Calendar Class of April 14, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

Today's quote of the day waxes poetic about this glorious season of Spring. It's a feast for all the senses out there right now with riotous birdsong, sunlight glistening off the wet vegetation, fresh strawberries for breakfast, cool breezes met with warm sunlight, and-- most intoxicating of all-- the heavy fragrance of orange blossoms in the air. Pictured here is a lemon blossom, which also has a lovely perfume, but the orange blossom is the queen of scents, and a common ingredient in perfume-making, as well as orange blossom water, used in Middle Eastern desserts. Today's Gospel readings led me to research nard, the substance used by Mary to anoint Jesus' feet, and to choose the blossom for today's snapshot. Spring is all too fleeting a season, so be sure to Carpe Diem and stop to smell the flowers today.

Liturgical: Monday of Holy Week Mass readings and Bishop Barron's Gospel reflections

Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.

John 12:1-11

Sanctoral: Peter Gonzalez, Spain (1190 – April 15, 1246)

How often we have heard stories about some misfortune or disaster only to hear later on that it was now seen as a good thing. Not every “disaster” is truly bad in its consequences for the Lord can bring good out of what appears to be a misfortune. Such was the case for Blessed Peter. His being dumped in the mud by a falling horse turned out to be a good thing in his life.

Blessed Peter Gonzalez is the Patron of: Spanish and Portuguese sailors

Human: Birthday of Anne Sullivan (teacher and mentor to Helen Keller) – 1866; The sky was full of unknown moving objects in Nuremberg, Germany – 1561; Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language printed – 1828; President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater, Washington, D.C. – 1865; New Jersey passed the first law providing state aid for public roads – 1891; John Harvey Kellogg patented process to make cornflakes – 1896; The world’s largest passenger ship, the RMS Titanic, struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage – 1912

43 BC – in the battle of Forum Gallorum, the army of the Senate and Gaius Octavian (later Augustus Caesar) defeated Mark Antony. A few days later, news about the Senate’s victory reached Rome. On April 21, the Senate ordered a thanksgiving holiday and announced the three commanders Triumviri rei publicae constituendae (Triumvirs for Confirming the Republic with Consular Power).

Natural: What is nard?

Nard is an aromatic ointment mentioned several times in the Bible. If you’re looking for a quick answer, here’s the gist: Nard is a perfume or scented oil derived from the spikenard plant that was used for anointing and burial rituals in biblical times.

Italian: Sfida (challenge)

Quote: Our love is woven

Of a thousand strands—

The cool fragrance of the first lilac

At morning,

The first dew on the grass,

The smell of wild mint in the wood,

The pungent and earthy smell of ground ivy crushed under our feet;

Songs of birds, songs of great poets.

–May Sinclair (1863–1946)