Jan 5 -- Epiphany of the Lord Epiphany, also known as Theophany in Eastern Christian traditions, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not solely) the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child, and thus Jesus Christ's physical manifestation to the Gentiles. It is sometimes called Three Kings' Day, and in some traditions celebrated... Continue Reading →
3 January, Friday — My Beloved Daughter and Son
3 Jan – Memorial for the Most Holy Name of Jesus Today’s feast day is a remembrance and celebration of the conferral of the Holy Name of Jesus. A separate votive Mass under this title is found in the revised Roman Missal, and may be used for an annual celebration (e.g. titular of a Church),... Continue Reading →
29 December, Sunday — Being Together
Dec 29 – Feast of The Holy Family The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on, but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de Laval, the first bishop of New France, who founded a confraternity. The Gospels speak little of the life... Continue Reading →
28 December, Saturday — Turn to God and Acknowledge our Sins
Dec 28 – Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs The Holy Innocents are the children slaughtered by Herod the Great when he tried to kill the infant Christ. Patron Saint Index The children died for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourned for the death of martyrs. The Christ child makes of... Continue Reading →
27 December, Friday — The Other…the Beloved
Dec 27 – Feast of St. John, apostle, evangelist St. John, also known as the ‘beloved disciple’ of Jesus, was the son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of St. James the Great, and was called one of the Sons of Thunder. Before becoming Jesus’ disciple, he was already a disciple of St. John the Baptist,... Continue Reading →
26 December, Thursday — Dying to live
Dec 26 – Feast of St. Stephen, protomartyr St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. A deacon and a preacher, all we know of him is related in the Acts of the Apostles. While preaching the gospel in the streets, angry Jews who believed his message to be blasphemy dragged him outside the city, and... Continue Reading →
3 December, Tuesday — Evangelising to the poor and the children
Dec 3 – Feast of St. Francis Xavier, presbyter, religious, missionary (Principal Patron of Foreign Missions) St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was a nobleman from the Basque region. He studied and taught philosophy at the University of Paris, and planned a career as a professor. He was a friend of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who convinced... Continue Reading →
30 November, Saturday — First to be called but never first
Nov 30 – Feast of St. Andrew, apostle St. Andrew was the first Apostle of Jesus Christ. He was a fisherman by trade, and the brother of Simon Peter. He was a follower of John the Baptist. Andrew went through life leading people to Jesus, both before and after the Crucifixion. He was a missionary... Continue Reading →
9 November, Saturday — The temple, our body
Nov 9 – Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the church of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope. It is officially named ‘Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour, St. John Baptist and... Continue Reading →
2 November, Saturday — The lady in red
Nov 2 – All Souls Day Today we celebrate a feast in commemoration of the faithful departed in purgatory, that is, the faithful departed who have not yet been purified and reached Heaven. After Abbot Odilo of Cluny instituted it in the monasteries of his congregation in 998, other religious orders took up the observance,... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 