May the Saints & Feast Days for the month of January inspire you to grow closer to Jesus Christ. The month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.
January 1: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
The Blessed Virgin Mary has many titles but her greatest title is celebrated today: the Mother of God. It speaks of her role in our salvation in bringing to us our Savior, Jesus Christ. Mary became the Mother of God when she told the angel Gabriel “let it be done unto me according to your word” and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. The early church fathers saw this moment as the supreme manifestation of the Holy Spirit as Creator. St. Didimus of Alexandria wrote “the creative power of the Most High formed the body of Christ at the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Virgin Mary”.
In light of this the Church offers a plenary indulgence for singing or reciting the hymn “Come Creator Spirit”. This hymn was originally composed in the 9th century by Bishop Rhabanus Maurus and has been used by the Church at ecumenical councils, priest ordinations, bishop consecrations, and Pentecost.
*** A good translation of the original Latin hymn is provided at the end of this blog.
“Mary is the beginning of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation, and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men”
(Ref CCC 721).
January 4: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
Epiphany means manifestation, and the Church celebrates on this day the manifestation of our Lord to the whole world. He is revealed to the Magi, considered to be the first converts of the Gentiles, and a sign that Christ came for the salvation of all mankind not just Israel. St. Matthew’s mention of the Magi bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh would recall for his Jewish audience the prophecy in Isaiah 60:3,6 “And nations shall walk by Your light and kings in the brightness of Your rising… and they shall bring gold, frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord”. St. Irenaeus, one of early Church fathers, teaches us that gift of the Magi signify the mystery of the Incarnation. Gold symbolizes royalty and represents the kingship of Jesus. Frankincense, used in the worship of God, points to His divinity. Myrrh is a burial ointment and signifies the humanity of Christ, especially in His passion and death.
“After their audience with the king [the Magi] set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the Child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the Child with Mary, His mother. They prostrated themselves and did Him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
– Mat. 2:9-11
January 5: Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop
Saint John Neumann (1811–1860), the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia and a Redemptorist priest. St. John Neumann spiritual life and pastoral ministry were deeply shaped by its core principles: trust in Christ’s merciful love, reparation, humility, and total self-gift. As a Redemptorist, he was formed in a spirituality centered on the loving Heart of Jesus revealed in the Eucharist, and he actively encouraged the faithful to embrace their faith even when life was challenging.
Neumann’s tireless service to immigrants as a Bishop by expansion of Catholic schools, and even living a life of poverty and sacrifice.
Prayer For Greater Love of God
O Jesus, I desire to love You, to embrace You with my whole soul. I desire to love You as Your holy Mother Mary and as Your foster-father, Joseph, loved you. Oh , that I could love You with their humility, fidelity, purity, confidence and love! My Savior, grant me these virtues!
January 11: The Baptism of the Lord
The same Spirit that descended on the water of the River Jordan moved over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). The Baptism in the Jordan represents that Jesus has started a new creation. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. Just as in creation story of Genesis 1, where all three persons of the Trinity were manifested, so at the Baptism of Christ were all three persons manifested in this new creation.
“Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners.”
– Joseph Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth
“The incidents which accompanied Christ’s baptism are symbolic of what happens at our Baptism. At Christ’s baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him; at our Baptism the Trinity took its abode in our soul. At His baptism Christ was proclaimed the “Beloved Son” of the Father; at our Baptism we become the adopted sons and daughters of God. At Christ’s baptism the heavens were opened; at our Baptism heaven was opened to us. At His baptism Jesus prayed; after our Baptism we must pray to avoid actual sin.”
(Excerpt from Msgr. Rudolph G. Bandas, theologian and counselor to Vatican II)
January 22: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
In all the Dioceses of the United States, January 23 is designated as a day of prayer and fasting for the full restoration of the right to life, and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. Not only do we pray on this day for the unborn children and their mothers, but we also pray for the conversion of those who perpetuate the holocaust of abortion: medical people who perform or assist in abortions, pro-abortion activists, and politicians who support pro-abortion laws.
“A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer.”
(Pope Saint John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae)
January 25: Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
St. Francis de Sales was born in 1567 in Savoy (modern-day France), and was ordained a priest in 1593 and later became Bishop of Geneva in 1602. Saint Francis de Sales co-founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary in 1610, together with Saint Jane Frances de Chantal and this would later be the Religious Community, St. Margret Mary Alacoque would join. He is best known for his spiritual classics Introduction to the Devout Life and Treatise on the Love of God, which taught that holiness is possible for everyone, in every state of life. Deeply devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he consistently pointed souls to the Heart of Christ as the source of gentle, transforming love—well before the devotion was formally spread through St. Margaret Mary. Many Catholics returned to the faith because of his writings as he brought clarity and expressed the teaching of the faith in a way people could understand. He famously wrote, “The heart of Jesus is the heart of our heart,” revealing his profound confidence in Christ’s tender love. Saint Francis de Sales died in 1622 and was later named a Doctor of the Church, and his writings still are impactful today.
January 26: Saints Timothy and Titus
St. Timothy was a missionary companion of St. Paul and was ultimately stationed in Ephesus, as their first bishop. It is believed that the pastoral letters from St. Paul, I Timothy and II Timothy, were written while he was at Ephesus. According to tradition, St. Timothy was stoned to death in Ephesus while protesting a feast to the goddess Diana, around 97 AD.
St. Titus was also a missionary companion of St. Paul, who was eventually assigned to Crete and ordained as their first bishop. The pastoral letter from St. Paul to St. Titus was written while he was in Crete. According to tradition, St. Titus died from natural causes at the age of 94.
“For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world. Awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds.”
(Titus 2:11-14)