January Saints

Some heroes to imitate and intercessors to call on during January.  Chock full of links (all the underlined words) to learn more if you care to.  Add your favorites to your calendar and do something special to remember them and pray with them on their feast days.  It’s not an exhaustive list, but a great place to start.

• 1/1 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – Holy Day of Obligation.  Mary was mother of Jesus, fully human, fully divine.  The precise title “Theotokos” (God-bearer) was formally defined at the Council of Ephesus (431) to refute the heresies of the day.  Check out this article on Mary: Mother of God at Catholic Answers.
• 1/2 St. Basil the Great – (329-379) Bishop, Greek Doctor of the Church, Father of the Church, Father of Eastern Monasticism.  His mom, dad, and four of his siblings are also canonized Saints, including St. Gregory of Nyssa (another Father of the Church).  Patron of reformers and hospital administrators.  Click here and scroll down to read some of his writings.
• 1/2 St. Gregory Nazianzen – (330-339) Bishop, Father of the Church, Doctor of the Church, “the Theologian”.  Friend of St. Basil the Great (see above) and monk at Basil’s desert monastery. Defender of the Church against Arianism.  Click here and scroll down to read some of his writings.
• 1/3 Most Holy Name of Jesus – Devotion to the name is as old as Christianity (see Phil 2:9), but was made especially popular through St. Bernardine of Sienna.
• 1/4 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton – (1774-1821)  Convert, Widow.  Started the parochial school system in America.  First native born American to be canonized.  Patron against in-law problems, death of children, death of parents, of people ridiculed for their piety and widows.
• 1/5 St. John Nepomucene Neumann – (1811-1860)  Redemptorist, 4^th bishop of Philadelphia.  Born in Bohemia, came to US in 1836.  Spoke 12 languages, established nearly 100 parochial schools and founded the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.  First American male to be canonized.
• 1/6 St. Andre Bessette – (1845-1937)  French-Canadian Holy Cross Brother, “the Miracle Man of Montreal”, poorly educated door-keeper.  Andre had a deep devotion to St. Joseph and kept a lamp burning in the college chapel in front of the St. Joseph altar.  He cured many by anointing them with “St Joseph’s oil” (oil from that lamp) and praying.  Eventually he built a chapel dedicated to St. Jospeh.  Click here to read the homily preached by Pope Benedict XVI at the canonization ceremony in October 2010.
• 1/8 The Epiphany of the Lord –The 12^th day after Christmas, January 6^th (someone should write a song about the 12 days, right).  In most countries (US included) the celebration is transferred to the nearest Sunday.  Commemorates Christ revealing his Divinity, particularly to the Magi, at His Baptism, and the miracle at the wedding feast in Cana.
• 1/8 Baptism of the Lord – first Sunday after January 6.  Since it collides with our celebration of Epiphany this year, Epiphany wins out in a cage match.  Commemorates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan river (Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21-22; Jn 1:29-34) .  First Luminous Mystery of the Rosary.
• 1/13 St. Hilary of Poitiers – (315-368)  Convert, Bishop, Doctor of the Church, Father of the Church.  Fought Arianism.  Patron of “backward children” and against snakes.  Click here and scroll down to read some of his writings.
• 1/15 St. Paul the Hermit – (c.230-342… really, over 112 years old, no joke)  Lived most of his life as a hermit in a cave, wearing leaves or nothing and spending most of his time in prayer.  Legend has it a bird brought him bread every day and his grave was dug by desert lions.  Patron of the clothing industry.
• 1/17 St. Anthony of Egypt – (251-356)  Abbot, Patriarch of Monks, Father of Western Monasticism.  At about 20, he sold everything he had and gave the money to the poor.  By 35 he moved to the desert.  Tried to live in solitude, but people kept seeking him out for healing and spiritual instruction.  Eventually he founded two monasteries.  Briefly left his seclusion to fight Arianism and comfort persecuted Christians.  Friend of St. Paul the Hermit (see above).  Patron of lots of things (click here and scroll down).
• 1/20 St. Fabian – (236-c.250)  20^th Pope, Martyr.  Was elected Pope as an unknown layman (a farmer, no less) when a dove landed on him during the conclave.  He led the Church for 14 years and lived a saintly life, dying a martyr under Roman persecutions.
• 1/21 St. Agnes – (d.254 or 304 – sources vary)  Virgin, Martyr.  Beautiful Roman 13 year old who made a vow of virginity.  The Governor’s son turned her in as a Christian when she refused to marry him.  She was tortured and martyred for her faith.  Name means lamb or pure one.  Patron of engaged couples, chastity, girls, virgins, and rape victims.
• 1/24 St. Francis de Sales – (1567-1622)  Bishop, Doctor of the Church.  Perhaps the originator of the “Catholic tract”, he had great success distributing little pamphlets to explain true Catholic doctrine in Calvinist areas.  He wrote about the same time as Shakespeare, and while they lived, St. Francis’ writings were more well known.  His best known writing is the Introduction to the Devout Life (to read it free, click here).  Collaborated with St. Jane Frances de Chantal to found the Sisters of the Visitation.  Patron of writers, teachers, and deaf people.
• 1/25 The Conversion of St. Paul – Acts 9:1-22, 22:6-21, 26:12-18; Gal 1:11-16.  Saul of Tarsus was one of the most zealous persecutors of the early Christian Church when the Risen Lord appeared to him and he recognized Truth.
• 1/26 St. Timothy – (d.97)  Missionary with St. Paul the Apostle, Bishop, Martyr.  Two of St. Paul’s Epistles in the New Testament are addressed to Timothy (click here for an introduction).  Stoned to death.  Patron against intestinal disorders and stomach disease (1 Tim 5:23).
• 1/26 St. Titus – (d.c.96) Bishop, Disciple of St. Paul the Apostle.  One of St. Paul’s Epistles is addressed to him (click here for an introduction).
• 1/28 St. Thomas Aquinas – (c.1225-1274)  Dominican Priest, Doctor of the Church (the “Angelic Doctor”), the “Great Synthesizer”, and the “Dumb Ox”.  Massive genius (in more ways than one), one of the most influential theologians of all time.  Patron of universities, students, theologians, philosophers, and apologists.  Click here to check out one of his masterpieces, The Summa Theologica (Compendium of Theology).
• 1/31 St. John Bosco – (1815-1888)  aka “Don” Bosco (Don being the traditional Italian title for a priest). A juggler and street performer in his youth (to attract people to preach to)!  Dreamer of prophetic dreams.  Worked with street urchins and inner city kids, opened schools for boys.  Founded the Salesians, based on the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales (see above), and the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians.  Patron of boys, youth, schoolchildren, editors and laborers.  Read here about the mysterious grey dog that protected St. John Bosco.