MAY

You ask where I think the name of May comes from?

Its origin’s not totally clear to me.

As a traveler stands unsure which way to go,

Seeing the paths fan out in all directions,

To give different reasons: plenty itself confuses….

                                                                 Ovid, Book V: Introduction

[According to Ovid, the Muse Polyhymnia says that the month is named for the goddess Majesty (Maiesta); her sister Urania claims the month is dedicated to the Roman Senators (maiores), and another sister, Calliope, gives the honor to beautiful Maia, the mother of the god Mercury.]

 “May.  This month ranked second in the Alban calendar, third in that of Romulus, fifth in that of Numa.  In the first-named calendar it was twenty-two days in length, thirty-one in that of Romulus, thirty in that of Numa, and thirty-one again in that of Julius Caesar.  The name of this month is supposed by some to have come from Maia, the mother of the god Hermes, or Mercury.  This, however, is based solely on the similarity of the two words, and the name of May was much more probably given in honor of the Majores or Maiores, the original Roman Senate… The Saxons called this month Tri-Milchi, the improved condition of the pastures now enabling the cows to give milk three times a day.”

William Walsh, Curiosities of Popular Customs (1898) p. 680

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Astronomy for May:

Full Flower Moon on the 25th.

Look southeast in the pre-dawn hours of the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th for the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower.  Peak is on the morning of the 5^th.

Solar eclipse on May 9/10,  Not visible from North America (oh well), but a lot of the southern Pacific Ocean will see parts of it.

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April is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Liturgical Celebrations

St. Joseph the Worker          1 May   

Finding of the Holy Cross    3 May

First Friday                           3 May

First Saturday                       4 May

Ascension                             9 May

Pentecost                              19 May

Ember Days                          22, 24, & 25 May

Most Holy Trinity                26 May

Visitation                              31 May

Novenas for May

Saint Monica ………………. continues from 25 April

Our Lady of Pompeii ………. continues from 29 April

Ascension  …………………. continues from 30 April

Mary, Queen of Apostles ………….. begins 2 May

Our Lady of Fatima ………………   begins 4 May

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.. begins 4 May

Saint Dymphna…………………….. begins 6 May

Saint Isidore the Farmer …………… begins 6 May

Pentecost …………………… …….. begins 10 May

Saint Rita …………………………...begins 13 May

Mary, Help of Christians ………….  begins 15 May

Most Holy Trinity …………………  begins 17 May

Saint Joan of Arc ………………….. begins 21 May

Corpus Christi …………………….. begins 24 May

Saint Erasmus …………………….. begins 24 May

Sacred Heart of Jesus ……………..  begins 29 May

Immaculate Heart of Mary ……….  .begins 30 May

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May is half winter and half summer.

Weather for May:

According to the 12 Days of Christmas: Overcast, turning cold.

According to the first 12 days of January: Bright sunshine, clear skies, warming.

According to the Ember Days: Sunny with high clouds; warm

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Weather Lore for May:

A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay.

A cool May gives good wine and much hay.

A cool and windy May causes the year to fruitful.

A windy May makes a fair year.

A cold May, a good year.

In the middle of May comes the tail of winter.  Quite often true.  I've known a frost to come along just after I planted my tomatoes.

A cold May is kindly, and fills the barns finely.  That is as maybe, but I'm more worried about my tomatoes!

             On the other hand

A cold May enriches no one.

Cool weather in May is known as blackberry winter or dogwood winter.

A hot May makes a fat churchyard.

A dripping May brings a good crop of hay.

                   but

A dry May always brings a good crop of wheat.

Water in May is bread all the year.

A leaking May and a warm June

Bring the harvest very soon.

                   or

Mist in May, heat in June

Make the harvest come right soon.

In some places, it is the opposite:

A dry May and a dripping June,

Bring all things in tune. [I call it hedging your bets]

If May be cold and wet, September will be warm and dry (and vice versa).

A storm in May brings ruin with it.

Thunder in May signifies scarcity of food and great hunger that year.

The more thunder in May, the less in August and September

                           or

May thunder indicates no thunder during August and September.

5/1 – Hoarfrost on May 1st indicates a good harvest.

