10 January: the Baptism of the Lord

by popadmin | Jan 4, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

10 January: The Baptism of the Lord. Today, we celebrate the baptism of Christ in the Jordan by John the Baptist: a milestone event in the life of Jesus, in the Christmas story and in our Christian life. This feast day is usually celebrated on the Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany. It brings to an end the liturgical season of Christmas. {Christmas is the feast of God’s self-revelation to the Jews, and Epiphany celebrates God’s self-revelation to the Gentiles.} At his Baptism, Christ reveals himself again, this time to repentant sinners. The Baptism of Jesus also marks the first public revelation of all Three Persons in the Holy Trinity, and the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world by God the Father. Jesus’s baptism is described in all four Gospels and it marks the beginning of his public ministry. “After Jesus was baptized, he came from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased’ ” (Mt 3:16-17).  

We know that Jesus, holy and sinless, did not need to be baptized. Yet he humbled himself and submitted to his Father’s will. Jesus’s baptism sanctified the waters and instituted the Sacrament of Baptism. Fr. Antony Kadavil explains: Neither John nor Jesus invented baptism. It had been practiced for centuries among the Jews as a ritual equivalent to our Confession. Until the fall of the Temple in 70 A.D., it was common for Jewish people to use a special pool called a Mikveh – literally a “collection of water” – as a means of spiritual cleansing. Men took this bath weekly on the eve of the Sabbath; women, monthly. Converts were also expected to take this bath before entering Judaism. The Orthodox Jews still retain the rite. John preached that such a bath was a necessary preparation for the cataclysm that would be wrought by the coming Messiah. Jesus transformed this continuing ritual into the one single, definitive act by which we begin our life of Faith. In effect, He fused His Divine Essence with the water and the ceremony. In this humble submission, we see a foreshadowing of the “baptism” of his bloody death upon the cross. Jesus’ baptism by John was the acceptance and the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s will. Out of love, He consented to His baptism of death for the remission of our sins.

‘Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realised what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners’ (Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), Jesus of Nazareth).

Ideas for celebrating in your home:

• The Christian symbol for Baptism is the shell, which you can easily turn into a dinner theme by making pasta shells. Here is a recipe for Nacho Stuffed Shells. Or, try making these Italian stuffed shells. Decorate the table with sea shells (children can color or craft some if you don’t have any real ones).
• Pull out your family’s Baptismal candles and light them at dinner. Tell children about the Baptism of Our Lord and their own special Baptismal days! (Share stories from family baptisms around the dinner table: Talk about who was there, how godparents were chosen, celebration afterwards, etc.)
• This is a wonderful day to renew our baptismal vows: click here for instructions.
• Start a family tradition of celebrating baptism anniversaries: Here are ideas!

Finally, if you have access to a pool, pond, river or stream: we dare you to take a winter plunge in celebration of Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan!

6 January: the Epiphany of the Lord

by popadmin | Jan 3, 2021 | CIC Saint Writeups

6 January: The Epiphany of the Lord. The Solemnity of the Epiphany is celebrated either on January 6 or on the Sunday between January 2 and 8. This feast day marks the twelfth day of Christmas and celebrates the young Messiah being revealed as the light of the nations. In the Latin Rite of the Church, Epiphany (comes from the Greek, meaning “revelation from above”) celebrates the revelation that Jesus is the Son of God. It focuses primarily on this revelation to the Magi; but also in the baptism in the Jordan and the wedding at Cana. The Early Church celebrated the advent of Christ by commemorating the Nativity, Visitation of the Magi, Baptism of Christ and the Wedding of Cana all in one feast of the Epiphany. At the Council of Tours in 567, the Church set Christmas day and Epiphany as separate feasts, and named the twelve days between them as the Christmas season. The traditions surrounding the Feast of the Epiphany point to the Magi, the first gentiles to meet Christ. The Bible does not list the names or the number of the wise men, but we do know they were intelligent, wealthy, and brave. The gifts they brought to the Christ-child (gold, frankincense and myrrh) were gifts that point not only to Christ’s divinity and his revelation to the Magi as the King of Kings, but also to his crucifixion. Giving herbs traditionally used for burial was a foreshadowing of what is to come.

