March: Month of Saint Joseph

Within this “Year of Saint Joseph,” we now celebrate the “Month of Saint Joseph,” which also includes his feast on the 19th. We remain in Lent throughout the month. Perhaps some of our Lenten exercises can include devotions to the Foster-Father of Our Lord. We will be posting some prayers to Saint Joseph on his feastday.

March also includes 2 Marian feasts, the Annunciation and the lesser feast of the Seven Sorrows (one week before Good Friday). Interestingly, Saint Gabriel is celebrated the day before the feast of the Annunciation. We also honor 4 Doctors of the Church, including Pope St. Gregory the Great, who is considered by some “The Greatest of the Great” (in other words, the greatest Pope who ever lived, having a reign of only 14 years). This got me very curious about him, so look for a post on his feast, which will try to understand his charism. Saint Isidore the Farmer’s feast is on the 22nd, which brings to mind the mission of Nomen Christi Apostolate: the pursuit of a life closer to nature and more self-reliant. In the USA, I don’t think we are in danger of forgetting the feast of St. Patrick, much beloved by the many Irish whose ancestors settled here (myself included).

The month ends in Holy Week, our final Lenten penitential efforts, to prepare for the glorious feast of the Resurrection, the greatest of all solemnities. May we continue through the month of March to give the Most Holy Trinity our very best, to secure mercy for ourselves, our loved ones, Holy Church and the whole world at this hour. Here are some notable feasts coming up….

3/3-St. Katharine Drexel, 20th Century Saint

3/5-First Friday

3/6-First Saturday / Sts. Felicity & Perpetua, invoked in Canon of Mass (trad)

3/7-Sts. Felicity & Perpetua (new) / Saint Thomas Aquinas, Doctor, “The Angelic Doctor,” “The Common Doctor”

3/12-Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor, “The Greatest of the Great”

3/17-St. Patrick, Patron of Ireland

3/18-St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Doctor, “Doctor of Catechesis”

3/19-St. Joseph (solemnity, no Friday penance)

3/21-Passion Sunday (trad) / St. Benedict

3/22-St. Isidore the Farmer

3/24-St. Gabriel the Archangel, Angel of the Annunciation

3/25-THE ANNUNCIATION

3/26-SEVEN SORROWS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

3/27-St. John Damascene, Doctor, “Doctor of Christian Art,” “Doctor of the Assumption”

3/28-PALM SUNDAY

3/31-Spy Wednesday

Image courtesy http://sacredheart-op.org

+++ Ash Wednesday +++

Ash Wednesday begins with the following words (old rite) from the “Blessing of Ashes:”

“Hear us O Lord, for Thy mercy is kind: look upon us, O Lord, according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies. Save me, O God, for the waters have come in even unto my soul.”

This is a very interesting text, “the waters have come in…” Something to meditate upon today. Does this express an interior distress or the corruption of the soul…or both? Certainly this year, our collective distress remains as we look outside our windows. And certainly, in such times, our spiritual condition must be brought forward as never before…and dealt with to the highest degree, lest we perish with the rest, and to obtain mercy for the world. Let us give the Most Holy Trinity our very best this Lent, make ourselves deserving of the great celebration of His Resurrection and leap forward in our quest for the Kingdom of Heaven!

+ + +

Beet seeds are starting to do something! :):):) (I soaked them for a whole day and that seems to have helped.)

This was posted one day before Ash Wednesday.

February: Month of the Passion of Our Lord

We are keeping track of where we are in the Liturgical Year. As of the last day of January, we have moved from “Season After Epiphany” to “Season After Septuagesima,” or simply “Septuagesima.” This is the brief time before Lent, when the vestments turn purple and we begin to contemplate the Mystery of the Redemption: The Cycle of Easter has begun! During Septuagesima, we prepare for Lent so we are not caught on Ash Wednesday with no plan. This year, roughly one year into a changed world, it is more important than ever, to be prepared for Lent and to give God our very best. We must do all we can to secure mercy for the world and Holy Church at this hour. In many places last Easter, the churches were closed (including New York, where I live) and people could not receive Our Blessed Lord on this greatest of all solemnities. Let us celebrate a worthy Lent this year, that we may joyfully attend Holy Mass on Easter this year!

It is also important though, to remain positive and not to stress ourselves too much. We are all traumatized from the past year and concerned about the state of the world. We must practice good self-care and stress reduction. So there needs to be a balance between our penitential practices and remembering the joy of life. The most important thing is love. Love for God, for self and for neighbor. When in doubt, just love!

Traditionally in Lent, meat is eaten at only one meal and of course, no meat on Fridays. Being that February is devoted to the Passion of Our Lord, we may wish to think about how we may integrate this into our Lenten activities. We also have the Ember Days this month-further opportunity for prayer and penance.

On the 2nd of the month, we celebrate the Presentation of Our Lord, a topic we dealt with in Lesson 4 of our Prepper Rosary Program. On Shrove Tuesday, we adore the Holy Face of Jesus, a wonderful contemplation as Lent is about to begin. This month also honors 2 Doctors of the Church, Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette, St. Apollonia and Francisco & Jacinto Marto, 2 of the Fatima children who died young. Following is a sampling of the feasts of February. Septuagesima* and Lenten blessings to all!

2/2-PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD, traditionally also known as the PURIFICATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY and Candlemas

2/3-St. Blaise, Blessing of Throats

2/5-First Friday / St. Agatha, Martyr honored in Canon of Mass

2/6-First Saturday / St. Titus, Companion of St. Paul

2/7-Sexagesima Sunday

2/8-St. Josephine Bakhita, 20th Century Saint

2/9-St. Cyril of Alexandria, Doctor, “Doctor of the Incarnation,” “Seal of the Fathers” / St. Apollonia, Martyr, Patroness of Dentistry

2/11-OUR LADY OF LOURDES

2/14-Quinquagesima Sunday / St. Valentine, Martyr, Patron of lovers, epileptics and beekeepers / Sts. Cyril & Methodius

2/16-HOLY FACE OF JESUS, Shrove Tuesday

2/17-ASH WEDNESDAY, fast & abstinence

2/18-St. Bernadette, Seer of Lourdes

2/20-Francisco & Jacinta Marto, Seers of Fatima, 20th Century Saints

2/21-St. Peter Damian, Doctor, “Monitor of the Popes” (new)

2/22-Chair of St. Peter

2/23-St. Polycarp, Martyr / St. Peter Damian (trad)

2/24-Ember Wednesday in Lent / St. Matthias, Apostle who replaced Judas, Martyr

2/26-Ember Friday in Lent

2/27-Ember Saturday in Lent

* I’ve typed this word so many times over the years, I just don’t care anymore! Of course, the spell check does not know of such things. Please don’t contact me to tell me I spelled it wrong:)

Image courtesy http://www.jesusdivinemercy.com