If you go swimming on the first morning of May before the sun is up, you will not have any contagious disease during the year. [contagious, no.  Pneumonia, likely]

If you remove your flannels on the first day of May, you will not take cold [however, see May 10 below]

If it rains on Philip's and Jacob's day, a fertile year may be expected (traditional: May 1; new calendar: May 3)

5/3 – If Holy Cross day is dry, there will be no rain for six weeks.

If dry be the buck’s horn on Holyrood morn, ‘tis worth a kist of gold;

But if wet be seen ere Holyrood e’en, Bad harvest is foretold.

5/6 – An east wind on St. John’s day presages fine weather for the week.

5/8 – If it rains on the 8th of May, it foretells a wet harvest.

5/9 – As the weather is on Ascension Day, so may be the entire autumn.

5/10 – It is dangerous to take off your winter clothing until the 10th of May.

5/11, 12, 13 – St. Mamertius, St. Pancras, and St. Servatus do not pass without a frost.

5/13 – Before St. Servatus, no summer

          After St. Servatus, no frost

5/11 – 15 – The Ice Saints: St. Mamertius, St. Pancras, St. Servatus, St. Boniface, Cold Sophie.

5/17-19 – St. Dunstan brings a cold blast to blight the apples.

5/19 – Whitsun bright and clear, will bring a fertile year

                              on the other hand

           Whitsuntide rain is blessing for the wine.

5/22 – Ember Day – the weather today foretells the weather of July

5/24 – Ember Day – the weather today foretells the weather of August

5/25 – Ember Day – the weather today foretells the weather of September

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Gardening for May

 

May brings flocks of pretty lambs

Skipping by their fleecy dams.

Plant pumpkin seeds in May

And they will run away.

Plant pumpkin seeds in June

And they will come soon.

A swarm of bees in May

Is worth a load of hay;

A swarm of bees in June

Is worth a silver spoon.

While on the day of Holy Cross

The Crowfoot gilds the flowery grass…

Cassell’s Illustrated almanac 1871 for May.

Flowers —Tender plants may now be placed out of doors, and cuttings or seedlings may be removed from the frame to the ground in fine, showery weather. Propagate heartsease and wallflowers by cuttings, and plant out your dahlias in holes eighteen inches deep. Look carefully after your creepers, training the young shoots as soon as they get long enough, and cutting off badly-placed or untidy growths. You may make layers of fuchsias in the same manner as carnations, as soon as the stems are well grown, and they will be fine plants in the autumn.

Vegetables—Hoe well between your growing crops; and if you detect the presence of slugs or other insects, strew soot or lime round about the plants. Continue the sowing of beans, cabbage, lettuce, mustard and cress, &c.

Fruit—Regulate the shoots of trained trees, and continue to remove suckers. Check the growth on vines of young wood, which will, if neglected, absorb the strength of the trees, and prevent the fruit from coming to maturity.  Cut off from strawberries all runners not required for propagation.

From the 1817 Almanac:

Sow cucumbers in the natural Ground, as also Purslane and Cabbages; sow Pease and Beans in a moist Soil for a latter Crop; plant Kidney-Beans for a second, Crop, and transplant Celery into Drills: How your Winter Crop of Carrots, Beans, Onions, &c. which will save much labour the succeeding Months.  Sow Turnips, and, if rain comes soon after, it will very much encourage the Plant.  Sow Buck-Wheat and latter Pease.  Weed young Quicksets and Ivy; fallow your Ground; look well to your sheep, if the Weather proves wet, for fear of a Rot.

Health for May

The Blood and Humours being now in Motion, we must be careful to avoid eating salt, strong or stale Meats: fat People must avoid Excess of Liquors of any Kind.

