January is the Month of the Holy Name of Jesus! Part 2

[Edited since posting.]

“He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.  For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names:  That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:8

“O God, Who didst constitute Thine only-begotten Son the Savior of mankind, and didst bid Him to be called Jesus: mercifully grant, that we who venerate His holy Name of earth, may fully enjoy also the vision of Him in heaven.”

Collect of the Feast of the Holy Name

From Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

+   JESUS   +

Son of the Living God       Splendor of the Father       Brightness of Eternal Light       King of Glory

Sun of Justice       Son of the Virgin Mary       Most Amiable       Most Admirable       Mighty God

Father of the World to Come       Angel of Great Counsel       Most Powerful       Most Patient

Most Obedient       Meek & Humble of Heart       Lover of Chastity       Lover of Us       God of Peace

Author of Life      Model of Virtues      Zealous for Souls      Our God      Our Refuge      Father of the Poor

Treasure of the Faithful       Good Shepherd       True Light       Eternal Wisdom       Infinite Goodness

Our Way & Our Life       Joy of Angels       King of Patriarchs       Master of Apostles

Teacher of Evangelists       Strength of Martyrs       Light of Confessors       Purity of Virgins

Crown of All Saints

Have Mercy on Us!

Please see our PDF below, for study and prayer honoring the Holy Name this month…

Most Holy Name of Jesus + Scripture and Prayers ~ PDF Printable

We are in the second month now of what we call here, at Nomen Christi Apostolate, the Christological Triad of the Months, mirroring the Marian Triad of the Months beginning in summer.  December was the Month of the Divine Infancy, this is the Month of the Holy Name and February is the Month of Our Lord’s Passion.  We encourage a meditation upon the Person and life of our Blessed Lord.  These 3 months bring us from His birth to His death on the Cross for our salvation.  And this month, we consider the significance of the Name of Jesus Christ and what it tells us about Him, and what it demands of His children.  Please feel free to email us with any insights and we may post them.  This idea is unique to this ministry and has no ecclesiastical recognition as of yet.

The March for Life in Washington DC continues, even with the blessing of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.  The event is on Friday, January 24th.  If you cannot attend the March, please consider attending a local pro-life witness.  According to 2023 Guttmacher Institute statistics, 2,813 unborn children are killed each day in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. May God look upon the United States with mercy at this very concerning time.  Please note, as indicated below, penance is still recommended in the USA on January 22nd (according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.)

Here are a few notable feasts of January…please think about attending Holy Mass or saying related prayers, etc, as a family…

12th-Holy Family

12th/13th-Baptism of Our Lord

22nd-Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, Day of Prayer & Penance for the Unborn (USA only)

God bless you all in this blessed New Year!

“This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein.”

Psalms 117:24

************** NEW FEATURE! Homeschool Activity: How many titles of Jesus can you memorize above (from the Litany of the Holy Name-print the PDF)??? ******************

January is the Month of the Holy Name of Jesus! Part 1

We love the Holy Name here at Nomen Christi Apostolate, because the name of our ministry means “Name of Christ.”  Our Blessed Lord has given us the greatest opportunity for peace, for when we ask anything in His Name, it will be granted… 

“Because I go to the Father: and whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do: that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you shall ask me any thing in my name, that I will do.  If you love me, keep my commandments.”

John 14:13

But as you can see above, there is something the Lord asks in return: that we keep His commandments.  Again, we are told…

“For, amen I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.”

Matthew 17:19

So, the question is, do we believe Our Lord when He says this?  It takes prayer and the life of sacramental grace to understand this teaching and live by it.  When faced with any of life’s “impossible” dilemmas, we have only to ask for help in His Name, and we know the outcome will be for the best…even if we do not get exactly what we asked for, in our imperfect humanity. 

“…in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6

In the coming days, we will be faced with situations we have never encountered before and this faith will be absolutely crucial.  And it will astound those around us, how we are able to deal with these trials with grace and peace…and love above all.

