Celebrating the Liturgical Year: February at a Glance

February is the month of
The Sacred Passion

Surely I'm not the only one who sees February coming up on the calendar and grimaces. It's a rough slog, February, but it's the month of the Sacred Passion of Jesus, and one we can get through with merit and a sense of accomplishment remembering Our Lord's road to Calvary, the toughest slog in history, and how love made it doable. It's appropriate somehow that Lent almost always begins in this month. There's a lot to offer up, ipso facto.

A favorite children's book of ours, The Forty-six Little Men, features (or, well, doesn't feature) a character called "Dull and Dreary." His name could also be February. Smack in the middle of winter, gray and cold and bleh, February feels chiefly penitential (unless you're a skiier or are in the Valentine's card business). What we can usually expect from February is all the best of: 

1) snow and/or  

2) mud;

 3) diet food (salad and beets and cabbage), or 

4) broken diet resolutions from last month. 

It's one of those perfectly appropriate happenstances (definitely not an accident in the Divine plan) that Ash Wednesday almost always falls somewhere in February. This can be a good thing, of course, practically speaking, citing February Feature #4 (above). There's nothing better than accountability to God for adding a spark of conscience to all those New Year's Resolutions! But, still. (==I sigh==) Lent. I get how a person might like the  Long Forty  for its effects -- but, seriously, you're in line for sainthood behind St. Simon Stylites if you charge gleefully into Lent because you actually enjoy the process. That's tantamount to enjoying getting your teeth cleaned. Or childbirth. The results are great! Getting to the results, not so much.

We've always told the kids: if you like Lent, you're not doing it right. 

And we're only half kidding. (Or maybe one quarter kidding,) There are Lenten sacrifices and there are Lenten Sacrifices. Giving up enough to make it a challenge isn't fun. Giving up chocolate if you rarely have chocolate does not impress me. Sorry. But, giving up coffee when your friends don't recognize you without a coffee cup in your hand? That's something. Something hard.  And, like my Marine son tells his children, "Doing a hard thing is a good thing!"  And doing a hard thing out of love for God is a great thing! (I can say this right now as I have a coffee cup at my elbow, but ask me again a month from now how impressed I am with myself.... It pains, the very thought.)

Typical of God's wisdom, too, is that the Church, which encourages us to make these extra sacrifices during this penitential season, cautions us not to go overboard and gives us the Lord's Day off every week. And let me tell you, after a rigorous week of good Catholic Lenting, a Sunday of innocent off-Lent pleasures is the best thing that happens all year! Man, oh man, does that cuppa coffee after Mass on a Lenten Sunday taste good! 

The word Lent may conjure in my minds words like Dull and Dreary and Painful and Prickly, but there's consolation, looking forward to a day of sweet relief every seven days -- followed, after forty days, by the Big Blast of Awesome Wonder at Easter! There's nothing better than Easter after a good hard Lent! Nothing on earth! I imagine it's a little tiny glimpse of what heaven must be like after a long life of frustration and deprivation and sacrifices aimed in the right direction. Times a bazillion. Something to look forward to at the end of our days, hopefully, and if we make for ourselves a good challenging Lent, we get to enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done -- on April 4th this year!

So, anyway... What to be thinking about in the meantime, at the beginning of February: Yeah. Lent is coming. That's the first thing. But that's not all. Here's a quick look ahead to all the other moving parts of the Liturgical Year:

February 1st

St. Ignatius of Antioch

If you've ever heard an allusion (in early Christian writings) to a man known as Theophorus, this is St. Ignatius of Antioch. The third bishop of Antioch (modern day Turkey), St. Ignatius was a native of Syria, but died in Rome between 98 and 117 AD. After a life of trials and persecutions as an important leader of the Eastern Church, he continuously exhorted his people to have courage in the face of trial and very possible death. Always preparing himself for the same likelihood during the great persecutions at that time and expecting trouble in an upcoming visit to the capital city of the empire, he wrote to the Christians of Rome begging them to not try to be heroes in his defense and deprive him of his own opportunity of martyrdom.