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Artwork

May. Limbourg frères. Grandes Heures of Jean, Duc de Berry, Fifteenth century. [unfortunately, the page, like that of april, got wet at some point]

The calendar pages of the Grandes Heures carried more religious symbolism than that of the more famous Très Riches Heures.  Each month was dedicated to a part of the Apostles Creed, with the relevant prophecy from the Old Testament and scripture from the New Testament.  May is dedicated to the article of the Creed which says “…He descended into Hell and the third day He rose from the dead…” Here we see (left to right) Saint Paul instructing the Ephesians (although the scripture “…rose again for our justification…” comes from Romans 4:25); Our Lady stands above the battlements of the New Jerusalem, holding a banner with a depiction of Our Lord descending into Hell; Gemini, the Twins, astrological symbol of May, emerges from the gate; the sun has moved into the fifth of twelve divisions in the arc of the sky; and below it, flowers are in bloom.

The Blessed Virgin Kneels before her Son, from “The Hours of Catherine of Cleves” 15^th century.

April. Limbourg frères. Grandes Heures of Jean, Duc de Berry, Fifteenth century.

Depicted at the bottom of the calendar pages in the Grandes Heures is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament by the articles of the Apostles Creed.  In each, a prophet (cloaked to show the obscurity of prophecy) takes a stone out of the building representing the Old Law and offers it to an apostle, who, by raising the cloak ‘uncovers’ the prophecy with an article of faith. Here the Prophet Hosea (Osee) pulls another brick out of the edifice, from which more bricks are falling while a tower crumbles, and holds a banderole which translates to “…O death, I will be thy death, O hell, I will be thy bite…” (Hosea 13;14).   Saint Thomas presents the relevant part of the Apostle’s Creed, “…He descended into Hell and the third day He rose from the dead…”

May - Watching Sheep. Engraving based on an 11^th century manuscript. William Walsh, Curiosities of Popular Customs (1898) p. 680

25 April - Saint Mark

“At Alexandria, the birthday of blessed Mark, evangelist, disciple and interpreter of the Apostle St. Peter.  He wrote his gospel at the request of the faithful of Rome, and taking it with him, proceeded to Egypt and founded a church at Alexandria, where he was the first to announce Christ.  Afterwards, being arrested for the faith, he was bound, dragged over stones and endured great afflictions.  Finally he was confined to prison, where, being comforted by the visit of an angel, and even by an apparition of our Lord himself, he was called to the heavenly kingdom in the eighth year of the reign of Nero.”

The Golden Legend says that Mark was a Levite and a Jewish priest. “And when he was christened, he was godson of St. Peter the apostle, and therefore he went with him to Rome.  When St. Peter preached there the gospel, the good people of Rome prayed St. Mark that he would put the gospel in writing, like as St. Peter had preached.”

Peter sent Mark to Alexandria (Egypt) to preach, and such was his success, that Peter made him the city’s bishop, but Mark, not greatly enamored of the prospect, cut off his thumb so that he couldn’t be made a priest.  [It must have grown back, because he has both is thumbs in the picture.]  His self-mutilation didn’t work.  Bishop Mark went on to lead the church in Alexandria.

The usual suspects (idol worshippers) began to plot how they might kill him, whereupon Mark took advantage of the Witness Protection Program, left his Auxiliary Bishop in charge, and moved to another town for two years.  Figuring that they must have got over their ire and moved on with their lives (he was wrong), he returned to Alexandria.

“Now it happened on Easter day, when St. Mark sang Mass, they assembled all and put a cord about his neck, and drew him throughout the city…  And the blood ran upon the stones, and his flesh was torn piecemeal that it lay upon the pavement all bloody.  After this they put him in prison, where an angel came and comforted him, and after came our Lord to visit and comfort him, saying, ‘Peace be to you, Mark, my Evangelist!  Be not in doubt, for I am with you and shall deliver you.’

And on the morn they put the cord about his neck and drew him like they had done before… and when they had drawn, he thanked God and said: ‘Into Thy hands Lord, I commend my spirit’, and he thus saying died. “

He is a patron of notaries and lawyers, and from various miracles, the patron of glaziers, prisoners, and those suffering from neck swellings.  He is invoked against the danger of dying impenitent, skin diseases, and insect bites [keep a little statue of St. Mark on your picnic table this summer].

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While St. Mark’s Eve is considered the optimum time for seeking otherworldly knowledge, if you chose not to trust your nerves last night there is a love charm available today.  It is a little early in the northern hemisphere for sage plants, but if you have one growing on your windowsill (and the theft of a few leaves won’t be noticed), wait until the clock begins to strike the noon hour, then pluck one sage leaf at each stroke of the bell.  You should dream of your future husband tonight, if you are to have one.