Why is January dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus?  In the traditional calendar, the first day of the month is the feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord, when He was publicly given His Name.  Also, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Name on the 3rd in the new and the 5th in the trad…

“And after eight days were accomplished, that the child should be circumcised, his name was called JESUS, which was called by the angel, before he was conceived in the womb.”

Luke 2:21

“…behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS.  For he shall save his people from their sins.  Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name

Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.  And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

Matthew 1:20

“Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him this man standeth here before you whole.  This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner.  Neither is there salvation in any other.

For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.”

Acts of the Apostles 4:10

How can we honor the Holy Name of Jesus this month and in the coming year?  Here is one more verse of Holy Scripture we might consider…

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.”

Exodus 20:7

How often do we hear the Name of Jesus casually thrown about in public?  How often is His Name dishonored in our entertainment?  If we are to call down mercy during these times, we must show God a worthy people.  We must find such things unacceptable. 

Here is the prayer which concludes the Litany of the Holy Name…

“O Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast said:

Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you,

grant, we beseech Thee, to us who ask, the gift of Thy most divine love, that we may ever love Thee with all our heart, and in all our words and actions, and never cease from praising Thee.  Make us, O Lord, to have both a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name, for Thou never failest to govern those whom Thou foundest upon the strength of Thy love, Who livest and reignest, world without end.  Amen.”

In addition, the beautiful prayers of the Tridentine Mass of the Holy Name can be said throughout this month.

It is a new year, which we also begin with the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.  Let us entrust the year 2025 to her most powerful intercession.

The Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on the 5th in the new and the 6th in the trad.  Here is the Epiphany Blessing of the Home for you to print and recite with your family.  It is such a blessing…

Epiphany Blessing of the Home Printable PDF

Wishes for many great blessings to all in the new year!  Stay tuned for Part 2…

November is the Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Of course, November begins with the glorious All Saints Day.  The Triduum of Death, beginning with the All Saints Day vigil, encourages us to meditate upon the Four Last Things:

Death  +  Judgement  +  Heaven  +  Hell

However, Holy Church always calls us to be joyful and at peace.  At every traditional Holy Mass we hear the words, “May the peace of the Lord be always with you” or “Pax Domini sit semper vobis cum.”  All Saints Day is truly wondrous as we honor the entire Heavenly host and hope for our eventual union with them.  This feast originated with the Church’s desire to honor the martyrs whose bones were kept at a particular church which was dedicated to all the saints, as this location was previously dedicated to “all the gods.”  The Litany of the Saints, invokes both human saints and angels.  All Souls Day, on the 2nd, is also a happy feast, as we know our prayers for the Holy Souls resound to God and expiate some, if not all (if a Plenary Indulgence is performed) of their cleansing in Purgatory.

See our previous 2 posts on the Plenary Indulgences which are so easy to obtain during the first week of November.  Holy Church opens the Gates of Heaven this week in an incredible way!

What else can we do for the souls in Purgatory this month?  After November 8th, you may still visit a cemetery with mental prayer for the Holy Souls, but the indulgence will be partial (you may do this any time of year).  Other partial indulgences could be the recitation of the Office of the Dead or the De Profundis.  Here’s also a well-known prayer by Saint Gertrude the Great, whose feast we celebrate on the 16th:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.

Amen.

We have 2 more “Greats” this month:  Saint Leo on the 10th and Saint Albert on the 15th. 

Let us not forget the feast of Christ King of the Universe, on the 24th, a Sunday.  We celebrate 2 Marian feasts:  The Presentation of Mary on the 21st and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on the 27th.  The following day, the 28th, we honor the seer of the Miraculous Medal, Saint Catherine Laboure. 

On the 13th, we honor Mother Frances Cabrini, a 20th century saint.  I had the privilege of viewing her body in New York City some years ago at her shrine.  The body is filled out with wax.  The saint’s heart remained incorrupt and was transported to Codogno, Italy, where she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  It is appropriate that her heart was preserved from corruption, as she was so devoted to the Heart of Our Lord.

