St. Agnes (d. 304) came from a noble Roman family. She was about thirteen when martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Her name is associated with the Latin “agnus” for “lamb,” as the young saint is often depicted with a lamb by her side. St. Agnes is commemorated in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).

“Almighty ever-living God, who choose what is weak in the world to confound the strong, mercifully grant, that we, who celebrate the heavenly birthday of your Martyr Saint Agnes, may follow her constancy in the faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~ from the Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal

In 236, St. Fabian was the first layman ever elected to the papacy. He promoted the consolidation and development of the Church. He divided Rome into seven diaconates for the purpose of extending aid to the poor. The papacy acquired such prestige during this time that he incurred the ire of Emperor Decius. Martyred in 250, St. Fabian was one of the first victims of persecution under Emperor Decius.

* Celebrated alongside St. Fabian is the Roman martyr, St. Sebastian. Although these two feasts are liturgically separate, they are venerated on the same day and also named together in the Litany of Saints. ~ St. Sebastian, a native of Milan, was an officer in Diocletian’s imperial guard. He converted to Christianity, whereupon he was […]

Called the Patriarch of Monks, St. Anthony retired to the desert when he was eighteen years old. He was the first abbot to form a stable rule for his community of monks dedicated to the service of God. His renown for spiritual direction prompted many people to travel to the desert to seek his advice.

“Nourished for our healing by your Sacraments, O Lord, may we escape every snare of the enemy unharmed, just as by your grace Saint Anthony won glorious victories over the powers of darkness. Through Christ our Lord.” (Prayer After Communion) ~ from the Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal

Born at Poitiers, St. Hilary was a leading defender of the Church against the Arian heresy. He wrote twelve books about the Blessed Trinity as well as commentaries on St. Matthew’s Gospel and the Psalms.

“Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may rightly understand and truthfully profess the divinity of your Son, which the Bishop Saint Hilary taught with such constancy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” (Collect) ~ […]

“After the Lord was baptized, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Entrance Antiphon ~ Cf. Mt 3: 16-17, Daily Roman Missal)

The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to “rest on him”. Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism “the heavens were opened”… (CCC 536)

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10-11)

~ Karlskirche in Vienna, Tetragrammaton high above the main altar, transliterated as YHWH Note: The feast of “The Most Holy Name of Jesus,” which is ordinarily celebrated on January 3, is superseded by the Solemnity, “The Epiphany of the Lord.”

The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the World. This great feast celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the magi from the East. In the magi, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation.

The brightness of God illuminated the holy city Jerusalem, and the nations will walk by its light. (Communion Antiphon – Cf. Rev 21:23, Daily Roman Missal)

“Hail, Holy Mother, who gave birth to the King, who rules heaven and earth for ever.” (Entrance Antiphon) ~ from the Daily Roman Missal

We wish you a safe, blessed, and joyous New Year! ~ from all of us at Midwest Theological Forum

This feast celebrates the memory of the male children King Herod ordered to be killed in his attempt to kill the infant Christ.

“The innocents were slaughtered as infants for Christ; spotless, they follow the Lamb and sing for ever: Glory to you, O Lord.” (Entrance Antiphon) ~ from the Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal

May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character… (CCC 533)

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of […]

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