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Artwork:

Limbourg frères, “Martyrdom of Saint Mark”, Très Riches Heures de Jean, Duc de Berry (15^th century)

24 April - Saint Mark's Eve

‘Twas St. Mark’s Eve,

and towards the midnight drear,

when their wailing ghosts are flitting about

who must die within the year.

When the churchyard walk is crowded,

as the spirits come and go,

gliding along through the closed gates,

and dim aisles to and fro…

                                                        From The Eve of St. Mark’s, a poem by W.S.G. (1871)

You can find instructions (and a warning) for watching tonight here, along with a couple of love charms.  Here are more for your collection:

Go to the barn before midnight, open the doors wide, and at the stroke of twelve, riddle the chaff. (To riddle is to separate the grains of wheat (or other cereal) from their dry, protective covering (chaff), using a sieve-like bowl called a ‘riddle’.)  If, as you riddle, you see two men carrying a coffin past the open doors, you will die within the year.

For matrimonial divination, make and eat a dumb-cake tonight from an eggshell-full each of salt, wheat meal, and barley meal.  The charm says to make this into a dough “without the aid of spring water”, but doesn’t say anything about any other liquid, so you could use milk or soda or even city water.  No more than three young ladies must meet to make the cake, and all must be done in silence (good luck with that).  At midnight, each participant must break off and eat a portion of the cake, then walk backwards to bed.  Those who will be married will see the shades of their intendeds hurrying after them, with the intention of catching hold, but wily girls will be ready to jump into bed before they are caught (the shades being too gentlemanly to jump in after, I guess).

If no pursuing likeness is seen, the future brides might hear a rustling in the house or a knocking at the door, but don’t leave your bed to investigate.  “Those that are to die unmarried neither see nor hear anything; but they have terrible dreams, which are sure to be of newly-made graves, winding-sheets, and churchyards, and of rings that will fit no finger, or which, if they do, crumble into dust as soon as put on.”  

William Shepard Walsh, Curiosities of Popular Customs (1898), p. 351.

23 April - Saint George; Poke Cake

“The birthday of St. George, whose illustrious martyrdom is honored by the Church of God among the combats of other crowned martyrs.”

You can read the Golden Legend’s account of Saint George and the Dragon here.  The account below comes from an Old English Martyrology, a compilation of early medieval martyrologies, and doesn't mention the dragon:

“On the twenty-third of the month is the festival of the holy man St. George, whom the emperor Datianus tormented seven years with unspeakable tortures that he might forswear Christ, but he never could overcome him; and after seven years he ordered him to be beheaded.”

[George must have been relieved]

“When he was led to his execution, fire came from heaven and consumed the heathen emperor and all those who had formerly tortured the holy man.  St. George prayed to the Lord speaking thus: ‘Jesus Christ, receive my spirit: and I beg of Thee that which man soever keep my commemoration on earth, Thou remove all sickness from the house of this man: no enemy may hurt him, nor hunger nor pestilence; and if a man mentions my name in any danger either on sea or on a journey, then Thy mercy may attend upon him.’  There came a voice from heaven speaking to him: ‘Come, thou blessed one, whatever man invokes My Name by thee on any danger, I shall hear him.’  Since then, the powers of this holy man were often made widely known.  He who reads St. Arculfus’ book may perceive this, that the man was heavily punished who dishonoured St. George’s image, and he who sought it for the sake of intercession was protected against his foes in the midst of great peril.”

 The Reflection in John Gilmary Shea’s Lives of the Saints comes from Saint Bruno:

“What shall I say of fortitude, without which neither wisdom nor justice is of any worth?  Fortitude is not of the body, but is a constancy of soul; wherewith we are conquerors in righteousness, patiently bear all adversities, and in prosperity are not puffed up.  This fortitude he lacks who is overcome by pride, anger, greed, drunkenness, and the like.  Neither have they fortitude who, when in adversity, make shift to escape at their souls’ expense; wherefore the Lord says, ‘Fear not those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.’  In like manner, those who are puffed up in prosperity and abandon themselves to excessive joviality cannot be called strong.  For how can they be called strong who cannot hide and repress the heart’s emotion?  Fortitude is never conquered, or if conquered, is not fortitude.”

