Feasts of Saints Celebrated in the Month of January

Mary, Mother of God, (January 1)

also on January 1: Concordius, martyr; Felix of Bourger; Almachius or Telemachus, martyr; Euphrosyne, virgin; Eugendus or Oyend, abbot; William of Saint Benignus, abbot; Fulgentius, bishop; Clarus, abbot; Peter of Atroa, abbot; Odilo, abbot; Franchea, virgin; Guiseppe Maria Tomasi

Basil: (died 1 Jan. 379 A.D.); hermit who became bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia: noted for his learning; foe of Arianism; wrote a rule on monasticism; source of Eucharistic Prayer IV; along with Gregory Nazianzen, Athanasius (2 May) and John Chrysostom (13 Sept), considered one of the four great doctors of the Eastern Church. (January 2)

Gregory Nazianzen: (died 25 Jan. 389 or 390 A.D.); Patriarch of Constantinople; noted for his knowledge of Sacred Scripture and for his outstanding teaching abilities and eloquence. (January 2)

also on January 2: Macarius of Alexandria; Munchin, bishop; Vincentian; Adalhard or Adelard, abbot; Caspar del Bufalo

on January 3: Antherus, priest and martyr; Geneviève, virgin; Bertilia of Mereuil, widow

on January 4: Elizabeth Ann Seton; Gregory of Langres, bishop; Pharaïldis, virgin; Rigobert of Rheims, bishop

on January 5: John Neumann, bishop; Apollinaris Syncletica, virgin; Syncletica, virgin; Simeon Stylites; Convoyon, abbot; Dorotheus the Younger, abbot; Gerlac

on January 6: John of Ribera, bishop; Charles Melchior from Sezze, religious; Raphaela Maria Porras of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, virgin; Wiltrudis, widow; Erminold, abbot; Guarinus or Guérin, bishop

Raymond of Peñafort (died 1275 A.D. at age of 99); O.P.; second master general after St. Dominic; collator of canon law, esp. Decretales Gregorii IX; noted work on penance: Summa de casibus poenitentiae; patron of canonists and lawyers. (January 7)

also on January 7: Lucian of Antioch, martyr; Valentine, bishop; Tillo; Aldric, bishop; Reinold; Canute Lavard; Kentigerna, widow

on January 8: Apollinaris of Hierapolis, bishop; Lucian of Beauvais, martyr; Severinus of Noricum; Severinus of Septempeda, bishop; Erhard, bishop; Gudula, virgin; Pega, virgin; Wulsin, bishop; Thorfinn, bishop

on January 9: Marciana, virgin and martyr; Julian, Basilissa and Companions, martyrs; Peter of Sebaste, bishop; Waningus or Vaneng; Adrian of Canterbury, abbot; Berhtwald of Canterbury, abbot

on January 10: Marcian; John the Good, bishop; Agatho, priest; Peter Orseolo; William, bishop

on January 11: Theodosius the Cenobiarch; Salvius or Sauve, bishop

on January 12: Arcadius, martyr; Tigirius and Eutropius, martyrs; Caesaria, virgin; Victorian, abbot; Benedict or Benet Biscop, bishop; Antony Pucci, priest

Hilary of Poitiers: (died 367 A.D.); married and convert from paganism; leading opponent of Arianism in the West; most noted work: De Trinitate (January 13)

also on January 13: Agrecius or Agritius, bishop; Berno, abbot

on January 14: Felix Nola, confessor; Macrina the Elder, widow; Barbasymas and Companions, martyrs; Datius, bishop; Kentigern or Mungo, bishop; Sava, bishop

on January 15: Paul the First Hermit, confessor; Maur, abbot; Macarius the Elder; Isidore of Alexandria; John Calybites; Ita, virgin; Bonet or Bonitus, bishop; Ceowulf

on January 16: Marcellus I, priest; Priscilla, matron; Honoratus, bishop; Fursey, abbot; Henry of Cocket; Berard and Companions, martyrs

