, the majority of whom were Jews. 97 000 Jews were captured and enslaved, including Simon bar Giora and John of Giscala. Many fled to areas around the Mediterranean. According to Philostratus, Titus reportedly refused to accept the victory, as he had no merit in the victory of the people abandoned by their own God.

Natural: Avian drama in Rome- seagulls, hooded crows, and swifts

Italian: 5 Easy Ways to Learn the Italian Language Fast

Quote: He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.

--Old Farmer's Almanac