As much as the Roman Christians may have wanted to save the pious and courageous bishop, they obeyed his request and Ignatius was martyred soon after arriving in Rome. His relics were brought home to Antioch and translated twice within Syria before ending up at St. Clement's Church in Rome, where they rest to this day.

 St. Ignatius is known for being the first to refer in writing to the early Christians as Catholics -- this term acknowledging and celebrating the universality of the Faith of Christ -- as early as the first century AD.

Two quotes of St. Ignatius:

• We recognize a tree by its fruit, and we ought to be able to recognize a Christian by his action.
• Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your heart.

 St. Brigid of Ireland

* A thorough overview of St. Brigid (with the slightest N.O. intro) can be found --- Here.

* She is the patroness of: babies, blacksmiths, boatmen, brewers, cattle, poultry raisers, children born out of wedlock, children living with abuse, dairy workers, the state of Florida, the city of Kildare, Ireland, fugitives, mariners, midwives, Religious Sisters, poets, printing presses, sailors, scholars, travelers, watermen.

* During one of her travels, St. Brigid went to visit a dying pagan chieftain. As she sat near his bed, she picked up some rushes on the floor and began weaving a Cross. He asked her about what she was doing and, in explaining, she told him about Christ and the meaning of the Cross. He came to faith and was baptized. (As per Fish Eaters) How to make St. Brigid's Crosses out of wheat straw or grasses -- Here.

February 2nd 

The Feast of the Purification

* Aka: Candlemas Day! The official closing ceremony of Christmastide. Every little thing about this feast day from origin and ceremony to pancakes and groundhogs --- Here and Here. Candlemas Day and "Churching" --- Here.

* Hopefully, you've already been able to procure some beeswax candles and will remember to take them with you to Mass today! These candles should have a place in every Catholic home; they are used during Sick Calls, Extreme Unction, funerals (when Baptismal candles are unavailable), during storms and inclement weather of any kind, and for private devotions after sunset on All Saints' Day.

February 3rd

St. Blaise

* Blessing of Throats Day! (Wash behind the kids' ears this morning!)

*  The story of this popular saint, with the script of the ceremony, misc. facts and prayers --- Here.

* St. Blaise is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. A venerable old Catholic list from tradition, patronage of these fourteen saints goes back to the Black Plague when their intercession was especially called upon.

The 14 Holy Helpers
St. George, Martyr, April 23
St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, February 3
St. Pantaleon, Martyr, July 27
St. Vitus, Martyr, June 15
St. Erasmus (Elmo), Bishop and Martyr, June 2
St. Christopher, Martyr, July 25
St. Giles, Abbot, September 1
St. Cyriacus (Cyriac), Martyr, August 8
St. Achatius, Martyr, May 8
St. Dionysius (Denis), Bishop and Martyr, October 9
St. Eustachius (Eustace), Martyr, September 20
St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr, November 25
St. Margaret of Antioch, Virgin and Martyr, July 20
St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr, December 4

February 5th

St. Agatha 

Born circa 231 AD, St. Agatha was born in  Catania -- or Palermo, Sicily. She was martyred during the persecution of Decius in approximately 251 AD. She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.^[5]

Agatha in front of the judge as depicted in a
stained glass window from 1515 in Notre-Dame

Her story in a nutshell: according to the Golden Legend (by  Jacobus de Voragine, 13th c.), fifteen-year-
old Agatha, the child of a rich and noble family, rejected the amorous propositions of the Roman prefect Quintianus. Knowing she was a Christian and having no regard for her vow of virginity, Quintianus, persisted, until after multiple refusals, he reported her to the authorities, expecting her to give in when she was faced with torture and possible death. Instead, she reaffirmed her belief in God by praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: make me worthy to overcome the devil." (from the Golden Legend) With the intention of corrupting Agatha, Quintianus imprisoned her in a brothel, but Agatha, heroic as ever and buoyed by constant prayer never lost her confidence in God and remained unsullied and determined.

Enraged, Quintianus sent for her again, argued, threatened, and after her constant refusal to deny her faith, had her imprisoned and tortured. She was stretched on a rack to be torn with iron hooks, burned with torches, and whipped. Among the tortures she underwent was the cutting off of her breasts. Finally, though half-dead, Agatha remaining steadfast, was sentenced to be burnt burned at the stake, but an earthquake saved her from that fate. She was sent once again to prison where St. Peter, the first pope, appeared to her, healing her wounds, and she soon thereafter died in prison, about the year 251AD.

