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.

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

“And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying:

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.

And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not. And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.”

Matthew 17:1-9

We commemorate the glorious Transfiguration of Our Lord on the 6th of this month, in the trad and the new calendars.  Though not a Holy Day of Obligation, it is still a wonderful day to attend Mass, recite a devotion such as a litany, or pray the Luminous Mysteries, which contain the Transfiguration.

Holy Church devotes the next 3 months to our Blessed Mother.  August celebrates her Immaculate Heart, September her 7 Sorrows, and October the Holy Rosary (along with sanctity of life issues).  At Nomen Christi Apostolate, we call this the “Marian Triad of the Months,” and we encourage meditation upon these aspects of Mariology, along with devotions.  If we can see how Our Lady’s heart ties into her sorrows and the Rosary, this would be a path for us to understand and love her more.  We are so indebted to her, this is least we can do.

We celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 15th, a Holy Day of Obligation and one of the Glorious Mysteries.  This feast also has a vigil.  Other Marian feasts of August:  Our Lady of the Snows (which refers to a miracle in Italy combined with the dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica) on the 5th, Our Lady of Knock on the 17th and the Queenship of the BVM & the Immaculate Heart on the 22nd (double feast, yay!).  Marian-related feasts are:  Saint Dominic, seer of the Rosary on the 4th & 8th and Saint Joachim, father of the BVM the day after the Assumption, the 16th.

What better way to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary, than to begin the Fatima Devotion of the First Saturdays “Communion of Reparation” (this month, that is the 3rd)?  This is for the purpose of offering reparation to her much-offended heart of incomprehensible love, and for general atonement.  In this time of increasing tensions between nations, we would do well to consider the words of Sr. Lucia:

“Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven.”

Sister Lucia, Fatima Seer, 1939

If your parish does not offer the First Saturdays, why not think about meeting with your pastor and getting it started?  Pray on it!

Here are some other notable feasts coming up, note St. Monica and St. Augustine, mother and son, are 1 day apart:

Saint Alphonsus Liguori-1st & 2nd

Saint John Vianney-4th & 8th

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)-9th

Saint Clare (Chiara) of Assisi-11th & 12th

Saint Maximilian Kolbe-14th

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux-20th

Saint Rose of Lima-23rd & 30th

Saint Bartholomew, Apostle-24th

Saint Monica-27th

Saint Augustine-28th

Passion of Saint John the Baptist-29th

Saint Fiacre of Brie (non-standard)-30th

Saints Rose & Fiacre, patrons of gardeners, pray for us!

What is the purpose of paying attention to feastdays?  It is part of our Catholic Faith that is sadly being lost.  If we are attentive to these days, it can have the following benefits:

1)      Encourage us to attend Mass more frequently.

2)      Renew our interest in the saints.  Provide a chance to teach our children about them.

3)      Increase our prayer and devotional life.

4)      Provide opportunity for reading Holy Scripture.

5)      Give us a greater love for and knowledge of the Catholic Faith.

6)      Help us to think creatively about practicing the Faith.

7)      Provide grace and bring us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven!

We provide both trad and new feasts.

