Tree of Life

  Each month of the calendar year is dedicated to a Catholic Devotion. In    January   it is  the  Holy Name of Jesus This is because the feast of the Holy Name falls on January 3rd. January 1st is also   N ew Year’s Day . January is also an opportunity for people to try a vegan diet and add a little bit more compassion to their day by observing Veganuary .  While January (like each month and day of the week) is named after different figures in Roman Mythology some people have “baptized” the meaning of January from the god Janus to be derived from “Janua Caeli”. This translates to Gate of Heaven which is a title for the Blessed Virgin Mary and is fitting as January is the gate to the new year. Pope Francis’ Prayer to Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Peace Celebrations and Commemorations this Month January 1st: The Feast of Mary, Mother of God/New Year's Day  January 3rd: The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus Epiphany (The Sunday between Januar...

Glory to the Newborn King!  Christmas being one of the high points of the Church calendar, (second only to Easter) is celebrated by an  octave, which is 8 days of celebrating through January 1st, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Christmas Season extends until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The days after Christmas December 26th through the 28th honor the martyrs of the Church in a special way. These days are the 2nd-4th days of Christmas. Some legends say that the 12 days of Christmas are a secret code to teach the faith during times of Christian persecution… Why an Octave? Customs for the Saints of Christmastide During these days of Christmastide aka the 12 days of Christmas, spirits were active in the world and the Rites of Epiphany would hold them back for another year. To keep a fire burning would keep them from entering the chimney especially with the odor of salt or burning shoes and asparagus. Babies born during this time were protected by being sw...

Today we celebrate the patron Saint of eyesight.  The customs of her feast day are celebrated just before Christmas and echo the celebration of the light of Christ shining in the darkness. Today is also the feast of the saint of eyesight  St. Odilia . The liturgical color for today is red for the martyrdom of St. Lucy.  A plenary indulgence is given for visiting a church on the feast of its titular Saint. Any church titled St. Lucy or St. Odilia  holds a plenary indulgence under the  normal conditions  (see indulgences section) and for praying the Creed and Our Father once.    About St. Lucy The Tomb of St. Lucy Customs for St. Lucy St. Lucy’s Wheat The Tears of St. Lucy Meteor Shower St. Lucy in Art St. Lucy Cartoon In the 2023 film “The Nun II” the relics of St. Lucy play a unique role. While the film has some factual errors regarding the consecration of the Eucharist, it’s interesting to see the attention paid to today’s Saint. 

    Today we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe. A symbol of Mexican heritage, harmony among cultures and the tender compassion of Our Lady. Today we have the great treasure of the tilma of St. Juan Diego, no relic is as wondrous as this next to the burial shroud of Christ.  “ Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything.” -Our Lady to St. Juan Diego Today's liturgical color is white or gold for Mary's purity and holiness. An indulgence can be gained today under the usual conditions * if a church named for Our Lady of Guadalupe is visit and the Apostle's Creed and Lord's Prayer are recited. For those consecrated to Mary on this feast in previous years and renew their consecration a plenary indulgence can be gained today. To make this renewal more efficacious see  here . For members of the Rosary Confraternity and Living Rosar...

  Today we celebrate the translation of the Holy House of Loreto. Today is the date set aside as it was on this date that the miraculous translation occurred. In 2023 we recall in a special way the Holy House and it’s history with Palestine and we pray in a particular way for peace with the people of Palestine and Israel, a Ceasefire is the only means of pleasing the Mother of God! Mary is the bridge to God and as a devout Jewish woman who is revered by the Muslim community as mother of Jesus as prophet and Christians as mother of Jesus as God, we know She as mother of all mankind will delight in peace and understanding! Apollo 8 had a medal of Our Lady of Loreto on board! Note that in the Holy Land lies the coordinates/geographical place where the Incarnation took place but the house in Loreto is the actual location. In 2023 Our Lady of Loreto falls on the Second Sunday of Advent .  About Our Lady of Loreto The Shrine of Loreto The Black Madonna of Loreto The Litany of Loreto...

  "O' Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!"   Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today is the dawning of our salvation for the Mother of God is conceived. The long wait for the Messiah is drawing ever nigh with the conception of His Mother. Of the four Marian dogmas, the Immaculate Conception, the Divine Maternity, Perpetual Virginity and the Assumption, we honor Mary’s life and holiness today, that God has chosen Her from the creation of the world to be the Mother of His Son, the New Eve. Today is NOT the celebration of Christ's conception, that is the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and is referred to as the Virginal Conception of Christ. Although Jesus also was conceived without sin He is the sole person to be conceived of a virgin. We take time during this  Advent  season to recognize the great gift God gave us in the Blessed Virgin Mary and we desire to draw close to Her in order to draw...

  Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Nicholas, the true Santa Claus (Saint ‘Claus). Today's feast is preceded by Krampusnacht. This is because on December 5th, St. Nicholas travels with Krampus, Santa rewards the good while Krampus punishes the naughty.   The primary custom of this day is to place shoes outside the door for St. Nicholas to fill. This custom is the origin of Christmas stockings which takes root in the story of St. Nicholas throwing coins down the chimney which landed in the stockings of local children to assist their family in their financial concerns. Today's liturgical color is white for the holiness of St. Nicholas. Today is a good day to watch any of the many movies about Santa Claus. A few I would recommend that are more fantasy but enjoyable are "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" or "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town". A more accurate depiction is the cartoon "Nicholas, the Boy Who Became Santa". About Saint Nicholas ...