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In Catalonia (Spain), the day is a celebrated by giving roses and books to loved ones. [Catalonia, as a former territory of the old Kingdom of Aragon, celebrates Sant Jordi as their patron.]  An enterprising 20^th century bookseller saw a way to reduce his stock and promoted April 23^rd as the “Day of the Book”, since Miguel de Cervantes died today (well, he was buried on this day in 1616).  And what better way to celebrate books than by giving one to each person you love?  In 1995, citing a few more authors who were either born or died on the 23^rd (like William Shakespeare) the day was made universal by UNESCO as “World Book and Copyright Day”. 

[Not that the Widow has anything against a festival which honors books (in fact, when it comes to giving books to loved ones, she would remember that she loves herself a whole lot), but have you ever noticed that when reading about the history of holy days, the usual mantra is about how those mean ol’ Christians stole the days from the fun-loving pagans and then either absorbed or suppressed the pagan celebrations, but when secular entities turn our holy days into festivals honoring man’s achievements (or vices) nobody thinks, “Why, those mean ol’ secular entities! How dare they!” ?  You hadn’t noticed?  Never mind, then.]

The Catalan flag, four red bars on a field of gold, is everywhere, and besides the books and the roses, there are delicacies offered today, like pa de Sant Jordi, a savory bread striated in red and yellow, and, of course, cakes decorated either in the Catalan colors or, more fanciful, made to look like books.

So today, take a nod from the Catalans and make a cake to honor Saint George.  A POKE CAKE would be fun and easy.  If you need a recipe, try this one from Kraft.  Otherwise, the steps are simple, using a box of cake mix, a box of gelatin mix, and whatever you fancy for frosting.

For Saint George’s emblem (red cross on a white field) = white cake.  For the Catalan flag = yellow cake.

Make a sheet cake or cupcakes according to directions.  Allow cake to cool.

Poke holes in the cooled cake about ½ inch apart (three or four holes in cupcakes).  The recipes call for using a fork.  I use the handle of a wooden spoon, which produces a hole about 3/8” diameter.

Choose a flavored gelatin mix.  Both St. George’s cross and the Catalan flag would have red stripes, so use strawberry or raspberry gelatin (or another favorite red flavor).  Or, since it was once traditional in England to wear blue today (the color of the Order of the Garter, under the patronage of Saint George), use blueberry gelatin with white cake.  Dissolve a box of gelatin mix in 1 cup of boiling water.  Stir in ½ cup of cold water.  Pour this over the cake.  Put the cake in the refrigerator and let it chill for 3 – 4 hours.

When ready, frost and decorate as you like.  Whipped cream is always good.  White frosting with a red St. George Cross in decorating gel or even fruit (like strawberries).  Yellow frosting with four red bars in decorating gel for the Catalan flag.  If you are really creative, draw St. George on the top of the cake.  If you are more like me, color and cut out figures of St. George and the Dragon, attach them to wooden skewers or popsicle sticks and insert them into the cake.

And for dinner?  It has to be Dragon’s Breath Chili!  Be brave!  Remember, FORTITUDE!

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Artwork:

‘Woodcut of St. George’, The Golden Legend, (Dutch, 1485)

“Saint George”, The Belles Heures of Jean, Duc de Berry, 15^th century.

Flag of Catalonia, swiped from Wikipedia.

‘Saint George’, Hours of Catherine of Cleves, 15^th century

22 April - St. George's Eve

"Witches were active on the eves of St. George’s day and Midsummer.  Then they were wont to go out and cut chips from doors and gates of the farmyard and boil them in a milk pail, and in that way charm the milk from that farm.  Their plans might be frustrated, however, by carefully smearing the newly chipped places with mud."

[and I think that superstition was invented by a canny farmer as a way to get his chipped doors repaired immediately by the hired hands]

There is another superstition that Evil Spirits are abroad at midnight on St. George’s Eve, but that seems to be connected with his festival day in May.

