Monday before Epiphany

The Month of January Dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus

Saints: Saint Basil the Great (330-379) and Saint Gregory Nazianzen (330-389), Bishops and Doctors

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Prologue 8-13

Mass: 1 Jn 2:22-28; Resp Ps 98; Jn 1:19-28

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

MARY, QUEEN OF DOCTORS,

PRAY FOR US.

JESUS, BRIGHTNESS OF ETERNAL LIFE,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Remain in Him.

(1 Jn 2:27)

Welcome to Monday and the second day of 2023. How is it going so far? We continue in this dawning new year and look to John the Baptist in today's Gospel who is busy preparing the way for the Lord. We reflect on how we just might go about doing the same, even if we are a little groggy from all the celebrations. For Saint Benedict tells us that it is time to "get up then, at long last, for the Scriptures rouse us when they say: It is high time for us to arise from sleep. Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from heaven that every day calls out this charge: If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts (RB Prol. 8-10). We run then, while we have the light of life so that the darkness of death may not overcome us (see RB Prol. 13), and join our great saints of day, the friends Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzen. The latter preached this: "Different men have different names, which they owe to their parents or to themselves, that is to their own pursuits and achievements. But our great pursuit, the great name we wanted, was to be Christians, to be called Christians" (From a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishop, in Office of Readings, January 2).

We conclude with words from Cardinal Vincent Nichols about Pope Benedict XVI, words that inspire us to follow the lead of the Pontiff and urge others to pray. Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger), rest in peace.

He had this great desire to urge people into prayer into the search for holiness because that - he knew - is where happiness lies.

SAINT BASIL THE GREAT,

SAINT GREGORY NAZIANZEN,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: This was yesterday after several days of glorious rain refreshed the earth and plain. It is a beautiful time of year around here. First, and foremost, we have celebrated well the liturgical feasts and we aren't finished yet ... Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord are soon to come. In other news, the Mattole River is pregnant and there has even been a salmon sighting. The river runneth. For now, we keep going and break into song; sing praise.

© Gertrude Feick 2023