Feast of
the Holy Name of Jesus

Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS"
("And His Name was called JESUS")

Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him:
I will protect him because he hath known My Name."

Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord."

Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name."

Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and magnify Thy Name?..."

Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!

January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus

The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast is also celebrated on January 3. Here is an explanation of the devotion.

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has associated entire months to special devotions. The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus has been traditionally associated with the month of January, due to its celebration on January 3. The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria

Iesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluus. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn were used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was formerly celebrated on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany, or failing such a Sunday, on January 2. The part below was used at Vespers. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,
The Savior of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity. Amen.

---Roman Breviary

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.

O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil:2:10-11

The Most Holy Name
The Power of Jesus’ Name
What does IHS stand for? The meaning of the Holy Name of Jesus [Catholic Caucus]
Litany Of The Holy Name of Jesus
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Jesus, The Name above all Names
Devotion to the Holy Name (of Jesus) [Catholic Caucus]
Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Excerpt from a Sermon) (Catholic Caucus)
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Saving the day in His Holy Name: St. Genevieve gets a reprieve [Catholic Caucus]
The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus

Philippians 2
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saturday of the First week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
6th Address for the Octave of Christmas

"The man got up and followed him"

O my beloved Redeemer, behold my heart. I give it wholly to you: it is no longer mine, but yours. When you came into the world you offered to the Eternal Father, offered and gave your whole will as you taught us through the mouth of David: «In the scroll of the book it is written that I should do your will. My God, I delight in your law» (Ps 40[39]:8-9). Therefore, O beloved Savior, I offer you my whole will today. Formerly it rebelled against you; through it I offended you. But now, with all my heart, I regret the use I made of it: all those sins that have so wretchedly deprived me of your friendship. I am deeply sorry and now dedicate this will to you, holding nothing back.

"Lord, what would you have me do?" (Acts 22:10). Lord, tell me what you want of me: I am ready to carry out everything you desire. Do with me and with all that is mine as is pleasing to you: I accept all, I consent to all. I know that you seek what is best for me: "Into your hands I commend my spirit" (Ps 31[30]:6). In your mercy help it, keep it, enable it to be always yours and all for you, since "You have redeemed it, Lord, God of truth" (Ps 31[30]:6) at the cost of your blood.

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Hillary of Poitiers

Feast Day: January 13
Born:315 :: Died:368

In the early centuries of Christianity, there were still many people who did not believe in God as we do. They believed that there were many gods, some more powerful than others. These people were not bad. They just did not know any better. They were called pagans.

St. Hilary was born into just such a family in Poitiers, a town in France. His family was rich and well-known. Hilary received a good education. He married and raised a family.

Through his studies, Hilary learned that a person should practice patience, kindness, justice and these good acts would be rewarded in the life after death.

Hilary's studies also made him realize that there could only be one God who is eternal, all-powerful and good. He read the Bible for the first time. When he came to the story of Moses and the burning bush, Hilary was very impressed by the name God gave himself: I AM WHO AM.

Hilary read the writings of the prophets, too. Then he read the whole New Testament. By the time he finished, he was completely converted to Christianity and was baptized.

Hilary was such a good Catholic that he was made bishop. This did not make his life easy because the emperor was interfering in Church matters. When Hilary refused to do wrong as the emperor commanded him, he was sent away from the country.

Hilary did not let this worry him, instead with great courage and patience he accepted the emperor's punishment calmly and used the time to write books explaining the faith to the pagans.

Since he was becoming famous and many pagans were converting to Christianity, Hilary's enemies asked the emperor to send him back to his hometown. There he would not be able to create too much trouble.

So Hilary returned to Poitiers in 360. He continued writing and teaching the people about the faith. Hilary died eight years later, at the age of fifty-two. His books are used by the Church even today. That is why he is called a Doctor of the Church.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: January 13th

Optional Memorial of St. Hilary of Poitiers, bishop and doctor; Memorial of St. Kentigern, bishop (Scotland)

MASS READINGS

January 13, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

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.

