Friday, July 4th, 2008
Daily Archive
Man of the Beatitudes
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 04 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Dominican Saints, Liturgical Feasts
Besides being Independence Day, July 4 is also the feast of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, one of the newest blesseds of the Dominican Order. In his short 24 years, Blessed Pier Giorgio served others as a model of charity and piety. As a young boy, Pier Giorgio gave himself over to long hours of prayer at home and in church. As a lay Dominican, he spent himself in exercising charity to the poor and encouraging his friends to virtue and holiness. Blessed Pier Giorgio contracted polio while working with the poor, and he died on July 4, 1925.
Blessed Pier Giorgio’s relics are kept in the cathedral of Turin, Italy, though this summer they’ll be making a special trip to Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day.
For more information on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, click here, here, and here.
Fourth of July
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 04 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Miscellaneous
A safe and happy Fourth of July to all!
As our nation celebrates the 232nd anniversary of its independence, we are reminded of the place patriotism holds in the Christian life. In his Summa Theologiae, St. Thomas Aquinas observes that patriotism is the just piety we owe to our country. Piety here is taken in its widest sense, meaning the honor and gratitude we owe to those who provide for our well-being. Hence, Aquinas sees patriotism as a third form of piety following that which we owe first to God and then to our parents. Continue Reading »