Anthony: (died 356 A.D. at the age of 105); born in Upper Egypt; hermit and early founder of religious life; called the "Patriarch of Monks"; aided Athanasius of Alexandria in combating Arianism; patron invoked against skin diseases. (January 17)

also on January 17: Speusippus, Eleusippus and Meleusippus, martyrs; Genulf or Genou, bishop; Julian Sabas, hermit; Sabinus of Piacenza, bishop; Richimir, abbot; Sulpicius II or Sulpice

on January 18: Prisca, virgin and martyr; Volusian, bishop; Deicolus or Desle, abbot

on January 19: Canute or Knute, king and martyr; Germanicus, martyr; Nathalan, bishop; Albert of Cashel, bishop; Fillan or Foelan, abbot; Wulstan, bishop; Henry of Uppsala, bishop and martyr

Fabian (died 250 A.D. under Decius; layman elected bishop of Rome in 236 A.D.; an "incomparable man" (St. Cyprian to Pope St. Cornelius) (January 20)

Sebastian: (died 288? A.D. at Rome under Diocletian); Christian soldier whose acta tell of his being pierced by arrows, later being clubbed to death. (January 20)

also on January 20: Euthymius the Great, abbot; Fechin, abbot; Eustochia Calafato

Agnes: (died beginning of the 4th c. A.D.); martyred under Diocletian at the age of 12 (so Augustine and Ambrose report): patroness of Christian virtue confronted by political and social violence; represented with a martyr's palm and a lamb (her name in Latin, agnus=lamb); today, two lambs, whose wool is used to make the pallia presented to newly appointed Metropolitan archbishops on June 29, are blessed; named mentioned in the Roman Canon. (January 21)

also on January 21: Fructuosus of Tarragona, bishop and martyr; Patroclus, martyr; Epiphanius of Pavia, bishop; Meinrad, martyr; Alban Roe, priest and martyr

Vincent: (died in early 4th c. A.D., at Valencia, Spain); deacon of the Church of Saragossa; protomartyr of Spain; patron of wine-producers. (January 22)

also on January 22: Anastasius, martyr; Blesilla, widow; Dominic of Sora, abbot; Berhtwald, bishop; Valerius of Saragossa; Vincent Pallotti, priest

on January 23: Emerentiana, virgin and martyr; Asclas, martyr; Agathangelus and Clement, martyrs; John the Almsgiver, patriarch; Ildephonsus, bishop; Bernard or Barnard, bishop; Lufthildis, virgin; Maimbod, martyr

Francis de Sales: (died 1622 A.D.); bishop of Geneva; sought to bring many back to the Church through his personal life and writings, especially his Controversies and several devout treatises, including his Introduction to the Devout Life; founder with St. Jane Frances de Chantal (18 Aug.) of the Visitation Order; patron of writers, journalists and the deaf. (January 24)

also on January 24: Babylas, bishop and martyr; Felician, bishop and martyr; Messalina, martyr; Macedonius

on January 25: Conversion of Paul, apostle; Artemas, martyr; Juventinus and Maximinus, martyrs; Publius, abbot; Apollo, abbot; Praejectus or Prix, bishop and martyr; Poppo, abbot

Timothy: (died c. 97 A.D.); First bishop of Ephesus, missionary, and companion of St. Paul. A native of Lystra, he was the son of a Jewish woman named Eunice and a Greek Gentile. Converted to the faith by St. Paul, he became a very valuable assistant and companion to him on several missions, such as those to the Corinthians and Thessalonians. (January 26)

Titus: (died c. 96 A.D.); A disciple and companion of St. Paul to whom the great saint addressed one of his letters. He was left on the island of Crete to help organize the Church. According to Eusebius of Caesarea in the Ecclesiastical History, he served as the first bishop of Crete. (January 26)

also on January 26: Paula, widow; Conan, bishop; Alberic, abbot; Eystein, bishop; Margaret of Hungary, virgin

Angela Merici: (died 1540 A.D. at Brescia); orphaned at 10; foundress of the Ursulines, the first teaching order especially for poor young girls; sought re-evangelization of families through education of future wives and mothers. (January 27)

also on January 27: Julian of Le Mans, bishop; Marius or May, abbot; Vitalian, priest

