Calendar Class of October 27, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

"Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is no thread that is not a twist of these two strands." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Via Francigena passes through the medieval town of Sermoneta, I discovered the other day. When in San Gimignano last week, I was delighted to see that it also runs through that most picturesque of towns. Everything that is old is new again, and pilgrimage is no exception to that rule. Every year these caminos become more and more popular among both religious and secular hikers alike, which I believe is a very healthy sign of natural, cultural, and spiritual renewal. Here is a short intro video on the route by a company who assists travelers (no affiliation). And here is a video on the several pilgrimage trails that run through Italy. Here, also, is a unique pilgrimage company run by a friend of mine, which offers athletic pilgrims some exciting options, such as white-water rafting! One of my life-long goals has been, and continues to be, to travel for a noble purpose. Pilgrimage certainly fits that description. I have yet to go on one of these official, ancient pilgrimage trails, although my family and I have hosted hundreds of pilgrims over the last two decades. As this is my most auspicious year, perhaps it is finally my time to take to the trail. Buon Camino!

Liturgical: Monday of the 30th Week of Ordinary Time

Romans 8:12-17

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—  for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Sanctoral: Bl. Bartholomew of Vicenza (1201-1270), also known as Bartholomew of Braganca or Breganza, was born to a noble family in Vicenza, Italy. While studying in Padua he entered the newly established Dominican Order as one of their first friars, receiving the habit from St. Dominic himself. Bartholomew quickly advanced to positions of prominence within the Order, becoming prior and then overseeing several convents. He was sent to preach against the heretics in Lombardy, and was so successful that in 1235 the Holy Father made him Master of the Sacred Palace (an office known as "The Pope's Theologian") a position which was first held by St. Dominic. In this role he also founded a military order of knights for the purpose of maintaining civil order and peace throughout Italy called the Order of the Knights of the Mother of God (or the Knights of St. Mary). He was later made bishop of Cyprus, and also served as papal legate and confessor to St. Louis King of France, who was then leading a crusade in the Holy Land. From this friendship Bartholomew received the gift of a relic of the True Cross and a thorn from the Crown of Thorns. When Bartholomew returned to his native Vicenza as the city's bishop he built a church to house the precious relics called the Church of the Holy Crown. Bl. Bartholomew of Vicenza was an effective mediator between the factions and feuds of his day, even converting the leader of a heretical party back to the Catholic faith.

Human: On October 27, 2017, Catalonia's parliament officially voted to declare the region independent from Spain, a bold move that triggered an immediate constitutional crisis. The declaration, rejected by the Spanish government, led to the suspension of Catalonia's autonomy and escalated tensions between pro-independence supporters and Spanish authorities. The political turmoil that followed sparked widespread protests and debates on regional sovereignty, challenging the unity of Spain and raising questions about the future of separatist movements in Europe.

1492 ─ Christopher Columbus reached Cuba and claimed the island for Spain during his first voyage to the New World.

Birthday of Erasmus (1469) ─ Dutch humanist and scholar whose works laid the foundation for the Reformation and Renaissance thought.

James Cook (1728) ─ British naval officer and explorer known for his voyages to the Pacific, charting new territories.

Niccolò Paganini (1782) ─ Italian composer and violin virtuoso renowned for his extraordinary technique and influence on modern violin playing.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858) ─ Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States, remembered for his progressive policies and conservation efforts.

Sylvia Plath (1932) ─ American poet and author celebrated for her powerful exploration of mental illness and identity.

Maxine Hong Kingston (1940) ─ Chinese-American author known for her works blending autobiography with Chinese folklore.

Natural: The Pumpkin and Our Common Life

What the Pumpkin Reveals About Abundance and Dependence

Italian: Strafalcione (big mistake / clanger)

A strafalcione is the kind of big mistake, blunder or clanger one generally makes when writing or speaking. For example, a student might receive a poor grade for submitting an assignment pieno di strafalcioni (full of mistakes), just as a politician might become a laughing stock due to a single strafalcione in his speech.

Quote: "To care for what we love includes awareness of the labor behind it. When we see the pumpkin only as decoration, we miss the human faces that made it possible. True stewardship sees deeper, gives thanks for both fruit and the hands that gathered it in.

Charlotte Mason would have understood this. She said, “We are educated by our intimacies,” meaning that the soul grows through what it loves. Knowledge becomes living only when it passes through affection. We learn from the things we draw close to—from the people we serve, the places we tend, the beauty we notice. The pumpkin teaches this lesson: the nearer we come to the life of the soil, the more clearly we see how our own lives depend on it.

So, I keep pumpkins on my table to remind that creation is generous, that joy is the harvest of gratitude, and that what we call ordinary is often miraculous."

--Sheila Carroll, from her Nature Notes post today (in the Natural Cycle lesson)