There are many Epiphany traditions around the world. In Italy, La Befana brings sweets and presents to children not on Christmas, but on Epiphany. Children in many parts of Latin America, the Philippines, Portugal, and Spain also receive their presents on “Three Kings Day” (children leave shoes out on the eve of Epiphany to receive treats and money from the Kings, similar to St. Nick’s Day). In Ireland, Catholics celebrate “Women’s Christmas” – women rest from housework and cleaning and celebrate with a special meal. In Germany, groups of young people called Sternsinger (Star Singers) travel door to door dressed as the three Wiseman, with the leader carrying a star. Germans eat a golden pastry ring filled with orange and spice representing gold, frankincense and myrrh. They decorate Christmas trees with cookies and sweets that are to be enjoyed on Epiphany. In England, the night before Epiphany is known as Twelfth Night. It is a time for plays, practical jokes, Twelfth Night Cake, and wassailing. The Yule Log was lit on Christmas day and remained burning until Epiphany. For Christians, the symbolism of the Yule log is that it represented keeping the stable warm for baby Jesus. These days, log shaped chocolate cakes are often eaten in place of the Yule logs.

Ideas for celebrating in your home:

• It is traditional to celebrate Epiphany with a Kings Cake: a sweet cake that contains an object like a plastic figure, bean or nut. If you get the bean, you are King or Queen for the day! Recipe here.
• Nativity scene: the infant Jesus could be given a small gold crown or regal robe. The figures of the wise men should have reached the manger by now!
• It is traditional to bless your home on Epiphany using blessed chalk (given out at church). Over the door is inscribed: 20 + C + M + B + 21. The initials CMB stand for the names of the Wisemen or for  “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” which means “May Christ bless this house”
• Put on a play: celebrate the three kings by asking children to act out the story of the Magi coming to visit the newborn king. Bedsheets and tablecloths make great robes and crowns can be homemade (tip: Burger King is happy to give out crowns to customers!). Children can carry the three gifts to the Christ-child in the manger: click here for how to make edible “gifts” that are symbolic of the gold, frankincense and myrrh. Be sure to sing “We Three Kings”!
• Visit the Catholic Icing website here for more Epiphany feast day ideas.

27 December: Feast of the Holy Family & 28 December: Feast of the Holy Innocents (‘Childermas’)

by popadmin | Dec 17, 2020 | CIC Saint Writeups

27 December: Feast of the Holy Family. Little is known about the life of Jesus’s earthly family. The gospels tell of the early years, including the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt, and the finding of Jesus in the temple. Pope Leo XIII promoted this feast day as a way to counter the breakdown of the family unit. The purpose was to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. Family life becomes sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. This is called the “domestic church” or the “church in miniature.” St. John Chrysostom urged Christians to make each home a “family church,” thus sanctifying the family unit. A good way to do this is by making Christ the center of family and individual life. For example: read scripture regularly, pray together as a family, attend Mass, go to confession, teach children about virtues, learn about and imitate the lives of the saints, live liturgically (follow the church calendar at home), and so forth. It is important to note that we don’t become holy despite the busyness of family life, but in and through it. On this feast, may the virtuous example of the Holy Family of Nazareth inspire us to develop homes full of prayer, love, and holiness.

28 December: Feast of the Holy Innocents (‘Childermas’). On the fourth day in the octave of Christmas, the Church remembers the massacre of innocent children in Bethlehem as told in Matthew 2:16-18. King Herod had ordered the death of all male children aged two and under, in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus. “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”  These children are considered martyrs, Saints of God, by the Church. This feast day is often seen as a day of merrymaking for children. It is custom to give the youngest child in the household the power to rule the day.  From what to eat, where to go and what to do, the youngest is in charge. In Mexico, it is a day for children to play practical jokes and pranks on their elders. The Holy Innocents are special patrons of babies and small children, who can please the Christ Child by being obedient and helpful to parents, by sharing toys and loving siblings. This feast is an excellent time for parents to inaugurate the custom of blessing children. Sign a cross on your child’s forehead with the right thumb and say: “May God bless you, and may He be the Guardian of your heart and mind, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Ideas for celebrating at home:

• Plan a family dinner, having all members involved. Each person can cook or choose a favorite dish (depending on age). Make a table centerpiece by surrounding a Christ-Candle with smaller white candles representing the Holy Innocents. The number of small candles might be as many as there are children in the family. Each child is allowed to light one small candle from the flame of the Christ-Candle, signifying that just as he received life from Christ, he will live and (if need be) die for Christ just as the Holy Innocents did.
• Before or after dinner, do a whole family activity such as a game, movie or outing (hike, walk, bike ride, etc.)  If you prefer to stay indoors try making popcorn balls, an activity that can get all hands involved from young to old.
• Pray together: the rosary, especially the Joyful mysteries, is an excellent family prayer.
• Prayer of Consecration of the Family to the Holy Family, Prayer of Parents for Their Children and Prayer to the Holy Family can be said on this feast day as a family.
• Purchase a holy family statue or icon for your home, if you don’t own one already.
• Read Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical On Christian Marriage. You can also check out the Vatican’s page of Papal documents on the Family.

