First, today is the Feast of St. Bridgit of Sweden, who is a Patroness of Europe. May I suggest today prayers to St. Bridgit for graces for the people who have suffered attacks in Oslo, Norway?
Also, today is the feast of the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel. Many Old Testament figures are considered saints.
From the Martyrologium Romanum 2005:
2. Commemoratio sancti Ezechielis, prophetae, qui filius Buzi sacerdotis, tempore exsilii in terra Chaldaeorum visione gloriae Domini insignitus et speculator domui Israel praepositus, infidelitatem populi electi improbavit, civitatem sanctam Ierusalem in ruinas eversurum iri populumque in deportationem missum prospexit; in medio captivorum ipse positus, spem eorum aluit iisque arida ossa ad vitam surrectura prophetavit.
Who wants to do the translation for us today?
It is interesting that on the Vatican calendar, Ezekiel was listed on 21 July.
Closer.
And this isn’t, as one might expect, an old calender v. new calendar thing. In the pre-Conciliar Martyrologium, Ezekiel was commemorated on 10 April.
In other words, the Vatican calendar is just wrong.
So much for infallibility.
In the meantime, I hope you are preparing to celebrate tomorrow the Feast of St. Christine the Astonishing!
I believe that the 21st of July is the feast of the Prophet Daniel
Usually when the memorial is optional on a Saturday, when praying the Liturgy of the Hours, I will observe the optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, because of the tragedy in Oslo, I think I will observe the office of Saint Bridget of Sweden.
St. Bridget (in Swedish, Birgitta), pray for your neighbors in Norway.
Horrible, horrible tragedy….
This is my “opus”:
The commemoration of holy Ezekiel, the prophet, the son of Buzi the priest, who, at the time of exile in the land of the Chaldeans, was renowned for his vision of the glory of the Lord and acknowledged as a seer to the house of Israel. He condemned the faithlessness of the chosen people and foresaw that the holy city of Jerusalem was about to be overturned and that its people sent into exile. He himself was placed in the midst of the captives and nourished their hope and prophesied to them that their dry bones would rise to life
The commemoration of saint Ezekiel, prophet, the son of the priest Buzi, who at the time of the Babylonian captivity having been marked by a vision of the glory of the Lord and the scout having been set over the house of Israel, by the faithless chosen people rejected, he foresaw the holy city Jerusalem in ruin about be destroyed and the people sent into exile; having put himself among the captives, he nourished hope and he prophesized of dry bones to be resurrected.
Slightly rephrased:
“The commemoration of St. Ezekiel, the prophet and son of Buzi the priest. At the time of his exile in the land of the Chaldeans he was marked with a vision of the glory of the Lord and was appointed to oversee the house of Israel. He upbraided the unbelief of the chosen people and, foreseeing the destruction of the holy city of Jerusalem and the people driven out, he placed himself among the captives, nourished their hopes and prophesied that their dry bones should rise again to life.”
Speaking of dates, why is St. Gregory the Great on Sept. 3, when he died on March 12? How does the Church arrive at dates for feast days?
@asperges:
Ut dicitur, latina una sententia, anglica tres loquitur..
Nice. Of course you rephrased it; it’s English. AV, likely following Tyndale had it better though, as “watchman unto the House of Israel” shaphat beit-Israel, where the martyrology used speculator. Also, the NAB got it. (3:17)
Salutationes tibi et omnibus.
July 23 is also the feast of St John Cassian.
And in a week we can pray to a fully Norwegian saint, St. Olaf King of Norway, whose feast date is July 29th.
@Tom in NY: gratias tibi et salutationes de civ. Nottinghamiense.