The Past is Already Written

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Look closely, there is an elephant on that steep hill.

Many people imagine elephants as animals of the plains. But the truth is far more fascinating.

Asian elephants are remarkably sure-footed and can negotiate surprisingly steep hills and rocky slopes.

This photograph captures an elephant making its way across a steep hillside in the Nilgiris.

And now, researchers have documented wild elephants in Arunachal Pradesh at an astonishing 3,266 metres above sea level, the highest elevation ever recorded for Asian elephants.

This remarkable discovery reveals the extraordinary adaptability of these gentle giants and challenges one of the most enduring assumptions about them.

What a fascinating fact to learn on the eve of World Elephant Day 2026, celebrated on August 12!

📸 Chandrasekar Das

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Arunachal Pradesh is a state in northeast India.

It was known as the North-East Frontier Agency until 1972, after which it became a union territory under the name Arunachal Pradesh.

It became a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and largest town.

"Go forth without fear, Christian soul, for you have a good guide for your journey. Go forth without fear, for He that created you has sanctified you, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother."

- Saint Clare, on her deathbed in 1253

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Chiara Offreduccio, known as Clare of Assisi, is an Italian saint who was one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi.

Saint Clare was born on 16 July 1194 in Assisi to a noble family.

Before her birth, her mother received a sign that her daughter would be a bright light of God in the world.

As a child, she was already very strongly drawn to the things of God, praying fervently, devoutly visiting the Blessed Sacrament, and manifesting a tender love towards the poor.

When she was 18, she heard St. Francis preaching in the town square during Lent, and she knew at once that God wanted her to consecrate herself to Him.

The next evening, Clare left her house at night, ran to meet St. Francis and his companions at the church they were staying in, and shared her desire to follow him in his way of life.

He received her, gave her his tunic, cut off her golden locks, and sent her to a Benedictine convent, because she could not stay with the brothers.

Her younger sister Agnes soon joined her and the two had to resist much pressure from their family to return home.

When Clare was 22, St. Francis placed her in a small house beside the convent and made her superior, a post she should serve for the next 42 years of her life until her death.

The ´Poor Clares,' as they came to be known, lived an unusually austere life for women of the time.

They were walking barefoot around the town begging for alms, wearing sackcloth, and living without any possessions, completely dependent for their food on what was given to them.

But the emphasis of their lives was, and still is, contemplation.

Many young noble women left all they had to take on the poor habit of Clare.

The Order grew rapidly, with houses being founded all over Italy, all of whom took Clare as their model and inspiration.

Clare's reputation for holiness was such that the Pope himself came to her deathbed in 1253 to give her absolution.

He wanted to canonize her immediately on her death but was advised by his cardinals to wait.

Clare died on 11 August 1253 in absolute tranquility, saying to one of the brothers at her side:

"Dear brother, ever since through His servant Francis, I have known the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, I have never in my whole life found any pain or sickness that could trouble me."

She was canonized by Pope Alexander IV on 26 September 1255, two years after her death.

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This needs to be studied.

"'Just as Christ laid down his life for us, so we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.'

My brethren, Lawrence understood this and, understanding, he acted on it. In his life, he loved Christ; in his death he followed in his footsteps."

 - St. Augustine in a sermon on the feast of Saint Lawrence

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Saint Lawrence was a 3rd-century Roman deacon famous for his care for the poor, his bold defiance of Roman authorities, and his martyrdom by being roasted on a gridiron, during which he famously joked that he was done on one side and should be turned over.

Saint Lawrence was martyred on 10 August 258 during the persecution of Emperor Valerian along with many other members of the Roman clergy.

He was the last of the seven deacons of Rome to die.

After Pope Sixtus II was martyred on August 6, Lawrence became the principal authority of the Roman Church, having been the Church's treasurer.

When he was summoned before the executioners, he was ordered to bring all the wealth of the Church with him. 

He showed up with a handful of crippled, poor, and sick men. When questioned, he replied:

"These are the true wealth of the Church."

He was immediately sent to his death, being cooked alive on a gridiron.