May-Month of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is May 13th, the date she first appeared to the three children in 1917....next year is the 100th anniversary of this historic event!  Nomen Christi Apostolate is dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima.  Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

Probably the most common celebration of May as the Month of Our Lady, is the May Crowning, which is done in many parishes and Catholic schools.  A wreath of flowers is placed upon the head of a statue of Our Lady and is accompanied by prayer and song.  If your parish or school is not doing this, why not be the first to initiate it?  It does not matter which day in May you choose and the format of the Crowning does not matter either, as long as you are expressing love and reverence for the Mother of God.  It is also a wonderful activity to do at home with your children, either indoors or outdoors.  There are many other ways to give Our Lady special honor during the month of May....your imagination is the limit...learning more about the extraordinary events at Fatima, Portugal and Our Lady's requests would be a great benefit to us all.  Please see prayer in honor of the Holy Name of Mary, on our Home Page.

Some features of the coming month....we have the Rogation AND the Ember Days, similar days of fasting and prayer for God's mercy and blessings upon the coming season....each Sunday is a special and wonderful feast...please take note!

5/1-Saint Joseph the Workman-invoked for employment under this title

5/2 to 4-Rogation Days

5/4-Vigil of the Ascension/Feast of the Holy Shroud (non-standard feast)

5/5-Ascension Thursday-Holy Day of Obligation in some dioceses

5/8-Ascension of Our Lord (new)

5/10-Saint Solange, Virgin & Martyr-invoked for drought

5/13-Our Lady of Fatima

5/14-Vigil of Pentecost-trad meat at one meal

5/15-Pentecost Sunday/Saint Isidore the Farmer-patron of farmers

5/16-Saint Simon Stock-seer of Our Lady of Mount Carmel & the Brown Scapular (one of the requests of Our Lady of Fatima is to wear the Brown Scapular)

5/18, 20, 21-Ember Days after Pentecost (trad Sat meat at one meal)

5/22-Trinity Sunday

5/24-Our Lady Help of Christians (non-standard feast)

5/26-Corpus Christi (trad)

5/29-Corpus Christi (new)

5/31-The Visitation/Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Image courtesy https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/five-prayers-taught-at-fatima-by-mary-the-angels/

April: Month of the Holy Eucharist!

Traditionally, as of Easter Sunday, we are in "Eastertide," "Easter Time," or "Paschal Time."  This extends to the Saturday after Pentecost.  In the New, "Easter Time" begins Easter Sunday and ends on Pentecost.  We continue to contemplate the Mystery of the Redemption.

April is dedicated to the Holy Eucharist (see prayer on Home page).  It is a great time, as the earth comes back to life, to celebrate the Bread of Life.  There are innumerable ways to do this-your imagination is the only limit!  More frequent reception of Holy Communion, Eucharistic prayers and devotions, spiritual reading, a Eucharistic emphasis in catechesis, exercises in reparation to the Real Presence, etc.  Here are some notable feasts of this month (preppers take note that Saint Catherine of Siena in invoked for fire protection!):

4/1-Easter Friday, Solemnity-no penance

4/3-Divine Mercy Sunday/Quasimodo Sunday

4/4-The Annunciation (moved from 3/25 this year)

4/5-Saint Vincent Ferrer, Angel of the Apocalypse

4/10-Saint Ezechiel, Old Testament Patriarch

4/16-Saint Bernadette, Seer of Lourdes

4/25-Saint Mark, Evangelist/The Greater Litanies

4/26-Our Lady of Good Counsel

4/28-Saint Louis de Montfort, Founder Sisters of Divine Wisdom & Missionaries of the Company of Mary

4/29-Saint Catherine of Siena, Patroness of Italy and Fire Protection (New)

4/30-Saint Catherine of Siena (Trad)

March: Month Dedicated to Saint Joseph

This March is jam-packed with soul candy (did I really say that?).....great feasts, Holy Week, the Easter Triduum and Easter Week!  By April 1st, which is Easter Friday, a First Friday and the feast of Saint Hugh of Grenoble, may we have grown closer to Our Blessed Lord.

Holy Church dedicates the month of March to our dear Saint Joseph, so good and powerful (see Home Page for prayer).  His feast is March 19th.  May we remember Saint Joseph in our daily prayers this month.  A very interesting thing is the feast of Saint Dismas, the Good Thief, falls on Good Friday this year.  That same day, March 25th, is typically the feast of the Annunciation.  However, this feast has this year, been moved to April 4th.  Keep in mind, traditionally, on all days of Lent, except Sundays, meat is only eaten at one meal.  Here is an overview of the month, including some particular feasts:

3/6-Laetare Sunday

3/7-Saint Thomas Aquinas, The Angelic Doctor

3/13-Passion Sunday (change your clocks!)

3/15-Saint Longinus, Centurion

3/17-Saint Patrick, Patron of Ireland/Saint Joseph of Arimathea

3/18-Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary (trad Friday after Passion Sunday)

3/19-Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church

3/20-Palm Sunday/Saint Photina, Woman at the Well

3/22-Saint Isidore the Farmer, Patron of Farmers (Nomen Christi likes him-we want to see a garden in every parish!)

3/23-Spy Wednesday/Our Lady of Victories

3/24-Holy Thursday/Saint Gabriel the Archangel, Patron of Telecommunications & Diplomats

3/25- +++ Good Friday +++ (fast & abstain)/Saint Dismas, Patron of Criminals

3/26- +++ Holy Saturday +++ (trad no meat)

3/27- +++ Easter Sunday, The Solemnity of Solemnities +++

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)