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) ~ […]

wise counsel from the beloved Spanish mystic..

“Keep steady my steps according to thy promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:133) ~ Didache Bible

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

the profound and well-traveled quote…

As this challenging year comes to an end, let us look to the New Year with faith and hope. The Incarnation shows us that God truly loves us!

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 […]

St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr and one of the seven deacons who helped the Apostles. He died praying for his executioners; showing his perfect imitation of Christ even unto death. His name is included in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).

And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:59-60) ~ from the Didache Bible

St. John of Kanty, also known as John Cantius, was born in Cracow, Poland. He taught at the Jagiellonian University for most of his life and was noted for his piety and the humble, unassuming spirit of charity that pervaded his professional life.

~ Patron of St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, where both the extraordinary and ordinary forms of the Latin Rite are celebrated.

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