Calendar Class of October 23, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

Carpe Cochlea! This was not an escargot experiment gone wrong, it was a demonstration of the Fibonacci sequence in nature, in this case in the spirals of Roman broccoli and snails' shells. One of the students this semester, Maria, happens to be an expert in math and physics. This afternoon at the villa we heard her speak on this incredible phenomenon in nature as we meditated on the beauty of snails and broccoli. No snails were harmed in the process, though the same cannot be said for those in a pot on the menu for tomorrow's dinner.

Liturgical: Thursday of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time

So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:19–23

Sanctoral: John of Capistrano (June 24, 1386 – October 23, 1456)

It has been said the Christian saints are the world’s greatest optimists. Not blind to the existence and consequences of evil, they base their confidence on the power of Christ’s redemption. The power of conversion through Christ extends not only to sinful people but also to calamitous events.

Imagine being born in the 14th century. One-third of the population and nearly 40 percent of the clergy were wiped out by the bubonic plague. The Western Schism split the Church with two or three claimants to the Holy See at one time. England and France were at war. The city-states of Italy were constantly in conflict. No wonder that gloom dominated the spirit of the culture and the times.

John Hofer, a biographer of John Capistrano, recalls a Brussels organization named after the saint. Seeking to solve life problems in a fully Christian spirit, its motto was: “Initiative, Organization, Activity.” These three words characterized John’s life. He was not one to sit around. His deep Christian optimism drove him to battle problems at all levels with the confidence engendered by a deep faith in Christ.

Human: Birthday of Gertrude Ederle (first woman to swim the English Channel) – 1905

42 BC – Mark Antony and Octavian defeated the leaders of the plot against Julius Caesar in the second battle of Philippi. Seeing his defeat Marcus Junius Brutus committed suicide. The battle of Philippi turned out to be practically the end of the republic, even though its end was actually recognized as 27 BC. The Senate no longer had any power yet it was treated rather honorably. In the empire, the triumvirs had the biggest power. As it turned out, however, three ambitious men could not wield one state together.

425 AD – 6-year-old Valentinian III was granted the title Augustus and became a West Roman emperor. He was supposed to rule for 30 years. Because of his young age, his mother Galia Placidia ruled on his behalf.

Natural: The swallows leave San Juan Capistrano, California, today. Check out a video on the annual phenomenon here.

Italian: Oltremodo (extremely / exceedingly)

Quote: “They must completely remove from their lives the filth and uncleanness of vice. Their upright lives must make them like the salt of the earth for themselves and for the rest of mankind.”

--St. John Capistrano