Happy Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Archangels!
And to my fellow Austen enthusiasts, happy Michaelmas!
September 29, the feast of Michaelmas, was one of the four “quarter” days according to which houses were rented in Regency England. If you remember, the story of Pride and Prejudice begins with a young man “letting” Netherfield Park, bringing his unmarried self, his obnoxious sisters, and the equally-unmarried Mr. Darcy into the neighborhood. And the neighborhood – and Bennet home – rang with cries of, “Fresh meat! Fresh meat! At Michaelmas!“ (I’m paraphrasing.)
Austen mentions Michaelmas in other novels, but Mrs. Bennet’s excitement over the arrival of Mr. Bingley is certainly the most memorable.
More on the angels: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 328-336
Image Credit: WikiCommons