St. Agatha is the patron saint of Catania as well as several other principalities in Italy and Spain. She is also the patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, bell-foundries, and bakers, and she invoked against fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of Mount Etna.

In honor of their patroness, February 3rd through 5th are days of great celebration in Catania, Sicily, full of ancient traditions. Go here to check it out!

The Martyrs of Japan

Their story:

In August, 1549,St. Francis Xavier (see above) sent his first Jesuit envoys,  Fr. Cosmo de Torres and Fr. Juan Fernandez to Kagoshima, Japan.  Following standard protocol of the time, a contingent of the Religious visited the "daimyo" (powerful local leader) of Kagoshima asking for permission to build  their mission within the boundaries of his territory, particularly as this would be first Catholic mission in Japan). Hoping that the presence of the mission would help create a trade relationship with Europe, Kagoshima assented.

Initially, the "shoguns" (the next rung up in Japanese leadership), as well as the imperial government initially supported these Catholic missionaries; in addition to promoting trade, they hoped that a little competition would reduce the power of the Buddhist monks in Japan that had begun to become problematic to the civil leadership. It didn't take long, however, before this theory was replaced by suspicion of the Jesuits' influence, as well. Fearing the global example of foreign takeovers by the west(known at the time as "colonialism"), the Japanese government aimed to nip the problem in the bud, outlawed Catholicism, and started persecuting Catholics. All Japanese converts who refused to abandon their faith were killed.

The Christian martyrs of Nagasaki. 16th-17th century Japanese painting.

In October, 1596, a Spanish galleon, the San Felipe, wrecked off the coast of Japan and the local daimyo seized the valuable cargo. In the aftermath of the incident, the captain of the ship, in an effort to regain the cargo (or in an effort to save his own life) injudiciously claimed that the purpose of Catholic missionaries was to prepare for inevitable invasion, thus cementing in the minds of the Japanese leaders, what had been ongoing rumors. Subsequently, the daimyo escalated the persecutions to include the missionaries, and 26 Catholics – four Spaniards, one Mexican, and one Portuguese from India (all Franciscan missionaries), three Japanese Jesuits, and 17 Japanese members of the Third Order of St. Francis, including three young boys – were executed by crucifixion in Nagasaki on February 5, 1597. Their feas tday remains on this date in commemoration of their steadfast bravery in the Faith.

Persecutions in Japan continued sporadically until the arrival of Western missionaries in the 19th century, but not before hundreds more Japanese Catholics earned the crown of martyrdom.

February 7th

Sexagesima Sunday

* Remote preparation for Easter, "Sexagesima" literally meaning "sixty" falls sixty days before Easter. It follows the first "heads up" feast day, Septuagesima (meaning "seventy"), on January 31st. Pretty good overview can be found --- Here.

February 10th

St. Scholastica

* Reflections on the Feast of St. Scholastica, twin sister of St. Benedict, by Dom Gueranger in The Liturgical year --- Here.

* Lovely St. Scholastica coloring page --- Here.

February 11th

Our Lady of Lourdes

* St. Bernadette's entire story of the apparitions at Lourdes can be found here. And another lovely version here.

* Here is a coloring page of Our Lady of Lourdes, courtesy of wonderful, talented Charlotte.

* Movies to watch: The1943 classic, The Song of Bernadette, And a new version, the one that is shown at Lourdes, Bernadette, and its sequel, The Passion of Bernadette,

* Books: A Holy Life: St. Bernadette of Lourdes,
Bernadette Speaks: A Life of Saint Bernadette Soubirous in Her Own Words
St. Bernadette Soubirous

* Many posts from AWTY over the years on St. Bernadette and Lourdes, if you click here.

