20 August: St. Samuel, Old Testament prophet

Many of the great figures of the Old Testament are considered by Holy Church to be saints. They are not on the Latin Church’s universal calendar – except for a few of those mighty ones who stand astride the two covenants, whom you could name if you tried – but they are in the Roman Martyrology.

Today is feast of St. Samuel, the prophet of the Old Testament.

Many people do not realize that Old Testament figures are often considered saints.

Here is the entry for St. Samuel in the Roman Martyrology:

2. Commemoratio sancti Samuelis, prophetae, qui puer a Deo vocatus, dein iudicis in Israel munere fungens, Deo iubente, Saulem unxit regem super populum, sed, illo postea a Domino ob infidelitatem reiecto, regalem unctionem contulit etiam Davidi, cuius ex semine Christus erat nasciturus.

Would some of you like to take a shot at a flawless and yet smooth translation?

And felicitations to my good friend Samuel Gregg of Acton Institute.  His most recent book is garnering great acclaim.

Reason, Faith, and the Struggle for Western Civilization

US HERE – UK HERE I see that it is also available via Audible and Blackstone Audio.

This is a history of ideas kind of book.  Gregg explores what happens when faith and reason drift apart.  This is issue of existential importance for “the West”, especially in light of the fact that the West itself has been the source of ideas that have caused the separation of faith from reason.

Hence, Gregg’s first chapter is entitled “The Speech That Shook The World”.  It is

about Pope Benedict’s famous – and aforementioned – Regensburg Address.

Read the Address HERE.    Audio in German HERE.

You also want to read about Benedict XVI’s amazing Regensburg Address with the help of James Schall.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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2 Comments

  1. neil.mac says:

    For the commemoration of the prophet, Saint Samuel, who, as a boy, was called by God; and who afterwards, performing the office of a judge by God’s command, anointed Saul as King over the people. When, however, Saul was rejected by God on account of his unfaithfulness, he conferred the royal anointing upon David from whose seed Christ was to be born.

  2. Semper Gumby says:

    “Many of the great figures of the Old Testament are considered by Holy Church to be saints.”

    Amen.

    “Gregg explores what happens when faith and reason drift apart.”

    Indeed.

    Gregg’s book and Fr. Slattery’s “Heroism and Genius” fill in the gaps and correct the weaknesses of Christopher Dawson’s classic “Religion and the Rise of Western Culture.”

    If one is interested in Dawson’s classic, it is worth the read, find an old Sheed & Ward edition as the newer paperback is marred by the disgraced Rembert Weakland’s Introduction.

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