Calendar Class of September 27, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

"May God Give You Holy Friendships Who Bless You With Their Belief In You."

Liturgical: Saturday of the 25th Week of Ordinary Time

Luke 9:43b-45

And all were astounded at the greatness of God. While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning remained concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

From Bishop Barron's Gospel reflections today: Dante and every other spiritual master know that the only way up is down. When we live unaware of our sins, we will never make spiritual progress. So we need the light, however painful it is. Then we can begin to rise. Once Dante makes it all the way to the center of hell, he suddenly finds himself climbing out.

On the cross of Jesus, we meet our own sin. But we also meet the divine mercy, which has taken that sin upon himself in order to swallow it up.

Sanctoral: St. Vincent de Paul (1581–1660) was born in France to a peasant farming family. As a child he grew up herding sheep, and showed such an aptitude for his studies that his father sold the family oxen to fund his seminary education. After his ordination in 1600, St. Vincent worked in Toulouse as a tutor to pay for his doctorate. In 1605, while traveling by sea, he was captured by Turkish pirates. He was taken to Tunis in Africa and sold into slavery four times before escaping in 1607 along with his master, whom he had coverted to the faith. St. Vincent then continued his studies in Rome, and afterwards returned to France. He served as a parish priest and ministered to the nobility; however, two life-changing encounters with destitute people inspired him to begin work among the poor and marginalized. He gathered the wealthy women of his parish to collect funds for missionary projects. From this group came the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. He also founded an Order of priests, the Vincentians, who, during a time of general laxity and ignorance among the clergy, devoted themselves to the Evangelical Councils while serving in small towns and villages. He committed himself to the education of priests and conducted many retreats for their spiritual formation. He also ministered to convicts suffering deplorable conditions in prison, and won many to the faith in addition to building them a hospital. St. Vincent renewed the faith of France during a time of spiritual crisis. For this he was named the patron of charitable works. He is also the patron of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, an organization dedicated to the service of the poor, now working in 132 countries.

Human: 1066 William the Conqueror's troops set sail from Normandy to invade England

• 1290 Earthquake in the Gulf of Chihli (Bohai Sea) near China reportedly kills 100,000 people

• 1779 John Adams is appointed to negotiate Revolutionary War peace terms with Great Britain

• 1821 Mexican revolutionary forces led by Agustín de Iturbide occupy Mexico City as the Spanish withdraw, bringing an end to the Mexican War of Independence

• 1822 French scholar Jean-François Champollion announces he has deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone

• 1905 Physics journal Annalen der Physik publishes Albert Einstein's paper "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?", introducing the equation E=mc².

• 1908 Henry Ford's first Ford Model T automobile leaves the Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit, Michigan

Natural: A Century-Long Passion for Pumpkin Spice

The traditional ingredients of pumpkin spice can vary depending on the recipe, though most will consist of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove or allspice. All of these spices are considered aromatic and warming. 

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove are all spices that originated in the East Indies, while ginger originates from China. Allspice is the lone spice from this side of the hemisphere, Jamaica. However, many pumpkin spice-flavored products on the market may not contain any of these pure ingredients. Instead, they can be made with artificial ingredients that mimic the flavor along with a whole bunch of sugar.

Italian: Talking About your Hair in Italian

When learning Italian, it’s easy to get caught up in grammar rules and forget about real-life situations… like getting your hair done! Say that you’re traveling through Italy and need a last-minute touch-up, or maybe you’re in the mood for a bold new look to celebrate your trip. Would you know how to talk about hair lengths, colors, and styles in Italian? Miscommunication with your hairdresser could lead to some interesting (and potentially disastrous) results, so better to be well equipped with the right vocabulary.

Quote: Quotes from St. Vincent de Paul

"If you are inclined toward evil you know that God is incomparably more inclined to do good and to do it even in and through you."

"If the world takes something from us on the one hand, God will give us something on the other."

"If the Church’s ministers are good and they do their duty, all will go well. (XII: 13). We have all been called by God to work on a masterpiece."

"If temptations are necessary for everyone, they are also a source of merit for those to whom God grants the grace of turning all things to good."

"If necessity urges us to make haste, then let it be slowly."