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Old Calendar: Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

St. Hilary of Poitiers (310-367) was one of the great champions of the Catholic belief in the divinity of Christ. By his preaching, his treatise on the Trinity, his part in the Councils, his daring opposition to the Emperor Constantius, he showed himself a courageous apostle of the truth. He could not tolerate that the specious plea of safeguarding peace and unity should be allowed to dim the light of Gospel teaching. Bl. Pius IX proclaimed him a doctor of the Church.

In Scotland St. Kentigern's feast is a memorial. He was a missionary to Scotland and bishop of the Strathclyde Britons. Exiled, he fled to Wales. He died in 603.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ that marks the end of the Christmas season.

St. Hilary
St. Hilary was one of those great Christian heroes who poured out their lives laboring and suffering in defense of Christ's divinity. Scarcely had the days of bloody persecution ended (313), when there arose, now within the Church, a most dangerous enemy of another sort, Arianism. The heresy of Arianism denied the divinity of Christ; it was, in fact, hardly more than a form of paganism masquerading as the Christian Gospel. The smoldering strife soon flared into a mighty conflict endangering the whole Church; and its spread was all the more rapid and powerful because emperors, who called themselves Christian, proved its best supporters. Once again countless martyrs sealed in blood their belief in Christ's divinity; and orthodox bishops who voiced opposition were forced into exile amid extreme privations.

Among the foremost defenders of the true faith stood Hilary. He belonged to a distinguished family and had received an excellent education. Though a married man, he was made bishop of Poitiers by reason of his exemplary life. It was not long before his valiant defense of the faith precipitated his exile to Phrygia. Here he composed his great work on the Blessed Trinity (in twelve books). It is a vigorous defense of the faith, which, he said, "triumphs when attacked." Finally, after four years he was permitted to return to his native land. He continued his efforts, and through prudence and mildness succeeded in ridding Gaul of Arianism. Because of his edifying and illustrious writings on behalf of the true religion, the Church honors him as one of her doctors.

Here is an example of Hilary's vigorous style: "Now it is time to speak, the time for silence is past. We must expect Christ's return, for the reign of Antichrist has begun. The shepherds must give the warning signals because the hirelings have fled. Let us lay down our lives for the sheep, for brigands have entered the fold and the roaring lion is rampaging about. Be ready for martyrdom! Satan himself is clothed as an angel of light." A favorite motto of St. Hilary was Ministros veritatis decet vera proferre, "Servants of the truth ought speak the truth."

— From Pius Parsch, The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Against snakes; backward children; snake bites.

St. Kentigern
St. Kentigern was also known as Mungo ("dear one" or "darling"), his mother was a British princess named Thenaw (or Thaney or Theneva). When it was discovered that she was pregnant of an unknown man, she was hurled from a cliff and, when discovered alive at the foot of the cliff, was set adrift in a boat on the Firth of Forth. She reached Culross, was given shelter by St. Serf, and gave birth to a child to whom Serf gave the name Mungo. Raised by the saint, he became a hermit at Glasgow and was so renowned for his holiness that he was consecrated bishop of Strathclyde about 540. Driven to flight because of the feuds among the neighboring chieftains, he went to Wales, met St. David at Menevia, and founded a monastery at Llanelwy. About 553, Kentigern returned to Scotland, settled at Hoddam, and then returned to Glasgow, where he spent his last days. He is considered the first bishop of Scotland and with Thenaw is joint patron of Glasgow.

— From John J. Delaney, Dictionary of Saints

Glasgow's Coat of Arms includes a bird, a fish, a bell and a tree; the symbols of Kentigern.

The Bird commemorates the pet robin owned by Saint Serf, which was accidentally killed by monks who blamed it on Saint Kentigern. Saint Kentigern took the bird in his hands and prayed over it, restoring it to life.

The Fish was one caught by Saint Kentigern in the Clyde River. When it was slit open, a ring belonging to the Queen of Cadzow was miraculously found inside it. The Queen was suspected of intrigue by her husband, and that she had left with his ring. She had asked Saint Kentigern for help, and he found and restored the ring in this way to clear her name.

The Bell may have been given to Saint Kentigern by the Pope. The original bell, which was tolled at funerals, no longer exists and was replaced by the magistrates of Glasgow in 1641. The bell of 1641 is preserved in the People's Palace.

