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…

January is the Month of the Holy Name of Jesus ~ Nomen Christi!

Holy Church in her wisdom, begins the secular New Year honoring Mary, Mother of God, imploring her much-needed intercession along with the Circumcision of Our Lord in the traditional calendar.  The significance of the Circumcision is twofold:  Our Blessed Infant Lord, though the Son of God, was still subject to the Law and this is the ritual in which He received the Name “Jesus,” meaning “God saves.”  This Name invokes both the identity and mission of Christ. 

Following the Circumcision, we celebrate the Holy Name of Jesus, which is also the theme of the Month of January.  We begin a new year contemplating the Name of Christ Jesus.  We honor His identity as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity and His mission as our Redeemer, the shedding of His innocent Blood at the Circumcision, a reminder of His Sacrifice upon the Cross.  What better way to start a new year than to flee to Our Lord and His Mother! 

“Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matthew 6:33

Epiphany of Our Lord is held on January 6th, in both the trad and new calendars.  The feast of the Holy Family is Sunday, the 7th, which is also the new feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.  The trad feast of the Baptism is on the 13th.  Our Lady of Prompt Succor is honored on the 15th.

Septuagesima Sunday is the 28th, beginning the short season of Septuagesima, a preparation for Lent.

As we discussed a “Marian Triad of the Months” from August to October, we now celebrate a “Christological Triad of the Months” from December to February:  The Divine Infancy, the Holy Name and the Passion of Our Lord.  Please note, these “triads” are not official Church ideas, but something unique to this Apostolate.  We strive to see how these months tie together theological themes and present an opportunity for prayer and meditation. This ministry also has a special dedication to the Holy Name and Our Lady of Fatima.

Traditional Catholic Calendar for January

New Year’s Blessings to all! Let us pray for a holy, happy and healthy 2024 and think positively about the coming year.

This is the year the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

By the way, how did you do with the December Prepper Challenge? It’s totally understandable if Christmastime got in your way. The good news is…there’s a new month…and a new year…to continue to work on our “15 Points Preparedness Worksheet.” Scroll down to the December post or find it on the Home page. Choose the 5 things you think are most important right now and make a plan. Your future self will thank you! And feel free to email us and share your progress-comments may be posted.

Month of January: The Holy Name of Christ ~ Nomen Christi!

Christological Triad of the Months

In a previous post, I discussed the “Marian Triad of the Months,” which are 3 months in a row, dedicated to Our Lady (August-October). I may have said this was the only “triad” of the year, however, if we look at the Liturgical Year, we see another grouping of 3 from December to February. This is my own concept, which I have titled, “Christological Triad of the Months.” Let us meditate upon the Divine Infancy, the Holy Name and the Passion of Our Lord. How do they interrelate?

Mary, Mother of God

O Mary, Mother of God, we entrust this new year to you!

A New Year

It is time to leave the world. If you don’t see this, I don’t know how to help you. This is our job this year. It will mean different things to different people. We must pray for guidance.

May we honor the Holy Name of Christ this month and dedicate ourselves more fully to its defense!

Traditional Catholic Calendar

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

January: Month of the Holy Name of Jesus

Nomen Christi means “Name of Christ.” This apostolate has a special devotion to the Holy Name. May we honor and defend His Name always! Let us perform some special devotion this month to the Holy Name of Jesus.

January is a most interesting month in the Church. A new secular year begins, which occurs not long after the new liturgical year. The new year begins with a glorious Marian feast in the new calendar. What better way to start 2021, than by commending it to Our Lady, as the whole world has begun its descent into a great abyss. We celebrate 4 feasts of Our Lord: His Circumcision, Epiphany, Holy Name and Baptism. We have a total of 6 Doctors of the Church we honor, including “The Angelic Doctor,” St. Thomas Aquinas. There are several interesting unique feasts and finally, our preparation for Lent, beginning the last day of the month!

St. Genevieve’s feast is January 3rd. I can’t think of her without thinking of the song The Simple Joys of Maidenhood, from the musical “Camelot,” which I heard countless times growing up. Its a wonderful song by Lerner and Loewe, which Julie Andrews sang to perfection (I’ve given you a theatrical version above, but please also listen to Julie’s version)…Guinevere laments to her patron saint that she is soon to wed a king she does not love. St. Genevieve is the patron saint of Paris and died in 512. In the year 1129, an illness called the “burning fever” killed many in Paris. After invoking St. Genevieve, many healings took place and the illness vanished. She is a great saint to appeal to during this present time, whatever you believe the nature of “covid” to be.

