Wednesday, April 19, 2023

It is the 19th of April 2023 Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org, I’m Dan van Voorhis.

I don’t know about you- but it’s stories like this that make my continued dive into our collective Christian past so much fun- a shout out to Dr. Matthew Kuefler and his article “The Convertible Saint” for some good modern research on a curious, curious saint.  

Today, the 19th of April, is the feast day for St. Expeditus- and from South America to Eastern Europe and beyond, his story will be told, he will be invoked for any number of practical things, and some troublesome historians might even stand up at one of these events and say “well, actually, we know nothing about this man and what we say is a pious 18th-century invention”. We historians are great at parties.

Back in the 6th c. A Martyrology (a collection of Christian martyrs- like an almanac almost) noted one Roman soldier in Armenia- Expeditus, who was persecuted for his faith in 303 under the Diocletian persecution of the church. That’s what we have. But over time, this soldier martyr (this was a popular trope) developed a back story. Apparently, he was going to become a Christian, but the devil, in the guise of a crow or raven, appeared to him and said, “Do it tomorrow,” to which Expeditus replied, “No- I will convert today,” and he did, and then he was martyred.

By the end of the 18th century, we have the first images of him in Austria and Sicily (these places were brought together under a dynastic marriage). Here is the young and youthful man standing on the neck of a crow- the crow is saying “cras”- Latin for Tomorrow and a play on “cra” or “cras” the sound some Europeans use in place of what as an American I saw “caw.” In response, Expeditus says “Hodie” or “today!”.

One church in Palermo claims to have a relic from the saint- but we see neither relics nor hear of miracles attributed to him. Rather he became a popular saint to pray to for getting things done in a timely manner. After all, “Expeditus” was the name given to a Roman soldier who didn’t carry heavy packs and could move quickly. Devotional cards are found with this saint bearing, now a sundial or a clock. Need something fast? Pray to our man, “Expeditus.” There’s a story that some French nuns needed some relics and asked Rome- they were sent quickly, labeled “Expeditus” for something like our “expedited.” The nuns thought that was the name of the saint from which the relic came (like “Fragile,” the package being misread would lead to a misunderstanding).

And we find vestiges of this saint as far away as Brazil, Argentina, and the port town of New Orleans. And, in the early days of global trade, it would make sense that faithful exporters and importers would like a saint to pray to that might get things done in a timely fashion. The 19th century with new means of travel, shipping, and business, saw an explosion in understanding speed and precise time (the same precise time that today has trains and planes leaving at silly times like 6:53).

And, in these far-off places, we see a good bit of syncretism- that is, blending Christianity with local customs and superstition. Expeditus becomes associated with Voodoo in New Orleans, on the formerly French island of Reunion, associated with the Hindu gods of time and death, and in Haiti, associated with war, luck, and love, among other things.

In Mussolini’s Italy- the young saint, dressed like a Roman soldier with an outstretched hand and stepping on a raven, would become a fascist symbol.

Pope Pius X tried to put the kibosh on the saint in the early 20th century, but local customs are hard to silence- and can perhaps make outlawed saints even more attractive to others.

The question of the role of saints in Church history is significant and for another time, but rest assured few are as malleable and with little historical backing as the saint, after which there will be a festival today in the Brazilian town of St. Expedito on his imagined feast day- today, the 19th of April.

The last word for today comes from the daily lectionary- From Matthew 12:

38 At that time some of the legal experts and the Pharisees requested of Jesus, “Teacher, we would like to see a sign from you.”

39 But he replied, “An evil and unfaithful generation searches for a sign, but it won’t receive any sign except Jonah’s sign. 40 Just as Jonah was in the whale’s belly for three days and three nights,[a] so the Human One will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The citizens of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it as guilty, because they changed their hearts and lives in response to Jonah’s preaching. And look, someone greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will be raised up by God at the judgment with this generation and condemn it because she came from a distant land to hear Solomon’s wisdom. And look, someone greater than Solomon is here.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 19th of April 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by the patron saint of all sound engineers and coffee roasters- Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man once obsessed with freezing time, like Evie on Out of this World- I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.