The Tree is symbol of an incident in Saint Kentigern's childhood. Left in charge of the holy fire in Saint Serf's monastery, he fell asleep and the fire went out. However he broke off some frozen branches from a hazel tree and miraculously re-kindled the fire.

Patron: Glasgow, Scotland; salmon.

Symbols: Bell; bird; fish; ring; robin; salmon; tree.

Things to Do:

Make a custard pie in honor of St. Kentigern.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 2:13-17

Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)

Follow me. (Mark 2:14)

When Jesus passed by and saw Levi at his customs post, here’s what he didn’t say: “Traitor! Thief! You’re such a sinner. You have abandoned your faith and let your people down. What a disappointment!” Those things might well be what Levi’s neighbors were saying to him. Maybe they even echoed his own accusing thoughts. But it’s not what Jesus said to him. All he said was “Follow me” (Mark 2:14). He saw Levi, looked deep inside his heart, and gave him a chance to start over.

There was something magnetic about Jesus that made Levi take that first step away from his former life. Jesus saw someone worthy of love; he saw his value, his potential to do great things for the kingdom of God. And that look of love, that look of mercy and healing, made Levi want to respond. It made him want to live up to what Jesus saw in him. And so he followed.

When Jesus called Levi—who we also know as Matthew—it was just the first step. He didn’t explain the entire plan he had for Levi. He didn’t say, “Come with me so that you can be one of my first disciples. You can travel around the world telling everyone about me. You will heal the sick and end up writing a Gospel.” No, he simply asked Levi to take one step away from the old and to take one step toward the new life he was holding out. Levi probably had no idea where that first step would take him. Surely he wasn’t imagining himself becoming a great saint whose name would be remembered for all time. But he knew he had to find out. Jesus was too compelling for him to remain idle.

No matter who you are, no matter where you are in your faith life, Jesus is passing by your neighborhood, your work, today. He sees you. He knows your weaknesses and sins, but he also knows your potential, your goodness, so he invites you to follow him. He is asking you to take just one more step away from the old and toward the new.

“Yes, Jesus, I will follow you. Help me take the next step away from my weaknesses and toward you—and the full life you have in store for me.”

1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
Psalm 21:2-7

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

statue of Saint Hilaire of Poitier; by Franz Anton Koch, 1742; Saint Michael parish church, Mondsee, Upper Austria; photgraphed on 11 May 2009 by Wolfgang Sauber; swiped from Wikimedia Commons

Also known as

Athanasius of the West
Doctor of the Divinity of Christ
Hammer against Arianism
Ilario di Poitiers
Malleus Arianorum

Memorial

13 January
formerly 14 January

Profile

Born to wealthy polytheistic, pagan nobility, Hilary’s early life was uneventful as he married, had children (including Saint Abra), and studied on his own. Through his studies he came to believe in salvation through good works, then monotheism. As he studied the Bible for the first time, he literally read himself into the faith, and was converted by the end of the New Testament.
Hilary lived the faith so well he was made bishop of Poitiers, France from 353 to 368. Hilary opposed the emperor’s attempt to run Church matters, and was exiled; he used the time to write works explaining the faith. His teaching and writings converted many, including Saint Florence of Poitiers, and in an attempt to reduce his notoriety he was returned to the small town of Poitiers where his enemies hoped he would fade into obscurity. His writings continued to convert pagans.
He introduced Eastern theology to the Western Church, fought Arianism with the help of Saint Viventius, and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1851.

Born

315 at Poitiers, France

Died

368 of natural causes

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

Representation

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Encyclopedia
Golden Legend
Lives of Illustrious Men, by Saint Jerome
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Catholic Dictionary
Pictorial Lives of the Saints
Pope Benedict XVI: General Audience, 10 October 2007
Roman Martyrology, 1914 edition
books
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other sites in english
- 1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian Catholic Truth Society
- 21st Century Pilgrim
- Catholic Book Blogger: Saint Hilary: Don’t Try to Limit God
- Catholic Culture
- Catholic Fire: Heroic Defender of Faith
- Catholic Fire: Doctor of the Church
- Catholic Heroes
- Catholic Ireland
- Catholic Lane
- Catholic News Agency
- Catholic Online
- Christian Iconography
- Communio
- Christian Biographies, by James Keifer
- Cradio
- Franciscan Media
- Independent Catholic News
- John Dillon
- Katherine Rabenstein
- Saints Stories for All Ages
- uCatholic
images
- Medieval Religion Listserv
- Wikimedia Commons
audio
- Catholic News Agency
video
- YouTube Playlist
sitios en español
- Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
sites en français
- Fête des prénoms
siti in italiano
- Santi e Beati
websites in nederlandse
- Heiligen 3s
nettsteder i norsk
- Den katolske kirke
spletne strani v slovenšcini
- Svetniki