“The first witnesses of Christ’s birth, the shepherds, found themselves not only before the Infant Jesus but also a small family: mother, father and newborn son. God had chosen to reveal himself by being born into a human family and the human family thus became an icon of God! …Indeed, the family is the best school at which to learn to live out those values which give dignity to the person and greatness to peoples. …The Holy Family of Nazareth is truly the “prototype” of every Christian family which, united in the Sacrament of Marriage and nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, is called to carry out the wonderful vocation and mission of being the living cell not only of society but also of the Church, a sign and instrument of unity for the entire human race. …May [the holy family] help Christian families to be, in every part of the world, living images of God’s love.” – Pope Benedict XVI

26 December: Feast of Saint Stephen

by popadmin | Dec 14, 2020 | CIC Saint Writeups

26 December: Feast of Saint Stephen. On the second day in the octave of Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of St. Stephen, an early Church deacon and the first Christian martyr.  The Book of Acts 6-7 tells us about Stephen. He came from a family of Hellenists, Jews who had emigrated from Palestine to the Greek-speaking provinces of the Roman Empire. Tension arose between the Greek Jewish converts to Christianity and the Palestinian Jewish converts. The Greeks thought their needy were being neglected in favor of the Hebrew’s poor. To resolve the problem, the apostles ordained seven men as deacons to serve the poor and preach the Faith. The first name on this list of seven is Stephen. Stephen was renowned for his care of the poor and was held in high esteem by the Apostles. In his zeal for the Faith, he also debated with members of four Greek synagogues. When Stephen’s eloquent speeches got the better of the Hellenist Jews, angry opponents dragged him to the Sanhedrin. False witnesses charged him with blasphemy and reviling the Law of Moses. In answer, Stephen gave a lengthy speech that traced the sacred history of the Jews and concluded with a denunciation of his accusers. Then, suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit, he looked up to heaven and cried, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” This was too much blasphemy for the angry mob of Jews. (The man later to become St. Paul was part of the mob.) They rushed upon Stephen, dragged him outside the city walls and stoned him to death. As the stones struck, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then, when down on his knees and near death, Stephen prayed again, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” After the mob had dispersed, Christians took his body away for burial.

The Church draws a comparison between St. Stephen and Christ: Stephen’s arrest and trial with false accusations parallels our Savior’s trial; he was stoned outside the city wall; he died echoing the words of Jesus on the cross (praying for his executioners). Saint Stephen is the patron of deacons, altar servers, bricklayers, stonemasons and horses.

Ideas for celebrating this feast day at home:

• A traditional St. Stephen’s meal is mincemeat pie. Here is an old time recipe. OR, try a new twist on mincemeat pie using leftover holiday turkey or ham: click here.
• Bake “St. Stephen’s Horns” called Podkovy: In honor of his patronage over horses, special sweet breads are baked in the form of horseshoes. These “horns” are much like coffeecake. Recipe here.
• St. Stephen was stoned to death while praying for his enemies. Today, pray for your enemies and for the persecuted Church throughout the world.
• Boxing Day: St. Stephen was one of the first ‘social workers’ in the Church; it was his task to feed the poor. In remembrance of his work, Britains used to collect money during the year in little clay boxes. On the feast of St. Stephen or ‘Boxing day’ as it is called in Britain, these boxes were broken and the money distributed to the poor. Perhaps you can revive this old tradition in your home!
• Another idea: In some homes a box is labeled and set beside the Christmas tree. Family members, in gratitude for their Christmas blessings, choose one of their gifts for the “St. Stephen’s Box” and then donate the gifts to the poor.
• Read the story of Good King Wenceslaus, also a Catholic martyr, who “looked out on the Feast of Stephen” and shared his meal with a poor family.

“If you know what witness means, you understand why God brings St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents to the crib in the cave as soon as Christ is born liturgically. To be a witness is to be a martyr. Holy Mother Church wishes us to realize that we were born in baptism to become Christ — He who was the world’s outstanding Martyr.” — Love Does Such Things, by Rev. M. Raymond, O.C.S.O.