We celebrate the Apostle Andrew on the 30th and December 1st begins Advent.  If you plan to perform Advent exercises, think about preparing in advance. 

Heavenly blessings to all in this month of the Holy Souls!

We discuss both trad and new feasts.  Please consult your own calendar sources for further details.

April is the Month of the Holy Eucharist

April comes in with a bang this year with Holy Week. Let us observe the best Holy Week we can, so as to obtain mercy, not wrath for the world. Let us not forget the precious unborn, as they go to their own crosses, on Good Friday. And let us make ourselves deserving of the Solemnity of Solemnities, Easter Sunday. We then have the wonderful Octave of Easter, traditionally a time of great joy and feasting…for we have seen the suffering, the self-denial and the Holy Cross, leading ultimately to the ineffable Resurrection!

This month, we also celebrate the feast of Divine Mercy (Quasimodo Sunday in the trad), the Major Rogation Day and Good Shepherd Sunday in the new.

As for the month of the Holy Eucharist, what can we do to honor this greatest of heavenly gifts? We must begin to see everything through the lens of the Signs of the Times. One thing one might consider is this: Do I know anyone among friends or family who is receiving Holy Communion unworthily? If so, what can I do to defend our Blessed Lord and help this person to a greater life of holiness? Perhaps some instruction on Easter Duty, proper reception of Communion and examination of conscience, would be a good place to start. Obviously, we always proceed with prayer and discernment. We may do well to consider these words of genius…

“Let us not shun and suppress the earnest words of the calling voices, or those who are our executioners today may be our accusers once again tomorrow, because we silenced the truth.”

Father Alfred Delp, German Martyr under Hitler

Does it hurt us more to be vocal or to be silent?

Please see our LENT button to the right, which includes full meditations on the Sorrowful Mysteries, with a concluding thesis. Great wishes for a most blessed Holy Week and Easter Sunday!

Your friendly trad calendar: Month of April

Marian Triad of the Months / Triduum of Death

The last 3 months of the Church’s dedications have been reserved for Our Lady. We can see this as a type of “triad,” a group of 3. From August to October, we honor the Immaculate Heart, Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of the Rosary. This triad is interesting to note and study. I have never heard it mentioned before, and have decided to give it the title of “Marian Triad of the Months.”

How are these associations with the Mother of God linked? First, we contemplate her most pure heart, immaculate because it was conceived without Original Sin. Our Lady’s love, emanating from this heart, has existed since her creation, in perfect love for God and humanity. We are called into this abyss of perfection, a privilege we are unworthy of, yet Christ gave us His Mother from the Holy Cross. Next, we are called to reflect on a particular aspect of this heart, her many sorrows. Like Lent, this can be a difficult undertaking, but many graces and joys result. Finally, the Holy Rosary, a devotion uniting all the Body of Christ, is a meditation upon the many aspects of her Immaculate Heart…her joys, her pride in her Son, her sorrows and glories. We become immersed in the Gospels, the events in the life of Our Lord. Next time your Protestant friend argues with you about the Rosary, say that 90% of it comes directly from the Gospels. It is a Bible study!

The Immaculate Heart is a consolation, a privilege, a joy, in the midst of life’s difficulties. Holy Church in her love and wisdom, guided by the Holy Ghost, gives us this heart towards the end of the Liturgical Year, ushering us into another group of 3, the 3 days of the Triduum of Death….

All Hallows Eve

All Saints Day

All Souls Day

“Triduum of Death” is a term we don’t hear too much anymore, perhaps because people think it sounds negative. However, we must realize that this triple feast is one of great joy! All Hallows Eve anticipates the feast of All Saints, when we honor those who have succeeded in winning the Heavenly reward, just as we hope to. The Holy Souls have also won it, though they remain in Purgatory, in need of our prayers. Surely, on All Souls Day, due to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in addition to prayers all over the world, many souls pass through that glorious Gate to behold the Triune God! What a truly wonderful day! What a wonderful Triduum we now celebrate!

