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.

February is the Month of the Passion of Our Lord

How may we honor the Passion of Our Blessed Lord this month? Well, that’s not too hard, since Lent begins on the 22nd. There are numerous devotions to the Passion…we all know the wonderful Sorrowful Mysteries, which some say every day of Lent. Do your research, choose something and begin with the onset of Lent. It is always great to learn new devotions. If you find them online, do print them out…a very Catholic Prepper thing to do!

We are in the third month of what I have coined the “Christological Triad of the Months.” I previously suggested that we meditate upon the Divine Infancy, the Holy Name and the Passion of Our Lord, and how they might interrelate. We begin with the birth of Christ and the triad ends with His death. Joining the two is His Holy Name. The name of Jesus is a mystery we could easily contemplate our entire lives. Suffice it to say that it has something to do with His Identity and is therefore quite sacred, relating directly to the 2nd Commandment. Let us pray that we can all receive some enlightenment by the Holy Ghost on this interesting matter.

Don’t forget Septuagesima starts on the 5th and is our preparation for Lent, so we do not come to Lent saying to ourselves, “What am I doing? Oh no, it’s Lent already! I just drank my coffee. Am I giving up coffee? Oh nooooooooooo!” (I’m not giving up coffee. I did that once and almost died.)

In the trad Liturgical Calendar, we are closing the Time After Epiphany, which concludes the Cycle of Christmas, when we contemplate the Mystery of the Incarnation. The Cycle of Easter, the Mystery of the Redemption, begins at Septuagesima (I am not typing that word again, it is hurting my post-concussive brain) and remains for the rest of the year, going through various sub-sections.

Here is your trad calendar for this month….calefactory.org

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