Thomas Aquinas: (died 1274 A.D.); O.P.; the "Angelic Doctor" who wrote the Summa Theologiae and authored Adoro te devote, O salutaris, Tantum ergo, and Pange lingua; patron of Catholic schools, colleges and universities, of philosophers, theologians and booksellers. (January 28)

also on January 28: Peter Nolasco, confessor; John of Reomay, abbot; Paulinus of Aquileia, bishop; Charlemagne; Amadeus, bishop; Peter Thomas, bishop

on January 29: Sabinian, martyr; Gildas the Wise, abbot; Sulpicius "Severus", bishop

on January 30: Martina, virgin and martyr; Barsimaeus, bishop; Bathildis, widow; Aldegundis, virgin; Adelelmus or Aleaume, abbot; Hyacintha Mariscotti, virgin; Mutien Marie Wiaux

John Bosco: (died 1888 A.D. at Turin); founded (1859 A.D.) the Salesians, today numbering over 17,500; dedicated to educating youth; with St. Mary Mazzarello, founded the Salesian Sisters; a pioneer in vocational training; patron of editors.(January 31)

also on January 31: Cyrus and John, martyrs; Marcella, widow; Aidan or Maedoc of Ferns, bishop; Adamus of Coldingham; Ulphia, virgin; Eusebius, martyr; Nicetas of Novgorod, bishop; Francis Xavier Bianchi

Memorial of Saints (December 31)

St. Sylvester was ordained and succeeded Pope Miltiades on January 31, 314 A.D. He sent representatives to the Council of Arles and at the first General Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Arles condemned Donatism while Nicaea condemned Arianism. Tradition says that Sylvester received great grants of territory from Constantine after he cured the Emperor from leprosy. During his pontificate, many churches were built, including the basilica of St. Peter and St. John Lateran (died ca. 335 A.D.).

St. Columba of Sens is mentioned in Tradition as a Spaniard who left her parents when she was sixteen. She went to Gaul, was privately baptized at Vienne, and settled at Sens with a group of other Spaniards. She and her companions were executed for their faith by being beheaded near Meaux during the reign of Emperor Aurelian (died ca. 273 A.D.).

St. Melania the Younger was married against her will by her father. Her husband agreed however to respect her desire to devote her life to God. When her father passed away, she turned her family estate into a religious center. She became a religious philantrophist - helping churches and monasteries in Europe. In 406 A.D., because of the invading Goths, she, her husband and her mother and her followers, were led to Tagaste in Numidia, were they settled. Melania founded a monastery for men, and another for women. When her husband and her mother passed away, Melania built a cell near their tombs. As she started to attract others by her holiness, she built a convent for them (died ca. 439 A.D.).

Feast of the Holy Family (B)

(Edited) Sunday reflections

"...They returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth."

1st Reading: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 128
2nd Reading: Colossians 3:12-21
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

Like all good Jewish families, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem, to be presented to God. For, according to their religious law, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord...and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons". As they went in the Temple, they met Simeon and the prophetess, Anna. Upon seeing the Jesus, Simeon made a prophesy saying that the child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and that Mary herself a "sword will pierce". Anna, on her part, also came forward and gave thanks to God for the child, who she knew was to be the Redeemer of Jerusalem.

The baby Jesus was not only God incarnated in human flesh, but He was also born to a human family. Joseph, His foster father, is from the royal line of King David. And Mary, His mother, was a simple Jewish maiden, whom God favored and bestowed with the fullness of His graces (she being immaculately conceived and without sin). If God blessed mankind by incarnating Jesus His Son in human flesh, He also blessed the human family through St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Therefore, God does not call only individuals to holiness; He also calls the human family to holiness - through the example of the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph).

The pursuit of sanctity as a family is difficult at first but possible even in these modern times. It becomes workable and manageable if every member of the family always look to God's strength and His divine help. The Holy Family is one source of grace from whom all families can look up to. The pattern for virtuous living can be seen clearly in: the virtues that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus exemplified individually, and as a family in their life at Nazareth. The simplicity and truth of their life and work, and their prayer together, (inferred from their Jewish faith) present well the Christian ideals of fatherhood (Joseph), motherhood (Mary), and childhood (Jesus). All the Catholic faithful are called to be grateful to God for the gift not only of His Son, but of incarnating His Son in the Holy Family at Nazareth.