The new liturgical year has been declared the “Year of Saint Joseph.” Let us increase our love and devotion to the Foster-Father of Christ during this new year. And let us above all, contemplate the need for mercy at this time and do all we can in the coming year to secure it. Here are some notable feasts this month in the old and new calendars:

1-BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD (new, solemnity-no penance, Holy Day of Obligation prior to NWO takeover) / CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD (trad) / Octave Day of the Nativity / First Friday

2-St. Basil the Great, Doctor, “Father of Eastern Monasticism” / St. Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor, “The Theologian,” “The Christian Demosthenes” / First Saturday

3-EPIPHANY OF THE LORD (new) / MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS / St. Genevieve

4-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

5-St. John Neumann

6-EPIPHANY OF THE LORD (trad) / Sts. Caspar, Balthasar & Melchior (The Three Wisemen)

10-BAPTISM OF THE LORD (new) / THE HOLY FAMILY

13-BAPTISM OF OUR LORD (trad) / St. Hilary of Poitiers, Doctor, “The Athanasius of the West” (new)

14-St. Hilary of Poitiers (trad)

19-St. Canute

21-St. Agnes, Martyr

22-Day of Prayer for the Unborn (48th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade +++Lord, have mercy+++)

24-Sunday of the Word of God / St. Timothy, Martyr, Companion of St. Paul (trad) / St. Francis de Sales, Doctor, “The Gentleman Doctor,” “Patron of the Catholic Press,” “Everyman’s Spiritual Director” (new)

25-Conversion of St. Paul

26-Sts. Timothy & Titus, Companions of St. Paul (new) / St. Polycarp, Martyr

27-St. John Chrysostom, Doctor, “The Golden-Mouthed,” “Doctor of the Eucharist”

28-St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor, “The Angelic Doctor,” “The Common Doctor”

29-St. Francis de Sales (trad)

31-Septuagesima Sunday / St. John Bosco

Image courtesy https://kaleidoscope49.wordpress.com/

January is the Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Nomen Christi) ~ Happy New Year!

[this post has been edited since publishing]

This is a bit late due to computer issues, but here we go....

Our year commences with a month which Holy Church dedicates to the Holy Name of Jesus.  A Name which is so often disrespected in our culture, a sin against the Second Commandment of God, Lord have mercy.  How do we respond when those around us take this Name in vain?  It is in these moments when our friendship with Christ is truly tested.  Do we allow entertainment in our home which freely disregards the holiness of God's Name?  What effect does this have on us?  What effect does it have on our children?  Perhaps we can all do better in these matters in the coming year.  If we defend Christ before man, He will defend us before the Father!

Here are some of the notable feastdays of this month:

1/1-Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Circumcision of Our Lord (trad)

1/2-Most Holy Name of Jesus (trad)/Saint Basil the Great

1/3-Most Holy Name of Jesus (new)

1/4-Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

1/5-Saint John Neumann

1/6-Epiphany of Our Lord (trad)/Saints Caspar, Balthasar & Melchior, the Three Wisemen (non-standard)/First Friday

1/7-First Saturday

1/8-Epiphany of Our Lord (new)/The Holy Family (trad)

1/9-Baptism of Our Lord (new)

1/13-Baptism of Our Lord (trad)

1/15-Our Lady of Prompt Succor/Saint Paul the First Hermit

1/16-Our Lady of Refuge (non-standard)

1/18-Chair of Saint Peter at Rome (non-standard)

1/19-Saint Canute

1/21-Saint Agnes, Martyr

1/23-Espousals of the Blessed Virgin Mary (non-standard)

1/24-Saint Francis de Sales (new)

1/25-Conversion of Saint Paul

1/27-Saint John Chrysostom

1/28-Saint Thomas Aquinas "The Angelic Doctor"

1/29-Saint Francis de Sales (trad)/Saint Gildas the Wise (non-standard)

1/31-Saint John Bosco

Month of the Holy Name of Jesus!

January is the month of the Holy Name of Jesus....NOMEN CHRISTI! See our Home Page for a special prayer. Here are some upcoming feasts this month that you may want to keep in mind....

1/6-Epiphany of Our Lord/Saints Caspar, Balthasar & Melchior

1/10-Baptism of Our Lord (New)/Feast of the Holy Family

1/13-Baptism of Our Lord (Trad)

1/22-Day of Prayer for Unborn Children (Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade Decision)

1/24-Septuagesima Sunday

1/25-Conversion of Saint Paul

1/31-Sexagesima Sunday

(this blog provides both old and new feasts)