* Websites to check out: the official Lourdes Sanctuary
official Saint Bernadette-Nevers site and tons of  photos of St. Bernadette

February 14th

Quinquagesima Sunday

* Meaning "fifty," Quinquagesima is the last Sunday of the remote preparation for Lent, preceding Ash Wednesday. If you haven't already started pondering what you want to give up for Lent this year, now is the time.  time to put a bug in the children's ears, too (so to speak). In years past, we had a special family meeting on this Sunday and either on this day or by Wednesday, at the latest, the children were required to write down their sacrifices on little bits of papers (sometimes especially decorated and placed in handmade envelopes, if I was being a creative kind of homeschool Mom at that time) and then they all slipped them under our Pieta statue, which is specially decorated for the season. This made each child's decision a commitment about which there were no "backsies," and placed the accountability exactly where it needed to be for a good Lent. (And also in case of memory loss or contention with siblings, Mom or Dad could just look it up. Came in handy more often than you would think, having it written down!)

and St. Valentine

* Prayer to St. Valentine for our children's choice of spouse 

Heavenly Father, we ask You to guide our children in the choice of spouse. Don't let them be carried away by false charms or be fascinated by mere outward glamour, but guide their minds to look beneath and beyond all external attractiveness for the deeper things which alone are worth while.

Especially let the choice be of one who is a fervent Catholic, true in thought and word and deed to those ideals which are Yours, especially the value of their purity.

Dear Father of us all, give Your guiding help to our children, who are Your children, too. We will be letting them go soon, but please don't ever let our children go from you. Amen

St. Valentine, patron of romantic love, pray for us!

* St. Valentine Day posts throughout the years (that might interest my family, especially -- as they show the children when they were so little), but there's other information of general interest, as well, including the history of the feast.

February 17th

Ash Wednesday

* All the factoids (lots of really neat stuff) concerning Ash Wednesday --- Here.

* What Catholics Need to Know Regarding Fast and Abstinence

(The uniform norms for fast and abstinence adopted in 1951 by the bishops of the United States, modified at their November 1956 meeting' as observed by most traditional Catholics in our country.  All rules of fast and abstinence can be modified by a local bishop.)

Abstinence (of meat)

1. Everyone over 7 years of age is bound to observe the law of abstinence.

2. Complete abstinence is to be observed on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday and the Vigils of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas. On days of complete abstinence, meat and soup or gravy made from meat may not be used at all.

3. Partial abstinence is to be observed on Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays and the Vigil of Pentecost. On days of partial abstinence, meat and soup or gravy made from meat may be taken only once a day at the principal meal.

                                                                             Fasting

1. Everyone 21 - 59 years of age is bound to observe the law of fast.

2. The days of fast are all the days in Lent except Sundays, the Ember Days and Vigils of Pentecost, the Immaculate Conception and Christmas.

3. On days of fast, only one full meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to one’s needs; but together they should not equal another full meal.

4. Meat may be taken at the principal meal on a day of fast except on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the Vigils of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas.

5. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, are allowed.

6. Where health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige. In doubt concerning fast or abstinence, a parish priest or confessor should be consulted.

* There is no obligation for fast or abstinence on a holy day of obligation, even if it falls on a Friday.

Also on February 17th

 

The Holy Family's Flight into Egypt

* Fascinating facts about the journey the Holy Family made from Bethlehem to Egypt. One of AWTY's most viewed posts, it has almost 8,000 hits! Go check it out --- Here.

February 21st

First Official Sunday of Lent

* We're free to lift our Lenten observances of fasting and other sacrifices on Lenten Sundays if we like. Some intrepid souls stick it out all the way through (more power to them!), but most of us appreciate the Church's Wisdom in allowing the break. 

For those who challenge themselves during Lent, this day off gains greater significance as the forty days progress, but this first Sunday can set the tone for the following six Sundays!  In an effort to encourage moderation (and discourage a pig-out free-for-all!), we've always allowed a prudent amount of snacking for the family, plus sweets and movies (we always gave up the latter two as a family), but we tried to make the day special by making a specific Lenten Sunday Grand Plan. Chief among the traditions in the Grand Plan was getting to watch an episode of the old "All Creatures Great and Small" series in the late afternoon, complete with a smorgasbord of popcorn, cheese, sliced fruit, and sausage.

