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      ;Friday and Saturday we wrap up the Christmas season before celebrating on Sunday the glorious feast of The Baptism of the Lord which serves as the gateway for the Ordinary Season which commences with the First Monday of Ordinary Time. For the readings, liturgy, meditations and vignette on the Baptism of Jesus, click on LITURGY FOR THE DAY.

Friday January 8:
Friday in the Days of Christmas

White vestments

First Reading: 1 John 5: 5-13
Psalms: Psalm 147: 12-15, 19-20
Gospel Reading: Luke 5: 12-16

Saturday January 9:
Saturday in the Days of Christmas

White vestments

First Reading: 1 John 5: 14-21
Psalms: Psalm 149: 1-6, 9
Gospel Reading: John 2: 22-30

SUNDAY January 10:
FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

White vestments

First Reading: Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7
Psalms: Psalm 29: 1-4, 9-11
Second Reading: Acts 10: 34-38
Gospel Reading: Matthew 3: 13-17

      It is fitting that the First Week in Ordinary Time for the new year begins with the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord for He began His three year ministry by humbling Himself as He waded into the River Jordan to institute the Sacrament of Baptism administered by the one who made "ready the way of the Lord"(Luke 3:4). That was, of course, His friend and cousin Saint John the Baptizer son of Zachary and Elizabeth. John knew he wasn't worthy to perform this task for he knew who Jesus truly was. After all, it was John who "leapt for joy" in his mother's womb and John had said to the crowds in today's Gospel Reading of Matthew 3:11: "I indeed baptize you with water, for repentance. But He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to bear. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." God also chose this time to give a sign to all present, a manifestation of Himself in endorsing His Divine Son with the words recorded in today's Gospel: "This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." Isn't this what we seek? To have God approve of our lives? Jesus gave us a head start with the Sacrament of Baptism, initiating us into His Holy Church where, if we follow her directives obediently, we too will someday join Jesus and all His Saints in Heaven.

Monday January 11:
First Monday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: Hebrews 1: 1-6
Psalms: Psalm 97: 1-2, 6-7, 9
Gospel Reading: Mark 1: 14-20

     This weekend's Prayer is taken from the Entrance Prayer for the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord:

O God, Your only-begotten Son appeared in the substance of our flesh. May He Who outwardly was like us, change us interiorily. Who lives and reigns.

"How I long to look upon My children, to heal them, to be the very Source of their life."

     Those words above from the Blessed Virgin Mary in Message #333 were imparted to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart on the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker on May 1, 1993 in which Our Lady beseeches all to imitate her "beloved earthly chaste spouse" in these dire times. In her Message #332 preceding this on April 29, the Blessed Mother does not mince words in warning her little ones of the wiles of the world and satan. For the messages 332 and 333, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages Three Hundred-Forty and Three Hundred-Forty-one

      Beloved Hidden Flower, behold the sadness of my Divine Son's Vicar. Behold, he already suffers martyrdom. He is bowed by the heavy weight of the cross.

      O! Will not all of my children pray from their hearts for this my beloved Pope molded by my Immaculate Heart? Will you not also pray that all priests, bishops, cardinals and religious will reflect anew upon the sanctity of their holy vocations?

      O! There is now so much darkness. There are many enemies of my Divine Son who dwell within the Vatican. They, by their position, are nothing more than satan's pawns for they have become lax, lazy, unable to bow in humility to God's law.

      O! The evil one seeks his ultimate victory. Only a few of my chosen ones understand my words. But the moment has already come when you must be of strong faith by turning always to my Divine Son. Gaze upon the Sacred and Merciful Heart opened by a lance on Calvary. Gaze upon Him with all reverence in the Eucharist. Attend Mass frequently, for it is the summation of all prayers. Cleanse your souls in the Sacrament of Penance, and be filled with the warmth of Forgiveness, and Divine Strength to silence your human nature that you may not be tempted to disobey the Divine Will.

      Be vigilant. Watch and pray. The battle already rages. All I have foretold shall come to pass. Be alert. Keep your eyes on my Divine Son and be faithful to the Truth.