Works

On the Councils at CCEL
On the Councils at NewAdvent
On the Trinity at CCEL
On the Trinity at NewAdvent
Homilies on the Psalms at CCEL
Homilies on the Psalms at NewAdvent

Readings

To those who wish to stand in God’s grace, neither the guardianship of saints nor the defenses of angels are wanting. – Saint Hilary, Commentary on the Psalms
When I look at your heavens, according to my own lights, with these weak eyes of mine, I am certain with reservation that they are your heavens. The stars circle in the heavens, reappear year after year, each with a function and service to fulfill. And though I do not understand them, I know that you, O God, are in them. – Saint Hilary
Lord, I pray Thee let not my weakness distract me, but let my speech be of that alone in which the salvation of my soul consists; and let me never break forth to that degree both of folly and wickedness, as to wish to be a judge of Thy omnipotence, and of Thy sacraments; and suffer me not to exalt my weak opinion above either the divine determination of Thy infinity, or that belief of Thy eternity which has been revealed to me. Amen. – Saint Hilary
Little children follow and obey their father. They love their mother. They know nothing of covetousness, ill-will, bad temper, arrogance and lying. This state of mind opens the road to heaven. To imitate our Lord’s own humility, we must return to the simplicity of God’s little ones. – Saint Hilary
We have been promised, and he who made the promise is trustworthy: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Yes, in our poverty we will pray for our needs. We will study the sayings of your prophets and apostles with unflagging attention, and knock for admittance wherever the gift of understanding is safely kept. But yours it is, Lord, to grant our petitions, to be present when we seek you and to open when we knock. Impart to us, then, the meaning of the words of Scripture and the light to understand it, with reverence for the doctrine and confidence in its truth. Grant that we may express what we believe. Through the prophets and apostles we know about you, the one God the Father, and the one Lord Jesus Christ. May we have the grace, the face of heretics who deny you, to honor you as God, who is not alone, and to proclaim this as truth. – from a sermon on the Trinity by Saint Hilary

Regnum Christi

January 13, 2018 – Discipleship

13 Jan 2018

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Father Shawn Aaron, LC

Mark 2:13-17

Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them that, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Introductory Prayer: God our Father, in your eyes I am like a little child whom you tenderly watch over. God the Son, in your eyes I am like a poor, helpless sheep whom you gently pick up and carry when I’m worn out from my sins. God the Holy Spirit, in your eyes I am like a dry piece of wood that you wish to set ablaze with the fire of your love. Thank you, Holy Trinity, for wanting to bring me into your holy friendship. I am completely unworthy of your love but so grateful to find rest and a true home in you.

Petition: Lord, grant me a generous heart.

1. He Got Up and Followed Him: “‘He rose and followed him.’ The conciseness of the phrase clearly underlines Matthew’s promptness in response to the call…. In this ‘rising’ one can see the detachment from a situation of sin and, at the same time, the conscious adherence to a new life, upright, in communion with Jesus” (Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI, General Audience, August 30, 2006). Holiness of life is not simply separation from what is sinful, but a participation in the love and holiness of God. It is not just separation from something, but transformation into the someone God has created us to be. When he calls, Jesus never gives us a map, only a compass. We do not see the full picture, we simply know the direction. Each day he invites us to follow him, to deepen the communion of love with him, and to keep our eyes fixed on him as on a “lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19). Matthew really had no clue where his life would end up. But he did know that it had to change and where that change needed to begin. Matthew was so utterly convinced that Jesus was worthy of his trust that he surrendered his life to him. We must daily choose to follow Matthew’s example of how to follow Jesus.

