Editing and writing to integrate the Classics, 1990s theology, spirituality, and the present. Includes scripture reflections and hagiographical studies to encourage prayer & work for peace and the common good. Books, resources, and additional references for these blog posts: at Librarything.com & cited websites. Posts published in 2025 integrate AI-enabled responses from ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini.
Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration
The Saints commemorated on May 15 are listed
here
.
One of the Saints commemorated on May 15 is St. Isidore the Farmer. What is amazing to learn is that St. Isidore lived his life in obscurity, but after he died, miracles were attributed to his intercession. These miracles included the cure of King Philip III in ca. 1615 A.D. Because of his recovery, the monarch was encouraged to petition for Isidore's canonization. And so it was done. The canonization of St. Isidore was celebrated in 1622 A.D. He was included in the canonization ceremony where he was elevated to the altar together with Sts. Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, and Philip Neri.
A popular psychiatrist offers new hope for real emotional health through the practice of Christian moral values
Introduction
Dr. Karl Menninger, author of the book "Man Against Himself", also wrote "Whatever Became of Sin?". He writes this book to outline an ethical system for the world, promoting to its readership a return to responsibility for one's actions, and for a renewed recognition of sin. The book he writes brings back the reality of sin and its effects on our moral consciousness, and all should find a way to face up to it. If we do acknowledge sin as a reality and take responsibility for its effects, we can gain real emotional health - a healthy maturity of the psyche.
The tendency to blame others for one's actions
Author Dr. Karl Menninger acknowledges the trend in some moral thinking that seeks to blame or deny responsibility for one's actions, which, in some opinions, can be interpreted as freedom of thought and speech. However, as individuals or nations, Dr. Menninger says that this direction of thinking increases the denial of consequences that have stemmed from one's actions - actions that were made without much deliberation, and therefore with a lack of maturity. Menninger emphasizes that this denial of responsibility will weaken one's moral health. He also adds that other psychiatrists in his field of expertise are even compounding the problem by "neglecting the availability of help for some individuals whose sins are greater than their symptoms and whose burdens are greater than they can bear"?
The book Whatever Became of Sin? was written in the 1970s. In writing the book, Dr. Karl Menninger consulted many authorities on the subject:
the Reverend Richard Bollinger,
the Reverend Gerard Daily, SJ,
the Reverend Alfred Davies,
Dr. Frederick J. Hacker,
Dr. Seward Hiltner,
Dr. Philip B. Holzman,
the Reverend Carlyle Marney,
Dr. Gardner Murphy,
the Reverend Leslie A. Newman,
Dr. Paul W. Pruyser,
Dr. Sydney Smith,
Professor Arnold Toynbee,
Dr. Lewis F. Wheelock
and many others.
Integrating moral values and medicine
The book is indeed an excellent read. It integrates the Christian moral value system with the discoveries of psychology and psychiatry. It explains very well how psychiatry can denigrate the importance of an ethical value system when it pushes its theories of "syndromes" to the extreme. And not only that. The "strictly syndrome" mentality can only aggravate an individual's perception of the problem - blocking the solution of a moral ethical standard - best of all a Christian one. With Dr. Karl Menninger's explanation and treatment of the problem in our modern time, a wise balance is attained by placing the knowledge of psychology and psychiatry at the service of a Christian ethical value system - wherein the individual takes responsibility for his own actions and also takes into consideration the weakness of personality or character caused by psychological factors in his family or environment.
A pocketbook worth reading and learning
This brief pocketbook can naturally, as author Ann Landers commented of the book, "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable". It is quite a provocative treatise; truly informative and worth the time to read in one's lifetime - a gem of wisdom and knowledge to give time to, no matter how busy one may be in his work and career.
Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration
Matthias, apostle
Pontius, martyr
Carthage, Carthach or Mochuda, abbot
Erembert, bishop
Michael Garicoïts, priest and founder
Mary Mazzarello, virgin [1]
May 14. The Catholic Church commemorates 1 apostle, 1 bishop, 1 martyr, 1 abbot, 1 priest and founder, and 1 virgin.
Foremost among this roster of saints is St. Matthias the apostle. His feast today reminds the faithful that after the death of Judas Iscariot, he was chosen to replace Judas. St. Matthias is qualified to be in the roster of apostles because he witnessed Jesus' ministry and resurrection. He is also mentioned in the Roman Canon.
St. Michael Garicoïts, or Michel Garicoïts (ca. 1797-1863) was a French Basque who became a priest. He founded the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram. He fought against the heresy of Jansenism in his parish and practiced well a devotion to the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart of Jesus [2].
