Calendar Class of September 8, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

Wheatland Music Festival is all about preserving the traditional arts, and the dulcimer has been a constant and quiet presence since the start. Rick Thum has been driving his very elegant vintage green Ford to Remus from Missouri for the festival for the last 32 years! His enthusiasm has certainly not been dimmed by the passing years, which has something to do with sharing his exquisite craftsmanship (this is perhaps the first time in the history of the festival that Rick has played the dulcimer with a monk!).

Liturgical: The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Church has celebrated Mary’s birth since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

Scripture does not give an account of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James fills in the gap. This work has no historical value, but it does reflect the development of Christian piety. According to this account, Anna and Joachim are infertile but pray for a child. They receive the promise of a child who will advance God’s plan of salvation for the world. Such a story, like many biblical counterparts, stresses the special presence of God in Mary’s life from the beginning.

Saint Augustine connects Mary’s birth with Jesus’ saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.” The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary’s Son as the dawn of our salvation, and asks for an increase of peace.

Reflection

We can see every human birth as a call for new hope in the world. The love of two human beings has joined with God in his creative work. The loving parents have shown hope in a world filled with travail. The new child has the potential to be a channel of God’s love and peace to the world.

This is all true in a magnificent way in Mary. If Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s love, Mary is the foreshadowing of that love. If Jesus has brought the fullness of salvation, Mary is its dawning.

Birthday celebrations bring happiness to the celebrant as well as to family and friends. Next to the birth of Jesus, Mary’s birth offers the greatest possible happiness to the world. Each time we celebrate her birth, we can confidently hope for an increase of peace in our hearts and in the world at large.

Sanctoral: St. Adrian of Nicomedia (d. 306 A.D.) lived under the Christian persecutions of the Roman Emperor Galerius Maximian. Thirty-three Christians were seized in Nicomedia, brought before a judge, and ordered to be savagely beaten. With each new torture the men received, they bravely proclaimed their faith in Christ. They argued with the judge that by his tortures he was only increasing their heavenly glory, while guaranteeing his own damnation to hell. Adrian, a man of 28 years, was head of the praetorium and witnessed the steadfast faith of these men. He was moved to the point of conversion, and exclaimed that he, too, would reject paganism to suffer and die for the name of Christ along with the other Christians. One of Adrian's servants ran to tell his wife, Natalie, what her husband had done. Natalie, who was secretly a Christian, ran to the prison in joy at the news of her husband's newfound faith, and encouraged him to stay strong and steadfast in it. After Adrian refused to recant his profession of faith in Christ, he was thrown into prison with the other men and cruelly tortured. His arms and legs were severed on an anvil before finally dying as a martyr. Saint Adrian is the patron saint of soldiers, arms dealers, and butchers.

Human: Birth of Antonin Dvorak (composer) – 1841, death of Richard Strauss (composer) – 1949; Michelangelo’s David statue was unveiled in Florence, Italy – 1504; The first permanent settlement in what is now the United States was established at St. Augustine, Florida, by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles – 1565; Francis Bellamy’s Pledge of Allegiance first published, in The Youth’s Companion – 1892

Roman history today: 394 AD – Arbogast committed a suicide, a Roman leader of the Frankish origin who wanted to take power over the Western Empire. Arbogast, after the death of emperor Valentinian II, wanted to retain power in the Western empire. On 22 August 392 AD, he placed a loyal professor of rhetoric, Eugenius, on the throne. However, the emperor of the Eastern Empire, Theodosius refused to recognize Eugenius as emperor and proclaimed him a usurper. It was probably influenced by the attitude of his wife, and also by the sister of Valentinian – Galli, who blamed Arbogast for the death of her brother. When Arbogast and Eugenius were overrun in Italy, Theodosius came in armed. On 8 September 394 AD there was the battle of Frigidus, which ended with the victory of Theodosius. Arbogast, abandoned by all, committed suicide, and Eugenius was captured and beheaded. Theodosius became the last ruler of the entire Roman Empire, which, after his death, fell apart again.

Natural: The Psychology of Relationships- an interview with Alain de Botton

In this wide-ranging conversation, Alain shares much wisdom, including how the Romantic poets wreaked havoc on our understanding of what constitutes a healthy relationship and made us all impatient (or, why I thought Shelley and Byron were the cat's meow at age 12 but now I find them quite loathsome).

Italian: Posto (place / location)

Quote: “Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed and prepared for her role as Mother of God, who is the universal King of the ages.… Therefore, let all creation sing and dance and unite to make worthy contribution to the celebration of this day.… Let everything, mundane things and those above, join in festive celebration. Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for Him who made all things. The creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator.” --St. Andrew of Crete (650-740), Bishop