4 July – Feast of Sts. Hosea and Haggai, Old Testament Prophets, et al.

Many figures of the Old Testament are honored as saints.  Today, for example, in the older Roman Martyrology, is the Feast day of the prophets Hosea and Haggai.

Haggai was a prophet during the building of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.  He is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible.  His name means “Festive, Festal”.  Haggai was the first of three prophets after the Babylonian Exile of the House of Judah along with with Zechariah, and one hundred years later, Malachi.  

In the updated 2005 Martyrology Haggae is listed on 16 December.

Hosea, meaning, “salvation”, prophesied especially again idolatry, calling the people to repentance.  His personal life paralleled that of the the people with God.  His wife, Gomer, committed adultery but he forgave her.

In the updated Martyrology he is listed on 17 October.

It is also the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Portugal (+1336).   Rather like St. Monnica, the mother of St. Augustine, she was married to Denis, King of Portugal, a very difficult man.  She spent years seeking his conversion and the reconciliation of him with their rebellious son.  On the death of her husband she became of Poor Clare and still worked to bring peace between Portugal and Castile.  She used her royal massive dowry and position to build a hospital where she herself took care of the poor.

There is a fine painting of her in the Prado by Zurbarán.

NB the roses in her cloak.  Similar to another Elizabeth, of Portugal, she is associated with roses.  On one occasion she was taking bread to the poor which she had hidden under her cloak.  Her brother in law accused her of stealing treasures.  She opened her cloak and she had roses instead.

Finally, if any of you are thinking about baby names, today is also the Feast of St. Namphanion, called the Archmartyr of Africa.  He was a Carthaginian put to death with 27 companions.  You could name your son Namphanion and called him “Archie”.