August is Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

~~~ immaculate heart of mary, pray for us! ~~~

Whatever our difficulties and sorrows may be, we have been given, by Our Lord Himself from the Cross, the most wonderful of Mothers! Let us this month, flee to her in all our need and honor her Most Immaculate Heart, so desiring of reparation. This is a fabulous time to start the “Communion of Reparation 5 First Saturdays,” instituted by Our Lady of Fatima. The feast of the Immaculate Heart is celebrated on the 22nd, along with the Queenship of Our Lady-what a beautiful double Marian feast! Of course, we also have the Assumption, a holy day of obligation, on the 15th, along with several other feasts of Our Lady this month. August gives us 3 saints with particular love for Mary: Saints Alphonsus, Dominic and Maximilian Kolbe. In addition, we celebrate the father of the Blessed Virgin, the day after the Assumption. Let us not forget the Transfiguration of Our Lord, the 4th Luminous Mystery, on the 6th.

We honor both Saint Teresa Benedicta and Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who met their deaths at Aushwitz, Kolbe one year earlier. We also have Saint Rose of Lima and Saint Fiacre, both patrons of gardeners on the 30th!

We have spent the past year giving the titles (names attributed to them) of all 35 Doctors of the Church. We will now begin to provide one of their best-known works with each noted feastday. This month, we honor 3 of the most superlative Doctors! Saint Alphonsus has been noted as the most popular writer of all time (including Shakespeare)…Saint Bernard is quite possibly the most prolific miracle-worker of all time…and Saint Augustine has been called the “Doctor of Doctors,” his Confessions being the most widely read spiritual book for 1,000 years.*

Here are some notable feasts this month from both the old and new calendars:

8/1-St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church, Founder of the Redemptorists, author The Glories of Mary

8/2-St. Alphonsus Liguori (trad)

8/4-St. John Vianney / St. Dominic, Seer of the Holy Rosary

8/5-OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS

8/6-First Friday / TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD

8/7-First Saturday

8/8-St. John Vianney (trad) / St. Dominic (new)

8/9-St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Jewish convert, killed at Aushwitz

8/11-St. Clare (Chiara) of Assisi

8/12-St. Clare (Chiara) of Assisi (trad)

8/14-St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyred at Aushwitz / VIGIL OF THE ASSUMPTION

8/15-THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (Holy Day of Obligation)

8/16-St. Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin

8/17-OUR LADY OF KNOCK

8/20-St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church, author Canticle of Canticles

8/21-St. Pius X, Pope of the Eucharist

8/22-QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY / IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

8/23-St. Rose of Lima, Patroness of Gardeners

8/24-St. Bartholomew, Apostle

8/27-St. Monica, Mother of St. Augustine / SEVEN JOYS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (non-standard)

8/28-St. Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church, author Confessions

8/29-Passion of St. John the Baptist

8/30-St. Rose of Lima (trad) / St. Fiacre of Brie, Patron of Gardeners (non-standard)

* Source: The 35 Doctors of the Church Buy it!

Image courtesy acatholiclife.blogspot.com

October: Month of the Holy Rosary / Respect Life

Traditionally, October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary and more recently, to the sanctity of human life. We can easily see the connection between Our Lady, who bore the Savior, and the precious life in the womb (and all the vulnerable). We can also easily combine the two, by reciting the Rosary diligently this month, for the intention of life. As the world unravels, all the more important it is to seek God’s mercy through prayer…and to participate in whatever pro-life activities we can this month.

Most importantly, we celebrate the traditional feast of Christ the King on October 25th. Below is a listing of additional notable feasts. There is only one Doctor of the Church, Saint Therese of Lisieux, who extraordinarily acquired this title after spending only 24 years on this earth. We have a feast for the Guardian Angels and also St. Raphael the Archangel. We have 2 Marian feasts, along with the 103rd anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun on the 13th (don’t forget our Fatima Holy Hour!). Also, two 20th century popes and several great visionaries, including St. Faustina Kowalska (this is the first year of her feast, which was announced in May!). Our month concludes with All Hallows Eve, the Triduum of Death.

1-St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor, “Doctor of the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood & Merciful Love” (new)

2-First Friday / The Holy Guardian Angels

3-First Saturday / St. Therese of Lisieux (trad)

4-St. Francis of Assisi

5-St. Faustina, Seer of the Divine Mercy

7-OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY

8-St. Bridget of Sweden

11-DIVINE MATERNITY OF OUR LADY / Pope St. John XXIII

16-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Seer of the Sacred Heart (new)

17-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (trad)

18-St. Luke, Evangelist

22-Pope St. John Paul II

24-St. Raphael the Archangel

25-CHRIST THE KING

28-Sts. Simon & Jude, Apostles

31-All Hallows Eve (not a feast, though evening prayer prior to All Saints Day, is part of liturgical observance)

Please don’t laugh at my photography…it's conceptual!