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

[Edited since posting.]

“Treasure of Kindness, Which Forever Lives and Never Dies”

When looking for images, I look for one that grabs me and is somewhat unique.  The vintage French prayer card above was perfect.  I realized I had to translate the French and this was my best attempt. The sentiment is beautiful and calls to mind the eternal bliss possessed by Our Lady and all those in Heaven.  This illustration of the Immaculate Heart contains many of the elements we normally see:  the lily emerging from the flame, the sword with the drops of blood, the wreath of roses and the emanating rays of light.  We also sometimes see the Crown of Thorns surrounding her heart in a circular fashion.  This month, we might meditate more deeply on the symbolism of Our Lady’s heart, passed down to us over the centuries.  We might also seek to conform our own hearts to hers, that we may be that “Treasure of Kindness” to those around us.

How else may we honor this most loving of hearts, inextricably united to the Sacred Heart?  It would certainly be an appropriate time to begin the Communion of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart 5 First Saturdays, given to Sister Lucia by Our Lady of Fatima.  If your parish does not offer this, consider meeting with your pastor to discuss it.  What an exciting privilege to establish and lead this devotion in your own Catholic community!  The traditional feast of the Immaculate Heart is celebrated August 22nd, alongside the new feast of the Queenship of Mary.

Other Marian feasts this month are:  Our Lady of the Snows on the 5th, THE ASSUMPTION on the 15th and Our Lady of Knock, celebrated on the 17th or the 21st.  Saint Dominic, seer of the Holy Rosary, is honored on the 4th and Saint Joachim, father of the Blessed Virgin, on the 16th.  What an amazing month to become closer to the Mother of God, to offer reparation to her Immaculate Heart and to console her in her sorrows, looking upon this world of corruption.

Let us remember the TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD on the 6th. August also celebrates 3 Doctors of the Church:  Saint Alphonsus de Ligouri, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and Saint Augustine.  We also have dear Saint Clare (otherwise known as Clara or Chiara-my name) on the 12th and Saint Rose of Lima, patroness of gardeners (we are especially devoted to her here), on the 30th.

As you may know, the Tridentine Latin Mass is being persecuted more aggressively in recent days in the United States.  Let us commend this sorrow to Our Lady and be at peace that God is provident and always holds His children in His Hands.  (I was going to give you some links, but it upset me so much, I could not continue reading-some dioceses most recently cracking down are Chicago, Washington DC and Arlington VA.)

Here is the traditional calendar for the month of August:  calefactory.org

Note:  Both old and new feasts are given.  The old is given preference when there are 2 dates.

If you wish to get on our email list, you will receive our monthly theme automatically. See button above^^^ We don’t spam too much:)

Image from Ethelyn at Pinterest.

April is the Month of the Holy Eucharist

[Due to personal circumstances, this month’s post will be brief.]

We continue with Lent, culminating in the amazing spiritual blessings of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. Let us receive abundant graces and give the Most Holy Trinity our very best this year, so we may be deserving of the glorious celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord…and in so-doing may experience our own resurrections!

How may we honor the Holy Eucharist this month? A few ideas: try to receive more devoutly and attentively, it is so easy to take the Eucharist for granted…there are countless Eucharistic prayers to learn…Eucharistic reading…and one of the most difficult things is to defend the Holy Eucharist from sacrilege, since this tragically has become so prevalent-if you know someone who is receiving and probably shouldn’t be, pray on how you might address this with this person…you may also know someone who isn’t receiving and should be-scrupulosity is a terrible problem for some people and can deprive them of a lifetime of grace-sometimes these problems require great patience and continued prayer, but don’t give up hope!

Here is the traditional calendar for this month of April: calefactory.org

March is the Month of Saint Joseph

The icon above is so sweet, how it portrays the Child Jesus’ love and affection for His Foster-Father, whose feast we celebrate this month on the 19th. May we further our own love for Saint Joseph during his month of March, as we also embark on the Season of Lent.