21 April - Founding of Rome

According to tradition, this is the dies natalis of the city of Rome, future ruler of most of the known world, founded by Romulus in 753 B.C. on the left bank of the Tiber River.

You know already the story of Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of Mars and grandsons of the exiled king Numitor; how the usurping king ordered the semi-divine infants drowned in the Anio River, and how instead their cradle drifted downstream until it was cast ashore on the banks of the Tiber; how they were suckled by a she-wolf until they were found and raised by shepherds on Palatine hill; how they learned of their true birth and avenged their grandfather by slaying the usurper and returning the rightful king to his throne.

If you don’t know it, you should.

This version of the founding of Rome is taken from “A Classical Dictionary of Biography, Mythology, and Geography” (1891), by Sir William Smith:

“Romulus and Remus loved their old abode, and therefore left Alba to found a city on the banks of the Tiber.  A strife arose between the brothers where the city should be built, and after whose name it should be called.  Romulus wished to build it on the Palatine, Remus on the Aventine.  It was agreed that the question should be decided by augury; and each took his station on the top of his chosen hill. 

The night passed away, and as the day was dawning, Remus saw six vultures; but at sun-rise, when these tidings were brought to Romulus, 12 vultures flew by him.  Each claimed the augury in his own favor; but the shepherds decided for Romulus, and Remus was obliged to yield. 

Romulus now proceeded to mark out the pomœrium of his city, and to raise the wall.  Remus, who still resented the wrong he had suffered, leapt over the wall in scorn, whereupon he was slain by his brother. 

[The Pomœrium was a symbolical wall, marked by stones or stone pillars erected at intervals.  The custom when founding a new town was to yoke a bullock and a heifer to the plow, and draw a furrow, with the clods falling inward, around the place to be occupied.  The furrow represented the moat, and the little mound of clods formed the symbolical wall. The actual stone walls were built outside this furrow, but near to it. The original pomœrium probably ran around the foot of the Palatine hill.]

Map of Ancient Rome

Palatine Hill (Romulus) in red

Aventine Hill (Remus) in blue

Capitoline Hill and Quirinal Hill (Sabines) in green

Tiber River in brown.

As soon as the city was built, Romulus found his people too few in numbers.  He therefore set apart, on the Capitoline hill, an asylum, or a sanctuary, in which homicides and runaway slaves might take refuge.  The city thus became filled with men, but they wanted women.  Romulus, therefore, tried to form treaties with the neighboring tribes, in order to obtain connubium, or the right of legal marriage with their citizens, but his offers were treated with disdain, and he accordingly resolved to obtain by force what he could not gain by entreaty.

In the fourth month after the foundation of the city, he proclaimed that games were to be celebrated in honor of the god Consus, and invited his neighbors, the Latins and Sabines, to the festival.  Suspecting no treachery, they came in numbers, with their wives and children.  But the Roman youths rushed upon their guests, and carried off the virgins.  The parents of the virgins returned home and prepared for vengeance.”

[Battles ensue, first one side gaining, then the other.]

“At length, when both parties were exhausted with the struggle, the Sabine women rushed in between them, and prayed their husbands and fathers to be reconciled.  Their prayer was heard; the two people not only made peace, but agreed to form only one nation.  The Romans continued to dwell on the Palatine under their king Romulus; the Sabines built a new town on the Capitoline and Quirinal hills, where they lived under their king Titus Tatius.  The two kings and their senates met for deliberation n the valley between the Palatine and Capitoline hills, which was hence called comitium, or the place of meeting.”

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In honor of Eternal Rome, fix a Roman banquet.  This website has several delightful recipes and a few extras to help give your dinner a Roman ambiance.  If you can’t manage all three courses or the ingredients are just too wild to try, fix something simple like Chilled Peas Vinaigrette or Carrots Sautéed in Peppered Wine Sauce from the Gustatio (1^st course) and Pears Cooked with Cinnamon and Wine or Roman Custard from the Secundae Mensae (3^rd course). 

Eating while reclining is optional.  A good centerpiece for the Christian table would include a lion or two.

Bonum Appetitionem!

