Celebrations For January, 2022

(Plain Text Version)

January 1: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Today, we celebrate the Second Person of the Holy Trinity becoming “one of us.”  His mother Mary is called the Mother of God because she is mother of the whole Christ, who is inseparably divine and human.   

January 2: The Epiphany of the Lord.  The word “Epiphany” means a sudden revelation of something which was unknown.  A group of Magi or “wise men” from a distant country received a revelation of the birth of the Savior and came to adore Him.

January 6: St. André Bessette (1845 – 1937).  André came from a poor family and was not well educated.  He was intensely devoted to St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and protector of the young Christ.  As a Holy Cross brother, he was assigned to greet visitors.  Many people received miraculous healings after asking for his      prayers.

January 9: The Baptism of the Lord (See Matthew 3: 13-17).  Just before Jesus began to to preach and to heal, He was baptized in the Jordan River.  As John the Baptizer pointed out, He was totally sinless, and had no need to be baptized.  Jesus wanted to be baptized to show that He was ready to suffer and die for the sins of others.

January 23: Sunday of the Word of God.  Two years ago, Pope Francis proclaimed this celebration to encourage us to use the Bible to awaken and build up our faith.

January 25: The Conversion of St. Paul (See Acts 9: 1-30).  St. Paul (originally named Saul) was a very intelligent Jewish man who was well educated in the scriptures.  Not believing that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God, he was enraged at the Christians and persecuted them.

On a journey, Christ blinded Saul, and spoke to him, saying that by persecuting the Church, he was offending God.  Saul was baptized and regained his eyesight.  He spent the rest of his life preaching Christ to the entire Mediterranean world. 

January 31: St. John Bosco.  St. John Bosco (1815 – 1888) worked with the youth of Turin, Italy.  During this period, thousands of young boys were homeless and jobless.  Many wound up in prison.  Don Bosco (meaning “Father Bosco”) helped them to live holy lives and to get a good education. 

He founded the Salesian congregation and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, which carry on his work all over the world.

St. John Bosco is the patron saint for this newsletter.