Calendar Class of November 19, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

What a memento mori! This once famous scholar's wall tomb inscription at San Pietro in Montorio has been entirely lost to history. Only a few images to represent his accomplishments remain-- a disorderly collection of books, an inkwell, and an hourglass. The year 1568 appears to be scratched onto the cover of the book on the far right. His bust is flanked by two chubby winged cherubs and above his head is a plaque commemorating the Spanish monarch Alphonsus XIII, whose complicated and difficult life story we do know (click the link!). After reading the king's biography, I tend to think that in most cases it's better to end up an anonymous scholar, whose works are known only to God!

Liturgical: Wednesday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

Filled with a noble spirit, she reinforced her woman’s reasoning with a man’s courage, and said to them, “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of humankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.”

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31

General Audience of Pope Leo XIV today.

Sanctoral: St. Barlaam of Antioch (d. 304 A.D.) was an elderly, uneducated peasant laborer from a village near Antioch. He was arrested for his Christian faith under the persecution of Roman Emperor Diocletian. He was detained for a long time in a dungeon before being brought before his judge. At his trial he was severely scourged, his bones dislocated on the rack, and tortured in other ways in an attempt to force him to renounce his faith in Christ and sacrifice to idols. Instead of crying out, there was joy in his countenance. His meekness, answers, and resolute will confounded his persecutors. The judge, determined to not be humiliated by a peasant, then devised a plan that would force Barlaam to offer sacrifice to the gods despite his constancy. He had an altar with a fire prepared, and had Barlaam's right hand held over the fire and filled with incense and hot coals. This would force Barlaam's burning hand to recoil, causing the incense to fall before the pagan altar, which the judge could then proclaim as a public act of sacrifice to the idols. Instead, Barlaam endured the pain in perfect stillness. He held his hand steady until it burned off completely. Irate, the judge ordered his immediate death.

Agnes of Assisi (c. 1197 – November 16, 1253)

Born Caterina Offreducia, Agnes was the younger sister of Saint Clare, and her first follower. When Caterina left home two weeks after Clare’s departure, their family attempted to bring her back by force. They tried to drag her out of the monastery, but her body suddenly became so heavy that several knights could not budge it. Her uncle Monaldo tried to strike her but was temporarily paralyzed. The knights then left Caterina and Clare in peace. Saint Francis himself gave Clare’s sister the name Agnes, because she was gentle like a young lamb.

Agnes matched her sister in devotion to prayer and in willingness to endure the strict penances that characterized the Poor Ladies’ lives at San Damiano. In 1221, a group of Benedictine nuns in Monticelli near Florence asked to become Poor Ladies. Saint Clare sent Agnes to become abbess of that monastery. Agnes soon wrote a rather sad letter about how much she missed Clare and the other nuns at San Damiano. After establishing other monasteries of Poor Ladies in northern Italy, Agnes was recalled to San Damiano in 1253, as Clare lay dying.

Three months later Agnes followed Clare in death, and was canonized in 1753.

Human: 461 AD – Libius Severus became a West Roman emperor by the will of the Ricimer, German commander, who actually ruled Rome. Libius was not recognized by either the Byzantine emperor or part of his subjects. His rule included only Italy, Sicily and part of the Alpine countries.

1530 The final decree of the Diet of Augsburg, "The Recess," is signed by Charles V and the Catholic princes, reaffirming Catholic rites and principles after the departure of the Protestant princes

​1620 The Mayflower reaches Cape Cod and explores the coast

1863 US President Abraham Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address, starts with "Four score and seven years ago..."

Natural: Why handwriting is better for the brain than typing

Italian: Convenire (to be a good deal / it’s best to)

When we say something conviene, we mean it’s a good deal that saves us money or offers great value. So, when you spot a bargain, you can just say: Conviene! (It’s worth it!).

Book of the Day: Love What Lasts: How to Save Your Soul from Mediocrity by Joshua Gibbs

First, read this review by Sarah Reardon in the University Bookman

This book addresses many of the reasons I have decided to scale back my use of the internet for research and return to physical books as resources, even if that limits the amount of information I can learn and share on any given topic per day. It's just more enjoyable and digestible to learn through physical books, despite the limitations they present compared to the internet. It's also more enjoyable (and better for the limbic system), to process knowledge by writing it down with pen and paper rather than typing.

Quote: "Common art prepares us for uncommon art, and uncommon art prepares us for the halcyon joys of Glory. God has gifted a few great artists with the power to acclimatize us to heaven. We must use their help to begin acquiring the taste for Glory now."

--Joshua Gibbs, Love What Lasts