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Artwork:

SPQR by Piotr Michal Jaworski.  Swiped from Wikipedia

Map taken from Sir William Smith, “Map of Ancient Rome Showing the Walls of Servius and those of Aurelian”, from A Classical Dictionary of Biography, Mythology, and Geography (1891) p. 646

Guercino, Hersilia Separating Romulus and Tatius, 1645, Louvre. Swiped from Wikipedia.

19 April - St. Expeditus; Hasty Pudding

“At Melitine, in Armenia, the holy martyrs Hermogenes, Caius, Expeditus, Aristonicus, Rufus, and Galatas, crowned on the same day.”

And that’s all we get.  Nothing about how they were martyred, or by whom, or anything.  But around Expeditus grew a story of a young soldier who had converted to Christianity.  On the day he was to be received into the Church, the Devil in the form of a crow suggested that he wait a bit… think it over… do nothing in haste… after all, there’s always tomorrow… if you’re still of the same mind tomorrow…

Instead, Expeditus stamped on the crow, crying “Hodie!” (“Today!”)  For this, he is considered the patron saint of those who need fast answers or those who provide fast services (like delivery people).  He is also invoked against procrastination, something to which the Widow is much addicted.

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“Dear Saint Expeditus,

Protect me from Delivery People,

Those who pull out in front of me with their big delivery trucks, which are never going as fast as I was before they pulled out in front of me,

Those who suddenly stop and double park, leaving no room to go around them, and backing up traffic for blocks, while they seek out someone to sign for the package,

Those who can’t see my house number because it is rather far back from the road, and who refuse to read the number on my mailbox, which is right next to the road, so they say they can’t deliver my package, which means I have to drive to their warehouse 40 miles away,

Those who open boxes and steal the contents, then inform me via email that the package was damaged and the contents lost due to my negligence – I neglected to chain and padlock the box – so they aren’t paying for it,

Those who don’t read that packages delivered to the office must – MUST – be signed for, so they leave a box clearly marked “NEW COMPUTER EQUIPMENT” in front of the door on the sidewalk, which disappears before I even get to work, but that’s not their fault, they delivered it, and they aren’t paying for it…

Oh, and thanks for the Good Ones.  Protect them and intercede for them.  Amen.”

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In the spirit of the day, try HASTY PUDDING.

“The sweets of Hasty Pudding. Come, dear bowl,

Glide o'er my palate, and inspire my soul.”

                                                          Joel Barlow, “The Hasty Pudding” (1793)

In the U.S., this is made with cornmeal, and is something like polenta.  Other countries use wheat.  

Get out your double-boiler.  Fill the bottom pan with the usual amount of water and heat to boiling.    Meanwhile, put 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt in the top pan; bring this to a boil over direct heat (not over the bottom pan).  When boiling, sprinkle in 1 cup of cornmeal, stirring constantly until it is incorporated. 

Now put the top pan over the bottom pan and let the mixture cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.  Serve warm in bowls topped with maple syrup, or butter and cinnamon-sugar, or honey, or milk and sugar, or bits of fried bacon or salt pork…

“What is better for supper than milk and mush?” asks Mrs. A. M. Collins in her Great Western Cookbook” (1857).  Her recipe was called “Corn Meal Mush”:

“Fill an iron pot as full of water as you think will make mush enough for the occasion, salt it to your taste, sift the meal, and begin to stir it in as soon as the water boils, but not before.  Let the meal fall slowly and lightly through your fingers; after putting in two or three handfuls, let it boil a minute or two, still stirring; after it boils well, stir in more until it is thick enough.”

Joel Barlow took exception to that name for this glorious food to which he dedicated his epic poem:

“Ev'n in thy native regions, how I blush

To hear the Pennsylvanians call thee mush!”

You can read his paeon of praise to his ‘morning incense’ and his ‘evening meal’ here.

“Thy name is Hasty Pudding! thus our sires

Were wont to greet thee fuming from their fires;

And while they argued in thy just defence

With logic clear, they thus explained the sense:

'In haste the boiling cauldron, o'er the blaze,

Receives and cooks the ready-powdered maize;

In haste 'tis served, and then in equal haste,

With cooling milk, we make the sweet repast.”