Ash Wednesday is the 2nd of the month-we begin Lent by contemplating our mortality and performing penance. There has never been a time in our lives when the world has needed more prayer and penance, so let us observe this Lent as well as we can, without stressing ourselves too much. When we stress ourselves, it has an immediate affect on those around us. As Saint Paul reminded us in the Quinquagesima Epistle:

“If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing…And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.”

1 Corinthians 13:1

Adding to the penitential spirit of Lent, we have the Ember Days on the 9th, 11th and 12th. This is a time to pray and offer for blessings and mercy upon the coming season of Spring.

We remember the great event of The Annunciation of the Lord on the 25th. Some other notable saints which March celebrates are: 20th-century Saint, Katherine Drexel…martyrs invoked in the Canon, Felicity & Perpetua…Doctors of the Church Saint Thomas Aquinas, Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem and Saint John Damascene…our beloved Saint Patrick and Saint Gabriel the Archangel, just prior to The Annunciation. Let us give special mention to Saint Isidore the Farmer, who we particularly like here at Nomen Christi Apostolate!

What may we do this month to honor our dear Saint Joseph? Of course, last year was the Year of Saint Joseph. Maybe we could gain some inspiration from those former indulgences.

Finally, let us pray for peace, especially in the Ukraine. But remember, we live in an illusory world, where nothing is what it seems and the truth is often not what we are told. There is always more to the story. There is always information we are not privy to. But let us not forget the World Wars already waging…the war upon the unborn and the vulnerable…and the war upon freedom combined with the Covid bioweapon and the “Mystery Injection” being touted as a vaccine. Of course we never despair-we trust in the Most Holy Trinity, because we are God’s children and we know He loves us!

Here is your traditional Month of March calendar. Lenten blessings to all…

Saint Joseph icon at etsy.com.

January is the Month of the Holy Name of Jesus

~ 2022 ~

"This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein."

Psalms 117:24

[Edited since posting.]

Holy Mother Church begins the new year honoring Our Lady as “Mother of God.” What could be more consoling or joyful? If she has this new year in her hands, what have we to fear? If we honor her this day, surely graces will come upon us and our families, even if hard times are ahead. Though it is not a holy day of obligation in the US, why would we want to miss this opportunity to flee to her at the outset of the year, showing our love for her and making reparation to her Immaculate Heart? And what a wonderful time to begin the Communion of Reparation 5 First Saturdays! January 1st also commemorates Our Lord’s first shedding of blood, his circumcision at 8 days old, in the old calendar. This is also the moment He received His Holy Name in the Temple, not to be confused with the Presentation, which was 40 days after birth. We are still in the Cycle of Christmas and remain joyful that a Savior has been given to us!

We celebrate 6 Doctors of the Church this month. On the 2nd, St. Basil and St. Gregory Nazianzen share the day. They were actually friends and colleagues, along with Basil’s brother St. Gregory of Nyssa. The 3 are referred to as “The Three Cappadocians,” as they were all influential early theologians. Each month, I have been researching the best known works of the Doctors, along with how you can obtain them. This takes time to do the research and get you the best resources. I will continue to do so as time allows (which is not tonight), otherwise I will simply provide links to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Remember, it would take 35 years to read each of the Doctors, if you read one per year!

The 22nd is the 49th Anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion in all 50 states. Lord, have mercy. Many of you do not need this reminder, but if you have not been active in the pro-life movement, please pray on it and consider getting involved. All human rights are currently being eroded before our very eyes, which was predictable when the fundamental right to life was taken from the unborn. When you defend them, you defend our whole future!

Nomen Chisti Apostolate is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus and Our Lady of Fatima. “Nomen Christi” means “Name of Christ” in Latin. How can we honor His Name this month? There are many ways to do so….attending Mass on the feast, prayers and devotions and considering how we defend His Name when it is disrespected in our presence…please see The Second Commandment-What Does it Mean to Us?