2. While He Was at Table in His House: “Behold! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me” (Revelation 3:20). They are celebrating Matthew’s vocation to follow Jesus. Matthew could have said “no” or “not yet” or “not now.” But consider the effects if such a refusal had taken place. For starters there would have been no dinner feast, and consequently many of Matthew’s friends would have missed an intimate encounter with Jesus that night – an encounter that forever changed some of their lives. Jesus knocked at the door of Matthew’s life, and Matthew opened it wide to Jesus. Then, like the Samaritan woman, he ran to get others so that they too might meet Jesus. By way of Matthew’s “yes,” Jesus started touching the lives of others. Whenever we say “yes” to Jesus, he will work not only in us, but also through us. Once again, today he will invite us to say “yes” to his will and thereby be his instrument of grace for others. “I am standing at the door, knocking.…”

3. Why Does Your Teacher Eat with Tax Collectors and Sinners? He does so that we might learn two lessons: the depth of his love for every soul, and how we must love others unconditionally. “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Loving a person unconditionally does not mean that we blithely accept their sin. We love them despite their sin and in the hope that one day they will leave it aside. Mercy is the one form of love that we can never directly exercise toward God, yet it is his greatest expression of love for each one of us. Through Jesus’ dying on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins, God has revealed the pinnacle of love. Thus, when we practice mercy, forgiveness, patience, etc. towards those around us, we are imitating the highest form of love. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners for the same reason he called Matthew to follow him: because he loves us and wants to share his life with us.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, the call to follow you is a call to conversion of heart. Touch my heart with your grace in such a way that my thoughts and actions may always reflect my desire to imitate your example of love. Make me patient in each situation and capable of forgiving those who may cause me harm or create difficulties.

Resolution: Today I will speak to someone – whether a family member, friend, coworker, acquaintance or stranger – about my gratitude to Jesus Christ.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 1

<< Saturday, January 13, 2018 >>

St. Hilary

1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
View Readings

Psalm 21:2-7

Mark 2:13-17
Similar Reflections

BEING DRIVEN BY THE CONVERTIBLE

"As [Jesus] moved on He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus at his tax collector's post, and said to him, 'Follow Me.' Levi got up and became His follower." —Mark 2:14

Who is the least likely person in the world to follow Jesus? Would it be your spouse, child, parent, boss, or enemy? Expect the conversion of those whom you consider least likely to love Jesus.

When Levi, the scum of the earth, repented and followed Jesus, Jesus showed there is no one whom He cannot reach. Paul was "a blasphemer, a persecutor, a man filled with arrogance" (1 Tm 1:13). He was the worst sinner (1 Tm 1:15), "an extreme case" (1 Tm 1:16). After his conversion, Paul became "an example to those who would later have faith" (1 Tm 1:16).

"You can depend on this as worthy of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tm 1:15). Jesus came "to call sinners" (Mk 2:17), and He has transformed countless lives minute after minute for century after century. Although Satan has formidable power to pervert us, the Lord has infinite, crucified, risen, and divine power to convert us.

Therefore:

Be filled with hope.
Repent and be more deeply converted.
Fast and pray for conversions.
Be a witness for Jesus; share your faith.
Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4:4).

The world is in bad shape. We may be beset with problems. Our culture is extremely toxic. However, we are hopeful, confident, and joyful because Jesus is converting the world right now. Alleluia!

Prayer: Father, give me a heart like Jesus' heart for sinners.

Promise: "The Lord anoints you commander over His heritage. You are to govern the Lord's people Israel, and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout." —1 Sm 10:1

Praise: St. Hilary chose Christianity as a result of a long, thoughtful process of study.

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Feast of
the Holy Name of Jesus

January, 2018

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions

That .........., and other religious minorities in Asian countries, may be able to practice their faith in full freedom.

Saturday of the First week in Ordinary Time

St. Hillary of Poitiers

Ordinary Time: January 13th

Optional Memorial of St. Hilary of Poitiers, bishop and doctor; Memorial of St. Kentigern, bishop (Scotland)

MASS READINGS

COLLECT PRAYER

Recipes (2)

Activities (3)

Prayers (3)

Library (2)

Meditation: Mark 2:13-17

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

January 13, 2018 – Discipleship

One Bread, One Body

BEING DRIVEN BY THE CONVERTIBLE