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Monday, January 13, 2025

Memorial of Saints (January 13)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

St. Hilary of Poitiers was a layman who reluctantly became bishop of Poitiers in ca. 350 A.D. Since the Arians were influencing the Church at the time, Hilary defended the orthodox teaching of the Church against them. He fought against Arian Bishop Saturninus, and as a consequence was exiled to Phrygia. After some time, Hilary was able to return to Poitiers and was instrumental in a synod's deposition and excommunication of Saturninus. Hilary was a good theologian. He wrote many treatises and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1851 A.D. (died ca. 368 A.D.).

St. Agrecius was bishop of Trèves and attended the Council of Arles in 314 A.D. As bishop, he devoted himself to reconverting the people back to the Christian faith in the area around Trèves. Nothing more is known of Agrecius save for the story that his appointment as bishop was upon the request of Empress Helena, who also sent Agrecius some of the relics of the Cross of Christ (died ca. 329 A.D.).

St. Berno joined the Benedictines at St. Martin's, Autun, and became abbot of Baume-les-Messieurs. He also founded the monastery of Gigny and became its abbot. After some time, Duke William of Aquitaine made him abbot of Cluny. St. Berno is the first of the great abbots of the monastery at Cluny, in France - a monastic reform movement that had an enormous influence on the spirit of monasticism in Europe (died ca. 927 A.D.).

St. Remigius (d. 533 A.D.) was bishop of Rheims and apostle of the Franks. He baptized the king of the Franks, Clovis I (481-511 A.D.), as well as his whole family and followers - some three thousand in all. He is one of the patron saint of France together with St. Joan of Arc, St. Denis, and St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. Martin of Tours, and St. Therese of Lisieux.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Feast of the Lord's Baptism (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

Feast of the Lord's Baptism (C), January 13, 2013

Liturgical readings
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Psalm 104
Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

"The Christ will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire."

Only a few passages in the gospels reveal the Triune Person of God: as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The gospel this Sunday in Luke 3:15-16, 21-22, represents one of those few passages. It is the passage that describes the Lord's baptism by John the Baptist. Though St. John appears first in the scene of the gospel story and is shown also as a protagonist, he himself emphasizes that he is not the Messiah. He appeared first because his mission is to baptize with water. It is the One who follows after him who is the Christ, and the One who will baptize in the Holy Spirit and in fire. As the gospel continues to describe this baptism event, we see Jesus approaching John. John baptizes Him and then the skies open. The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus in the form of a dove. A sound from above was then heard. It was the Father's voice from heaven resounding with the words: "You are My beloved Son; on You My favor rests."

Many preachers and writers along the history of the Church's growth reflected on this event of the Lord's baptism. One of them was St. Gregory Nazianzen (ca. 329-390 A.D.). He is one of the Greek Fathers of the Church and a contemporary of St. Basil who guided the Church in the 4th century A.D. He speaks of the baptism of the Lord with themes of conversion and light. He says that the Light of Christ is also the responsibility of each of the baptized faithful to bring to a world in need of that Light. This is St. Gregory's message:

"Today let us do honor to Christ's baptism and celebrate this feast in holiness. Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing gives God delight as the conversion and salvation of man, for whom His every word and revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force for all, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside the great Light, bathed in the glory of Him who is the Light of heaven."

All the faithful in Catholicism are privileged to have access to this rich spiritual tradition that continues to our present times. We do not only have the Scriptural tradition, but also the many reflections of the Church's teachers in the many centuries after Christ. So aside from the teaching of St. Gregory Nazianzen in the 4th century A.D., we also have the teaching of St. John Paul II in our own century and millenium. He associated the baptism of the Lord to the theme of light when he included this event in the mysteries of light of the rosary prayers. John Paul II made the Lord's baptism as the first light mystery for all the faithful to see that the light of prayer must lead to bringing that light to the very circumstances the faithful work and live in. It is a light that creates in oneself and in others a Church that becomes "a living force for all."

Memorial of Saints (January 12)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

Arcadius, martyr
Tigirius and Eutropius, martyrs
Caesaria, virgin
Victorian, abbot
Benedict or Benet Biscop, bishop
Antony Pucci, priest
Marguerite Bourgeoys, religious
Aelred of Rievaulx, monk

St. Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167 A.D.) was born in Hexham, England, and also known as Ethelred. He became part of the court of King David of Scotland and was known for his piety and spirituality. At 24 years of age, he left Scotland and became a Cistercian monk at Rievaulx, Yorkshire, England. Considered a saint in his own lifetime, St. Aelred was also known as a writer. He composed On Spiritual Friendship and wrote numerous sermons and prayers.

Since St. Aelred of Rievaulx died on the 12th of January, some liturgical sources peg his feast day on January 12. Other liturgical sources, perhaps from older ones, peg his feast day on February 3.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 12]

St. Tatiana, Martyr
Eupraxis, Venerable