The opening days of January may be cold and nature bleak, but the domestic church still glows warm with the peace and joy of Christmas. We dedicate the New Year to Mary on the January 1st Solemnity honoring her as Mother of God; and on January 4, the Solemnity of Epiphany, we rejoice with her, as her Son is adored by the three Wise Men.
Herald John, who ushered in the Advent season, is present once again to close Christmastide on the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord (The First Luminous Mystery), and to open the Season of Ordinary Time. He points to Jesus, the Lamb of God who unites time and eternity in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and even January’s diminishing darkness seems to echo St. John’s prayer: “He must increase and I must decrease.”
In this liturgical season the Church eagerly follows Our Lord as he gathers his apostles and announces his mission. At Cana’s wedding feast (The Second Luminous Mystery) he performs his first public miracle at the request of his Mother, and his disciples saw his glory and believed in him.
We, his present-day disciples, pray for a like faith as we contemplate the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb and the unique role of the Blessed Mother in the plan of salvation. May we wholeheartedly obey her words of counsel: “Do whatever he tells you.”
The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of January are:
1. Mary, Mother of God, Solemnity
2. Basil the Great; Gregory Nazianzen, Memorial
4. Epiphany of the Lord, Solemnity
5. John Neumann, Memorial
6. Bl. Andre Bessette, Opt. Mem.
7. Raymond of Penafort, Opt. Mem.
11. Baptism of the Lord, Sunday
13. Hilary; Kentigern (Scotland), Opt. Mem.
17. Anthony, Memorial
18. 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
20. Fabian; Sebastian, Opt. Mem.
21. Agnes, Memorial
22. Vincent of Saragossa, Opt. Mem.
24. Francis de Sales; Our Lady of Peace, Memorial
25. Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
26. Timothy and Titus, Memorial
27. Angela Merici, Opt. Mem.
28. Thomas Aquinas, Memorial
31. John Bosco, Memorial
