Discovering hope and joy in the Catholic faith. January 2016 St. Clement Mary Hofbauer Conventual Franciscan Friars Celebrate life all year round January is the month during which food bank or soup kitchen. Collect our Church celebrates life. This is when canned goods in your church, St. John Bosco we take time to recognize that we are neighborhood, work place, or St. John Bosco all reflections of God and have great community. was moved by the value in his eyes from the Steward your money. Research the plight of young moment of conception to a institutions where you spend, save, or abandoned natural death. Celebrating invest your money to find boys in life means being out what you are Rome. Using pro-human every day of financially supporting. reason, the year. Does your favorite store religion and Befriend a lonely or support causes that you kindness he taught the boys disabled person. Spend feel ultimately victimize how to unite their faith with time with someone who others or disrespect your work and play. is often alone. Take an faith and beliefs? Stop By opening the Oratory of elderly neighbor grocery shopping there. Does St. , he shopping or bring her your bank fund provided workshops for boys groceries if she is organizations you find in shoemaking and tailoring. housebound. Treat an offensive? Put your He got them off the streets, intellectually disabled friend to money elsewhere. educated them, and helped a movie. Often these folks are Nurture patience. Ignore them find jobs. In 1859, he on shoestring budgets, can feel the crying baby at . Respond founded the Salesians who isolated, and will appreciate the to a sharp word with a kind one (even were committed to education help and friendship. when you’re right). Let someone ahead and mission work. Support local food programs. of you in line. People are more Volunteer to provide meals to a local important than schedules. Never too busy As Chancellor of England, St. was swamped yet always found time to pray. He said, “I have much very Why are there important business to handle and I need light and “Doctors of the Church”? wisdom…” When you feel overwhelmed, remember St. Thomas and ask God for the There are thirty-six understanding and orthodoxy in “light and wisdom” to meet Doctors of the Church, which their writing and teaching, your challenges. include St. Therese of Lisieux, particularly in a topic or area. St. , and St. While this does not mean “Amen, I say to you, whatever Augustine. Church that the works themselves you did for one of these least Doctors are who are infallible, the Church brothers of mine, you have special intellectual considers the did for me” gifts. These men and contributions made by (Matthew women were found to these Doctors to be good 25:40). have had a deep guides for spiritual life.

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Laying our gifts at the feet of the King The three Wise Men gave Jesus gifts worthy of a king. We frankincense was used by priests whose job it was to can also present him with our own royal gifts. While ours intercede for the people. Our priestly ministry can be may not be actual gold, frankincense, and myrrh, we can praying daily for those who need it, especially anyone still give to him the best we have. we know who is struggling and Gold: The gift of kings, the “gold” we can particularly in need of strength and offer the King of Kings is our talents and comfort. abilities. Like gold, our talents do the most Myrrh: A spice used to ease good when given to others. suffering, myrrh was a valuable gift. Frankincense: Frankincense was used as Mother Teresa once said, “I serve incense during worship and symbolized the because I love Jesus.” Our kindness can be prayers offered up to God. In the time of Jesus, our “myrrh” offered to God – a valuable gift.

Why was Jesus Luke 4:21-30, Live the truth baptized if he was without sin? From the time God promised a that reminded them of how often Messiah, his people imagined they failed God. And when Jesus Much of what Jesus did in his a triumphant king with mentioned God’s grace to ministry was to be an example for us. extraordinary abilities who the Gentiles, a people Though he was sinless, Jesus allowed would defeat Israel’s they thought were himself to be baptized by John as a enemies. They didn’t expect inferior to themselves, visible sign of his someone ordinary, or even they became angry and willingness to obey the familiar, like Jesus. threw him out. They Father’s will. Doing the Still, his friends and forfeited his blessings Father’s will is what he neighbors had heard reports because they rejected his wants from us. After about his amazing deeds and word. Jesus was baptized, the were excited when he read Isaiah’s There is no substitute for the skies opened up and prophecy about the Messiah and truth, even when it is hard to hear. the Holy Spirit announced its fulfillment in him. Turning our backs on the truth will descended on Jesus. All of that changed when they heard close the doors to the kingdom to us. “And a voice came from the heavens, the tough message Jesus had for the For a follower of Jesus, living the saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with children of Israel. They wanted a truth of the Gospel is the only way to whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew comforting message from him, not one fully enjoy God’s blessings and grace. 3:17). Baptism is often called, “The Gateway Sacrament,” because it is the doors of Christian homes. first one we receive when coming into Jan. 13 - St. (Late the and the Third Century). St. Hilary converted Sacrament that precedes all the others. to Christianity as a young man and It is usually administered to infants for was elected around 350. St. that reason. Baptism is key to our own Jan. 1 – Solemnity of the Blessed Hilary spent most of his office redemption so it is fitting that Jesus Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. battling the Arian heresy, which led the way. We follow him. “There is Today, we honor Mary as the Mother denied the Divinity of the whole mystery: he died for you. In of God. In celebrating this feast, we Christ. He was him you are redeemed, in him you are honor Mary, but also Jesus as God. exiled to Phrygia saved” (Catechism of the Catholic Jan. 3 – Solemnity of the Most Holy (modern day Church, No. 1225). Name of Jesus. In January we celebrate Turkey). He the Holy Name of Jesus. “At the name spent his To provide practical ideas that promote of Jesus every knee should bend, of those four-year exile faithful Catholic living. Success Publishing & Media, LLC in heaven and on earth and under the writing and Publishers of Growing in Faith™ and Partners in Faith™ earth” (Philippians 2:10). In fact, the teaching against (540)662-7844 (540)662-7847 fax http://www.growinginfaith.com English letters IHS—representing the until the (Unless noted Bible quotes and references are from first three Greek letters in Jesus’ emperor begged the Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible) name—used to be written over the him to return home. © Copyright 2016 Success Publishing & Media, LLC