 We still look forward to this annual tradition, even though Dan and I are the only ones home during Lent any more. We're especially excited this year, though, as we have a PBS remake of All Creatures to look forward to sampling! It's supposed to be family friendly... (Sure hope it is!) 

Take-away, not just for parents: It adds to the anticipation and feeling of reward for a week done well to personalize the day off (however you choose!) in a structured way! Instead of OD-ing on Forbidden Fruits of Lent, it's always helped us to add something different and special on Lenten Sundays that everyone will especially enjoy -- a new board game or a hike or ongoing series with wholesome themes, instead -- whatever works for you. Kids love the predictability -- and so do parents!

February 22nd

St. Peter's Chair at Antioch

* What on earth this feast day is all about --- Here.

* Interesting quote from Archbp Fulton J. Sheen  that somewhat correlates, as it pertains to the Chair of Peter today: "Is it any wonder then that St. Peter along with Ezekiel in the Old Testament speak of the destruction of the Temple and the persecution of the Church is coming from within. Ezekiel said, “Incipite a sanctuario meo,” and St. Peter; “Begin at my sanctuary.” Begin there in the sanctuary, and that was what was first destroyed when Titus and Vespasian took over Jerusalem. And Peter said that’s the way it will be at the end."  From Conference # 10 given by Archbishop Sheen for the Priests of the Archdiocese of Washington at Loyola,  (Aside: Say what you like about him, he was at least at one time, filled with the wisdom of the Holy Ghost. What happened during VII? Who knows?)

* Interesting interactive digital map that teaches about the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire --- Here.

February 24th

Ember Wednesday

* The Church gives us pause once every season of the year on Ember Days for remembering  to give thanks for all our blessings and to pray, in particular, our natural world (including weather), the custodians of our harvests, our farmers (and our own gardens), and the custodians of our souls -- our priests and seminarians. The Mass today reflects this focus. You can find some more explanation and some prayers for priests -- Here.

* Some Lenten Cheerleading to add some oomph to the last days before Holy Week and Easter -- Here.

and St. Matthias, the Apostle

* The apostle who replaced Judas! Reflections from The Liturgical Year about St. Matthias --- Here.

* The only apostle not directly chosen by Christ, this day is a good one to talk about Apostolic Succession, as here proven to be a fact of the earliest function of the Church. My Catholic Faith is a good source of information.

February 26th

Ember Friday

* Full abstinence is required today, as always on Fridays for all healthy Catholics between the ages of 7 and 59; for all Catholics between the ages of 21 and 59, fasting (as described above) is also the order of the day -- but, as it's Lent, it is rather a moot point, like watering a lawn while it's raining. 

and the feast of  St. Mechtilde

* Short Biography: "The Nightingale of Helfta," St Mechtilde, famous now as the mentor of St. Gertrude the Great, was known in her own time for the beauty of her voice and her gift for music, as well as for her academic ability, and her wise counsel. Eventually becoming the Abbess of the Cistercian Convent at Rodersdorf, Germany, where she had lived from the age of seven, St. Mechtilde was a mystic, as well, was a precursor to St. Gertrude and St. Margaret Mary as a devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and is known to have been the given by the Blessed Mother, herself, the devotion of the Three Hail Marys.

Having prayed for aid in the quest of her eternal salvation and especially for to come bringing her assistance at the hour of her death, the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Mechtilde and reassured her, saying: "Yes, I will! But I wish, for your part, that you recite three Hail Marys every day, remembering in the first the Power received from the Eternal Father, in the second the Wisdom received from the Son, with the third one the Love that has filled the Holy Spirit". The Blessed Virgin taught her to pray and to understand especially how the three Hail Marys honor the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

* Today would be a good day to explore sacred music, especially from the time of St. Mechtilde and St. Gertrude (1240-1298)

* Have a listen --- here --- here --- and  Here (The Mass of St. Mechtilde by CMRI/OLS choir, Denver

February 27th

St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother

* Short biography (of one of our family patrons!) --- Here. St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother, the Young Men's Little Flower.

* St. Gabriel Possenti is on our saints from large families list, the eleventh of thirteen children!

February 28th

2nd Sunday of Lent

* Last day of February and 30 days of Lent left to go!