April 19 th
FEAST DAY OF SAINT EXPEDITE |
SAINT EXPEDITE
HISTORY
Saint Expedite is the
patron of those who hope
for rapid solutions to
problems, who wish to
avoid or put an end to
delays, and who want
general financial
success. His aid is also
sought by those who wish
to overcome
procrastination as a
personal bad habit.
Expedite is
typically depicted
as a young Roman
centurion holding
aloft a cross
marked HODIE
("today" in Latin)
and squashing a
crow beneath his
right foot. Out of
the dying crow's
mouth issues a
word-ribbon, CRAS
("tomorrow" in
Latin). Thus
Expedite destroys
a vague tomorrow
in favour of a
definite today.
There is a cute
pun in what the
crow says: CRAS
CRAS CRAS is how
Romans imitated
the sound of
crows, thus crows
and ravens are
said to always be
croaking about
"tomorrow,
tomorrow,
tomorrow."
Expedite, by
stomping the crow,
destroys the vice
of procrastination
(pro-CRAS-tination
means putting
things off until
tomorrow).
When Latin was a
common language,
Saint Expedite saw
service as a
mnemonic aid in
adjuring people to
convert to
Christianity.
Priests indicated
the image of the
saint with his
cross and crow to
warn pagans not to
put off until
tomorrow the
religious
conversion that
could be
accomplished
today, because
they might not
live until
tomorrow and thus
would die
unshriven.
Saint Expedite is
well-known in
Spain, Portugal,
Italy, and Latin
America. In the
United States, he
is greatly revered
in New Orleans,
whence he came by
way of Spain.
(Most people think
of New Orleans as
French, but for
forty years, from
1763 to 1803, it
was a Spanish
colony.)
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