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August 25
Galileo Galilei, Joseph Calasanz, and Johann Gottfried Herder
David Barnhart
August 25, 2025
Winter scene of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, 2019. Own photo.
Today in 1609, Galileo Galilei showed his first telescope to leaders of Venice.
This feast day and also marks the death, in 1648, of Galileo’s close friend, the Spanish priest Joseph Calasanz, who established a network of schools for boys in poverty called the “Pious Schools.” They provided the first free public education in Europe.
Today is the birthday, in 1744, of Johann Gottfried Herder, a pastor, poet, philosopher and anthropologist.
Today also marks the death, in 1900, of philosopher Friederich Nietzsche. While I don’t consider him a saint, any contemporary theologian that doesn’t, at some point, grapple with his critique of Christianity has chosen the path of ignorance.
Reflection:
Johann Herder wrote, regarding subjectivity and language:
“We live in a world we ourselves create.”
And, also appropriate for our times:
“How transitory all human structures are, nay how oppressive the best institutions become in the course of a few generations. The plant blossoms, and fades: your fathers have died, and mouldered into dust: your temple is fallen: your tabernacle, the tables of your law, are no more: language itself, that bond of mankind, becomes antiquated: and shall a political constitution, shall a system of government or religion, that can be erected solely on these, endure for ever?”
Joseph Calasanz wrote:
“All who undertake to teach must be endowed with deep love, the greatest patience, and, most of all, profound humility. They must perform their work with earnest zeal. Then, through their humble prayers, the Lord will find them worthy to become fellow workers with him in the cause of truth. He will console them in the fulfillment of this most noble duty, and, finally, will enrich them with the gift of heaven.”
Prayer: Great Teacher, as the school year begins and as our educational institutions are under attack from a fascist regime, give all teachers a deep love, profound humility, and passionate devotion to the truth. Amen.