The following is a partial listing of old and new feasts this month, for your consideration. Where “old” or “new” is indicated, it is the second occurring feast. Please consult your own calendars for more detail…

1/1-CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD / MARY HOLY MOTHER OF GOD / First Saturday

1/2-EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD / MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS / St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church / St. Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor of the Church

1/3-MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS (new)

1/4-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, First American Saint

1/5-St. John Neumann

1/6-EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD (trad) / Sts. Caspar, Balthasar & Melchior, the Three Magi (non-standard)

1/7-First Friday

1/9-BAPTISM OF OUR LORD / THE HOLY FAMILY

1/13-BAPTISM OF OUR LORD (trad) / St. Hilary of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church

1/14-St. Hilary of Poitiers (trad)

1/21-St. Agnes, Martyr, invoked in Canon

1/22-+++Anniversary of US Court Decision Roe vs. Wade, Day of Prayer for Unborn+++

1/24-St. Timothy, Disciple of St. Paul / St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church

1/25-Conversion of St. Paul

1/26-Sts. Timothy & Titus, Disciples of St. Paul / St. Polycarp, Martyr

1/27-St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church

1/28-St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church

1/29-St. Francis de Sales (trad)

1/31-St. John Bosco, Founder of the Salesian Society

Image from cornerstonepca.com

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception

The good Christian name “John” is well-represented this month, as we honor 5 saints by this name:  one the beloved of Christ, 2 Doctors of the Church, one visionary and one priestly professor.  We also honor 5 Doctors of the Church:  in addition to the 2 Johns, we have 2 Peters and St. Ambrose.  December also contains the Ember Days, adding further to the preparation of Advent through prayer and penance.  These are loosely concerned with the seasons, so there are many ways to be creative with children, combining the Ember Days, the coming season of winter and Christmas.  It is wonderful to teach our children these traditions, so they will develop a love for the Catholic Faith and its many-faceted riches.

As for our themes this month, it is not difficult to combine the Divine Infancy with the Immaculate Conception.  Mother and Child are inseparable, as the beautiful painting above shows.  The Child Jesus points us toward His Nativity and the time of spiritual preparation for this joyful celebration.  The sinless Virgin Mother serves to glorify the Infant Himself.  There are many ways we can creatively celebrate both Mother and Child.  One possibility is to participate in pro-life activities-there are so many ways to do this and to use one’s unique gifts.  We may have done this 2 months ago in October, but the unborn ceaselessly need our help.  If you do not have much time, you can always pray and offer up for them.  Only 3 days after Christmas, we honor the Holy Innocents, further encouragement to remember God’s precious little ones this month as we prepare to celebrate His birth.

Here are some notable feasts from both the old and new calendars of the Roman Rite…

3-First Friday / St. Francis Xavier

4-First Saturday / St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church, Author Fount of Knowledge / St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor of the Church, Author of many great sermons / St. Barbara, Martyr

5-2nd Sunday of Advent (purple candle)

6-St. Nicholas

7-St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church, Author De Virginibus

8-IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY (obligation)

9-St. Juan (John) Diego, Seer of Our Lady of Guadalupe

10-OUR LADY OF LORETO

12-Gaudete Sunday (pink candle) / OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

13-St. Lucy / St. Odilia, Martyrs, Patronesses of the eyes (Odilia’s feast is non-standard)

14-St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church, Author Dark Night of the Soul

15-Ember Wednesday in Advent (trad meat at one meal)

17-Ember Friday in Advent

18-Ember Saturday in Advent (trad meat at one meal)

19-4th Sunday of Advent (purple candle)

21-St. Thomas, Apostle / St. Peter Canisius, Doctor of the Church, Author Summa of Christian Doctrine

23-St. John of Kanty, Priest, Professor of Sacred Scripture

24-VIGIL OF THE NATIVITY

25-NATIVITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (obligation)

26-THE HOLY FAMILY / St. Stephen, Protomartyr

27-St. John the Evangelist

28-The Holy Innocents

The stunning painting above is “Virgin with Angels” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. This is an ornament which can be purchased here.