      I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Divine Son Jesus by reverencing Him in the Eucharist. Heed my words and Pray! Pray! Pray!

     

While praying the Angeles before Our Dear Lord in the Monstrance, I became aware in the intellect of my soul of immense rays of golden light streaming out of the Host. These rays were graces beyond measure. Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness, Compassion, but all of them comprised Infinite Love. At once I felt great sorrow for all of my sins, and I could but sigh in love to Love. Then Jesus said:

      Where are my children? Behold, I am truly here, the King of Kings. How I long to look upon My children, to heal them, to be the very Source of their life. But I am so alone! Behold the few who come here, to pause only for a moment. Behold how many more do not come. They come here to this great church to gaze in awe at its splendors. They do not even consider that it is I, their God, Who has given mankind this great church, the place of My Vicar on earth. Every piece of this building is My gift to man. Every workman throughout the ages added to its beauty because I, God and Creator, endowed them with skills and talents to give glory to the Triune Divinity.

      O! My Children. You have reached the moment of the great false peace. The great lie. For from church to church I am no longer the Center, but satan's lies have made you the center. You come to Mass as if to a supper, and you celebrate. You do not understand, because of satan's lies, that each Mass is a True Sacrifice!

      Our Lord asked me to then concentrate on Him in the Monstrance for awhile and meditate on the words He had just imparted.

Events this weekend in Church History

      On Sunday, January 10th we commemorate the election of one great Pope - Pope Saint Fabian upon whom the Holy Spirit alighted on at the instant of his selection as the 20th successor of Peter. We also commemorate the death of another holy pontiff - Blessed Pope Gregory X who was elected after the cardinals had dallied for nearly three years and the people, so frustrated with their inactions, removed the roof of their conclave and imposed a strict fast of bread and water until they chose the 184th successor of Peter. For other events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history this weekend, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for January 8:

• 1198 A.D.
  
• Death of Pope Celestine III, 175th successor of Peter whose pontificate lasted seven years. He sustained the indissolubility of marriage and gave official approval to the Order of the Teutonic Knights whose principal duty was to defend the pilgrims in the Holy Land.

• 1198 A.D.
  
• Election of Pope Innocent III, 176th successor of Peter. He was elected on the very same day his predecessor died, even though he did not officially take control until February 22nd. He was a man of great quality and would to on to exert an enormous influence, reestablishing his temporal authority within the Papal states and actively promoting the Fourth Crusade as well as calling the 12th Ecumenical Council in 1215, also called Lateran IV.

• 1455 A.D.
  
• Death of Saint Laurence Giustiniani, Archbishop and Patriarch of Venice whose preaching and good works to all the people made him legendary in northern Italy. Also known as Lorenzo Justiniani, he died in Venice on this date and was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1670.

• 1642 A.D.
  
• Death of Galileo Galilei at 77 years-old. This Italian physicist and astronomer's theories clashed with Rome at the time during an age when faith and reason weren't exactly meshing. It would be centuries before the Holy See would reconcile with Galileo who many consider the father of the modern sciences.

• 1904 A.D.
  
• Pope Saint Pius X decides low cut dresses are not appropriate in church since it not only distracts others but goes against the virtues and example of the Blessed Virgin Mary and thus, the holy 257th successor of Peter bans all low-cut bodices at Holy Mass. Today the Vatican still prohibits any shorts, mini-skirts or low-cut dresses or bikini-tops inside St. Peter's, including tourists.

Historical Events in Church Annals for January 9:

• 710 A.D.
  
• Death of Saint Adrian, African-born Archbishop and abbot who became archbishop of Canterbury where he died on this date. His tomb became renowned to pilgrims for the miraculous occurrences through his intercession.

• 1522 A.D.
  
• Election of Pope Hadrian VI, 218th successor of Peter. He was the only Dutch Pope ever elected, having been born in Utrecht, Holland. He would engage in a deep struggle against those who harassed the Church druing the midst of the Protestant Reformation and also had to deal with the Turkish threat. On both fronts he would meet with little success.

• 1554 A.D.
  
• Birth of Alessandro Ludovisi in Bologna, Italy. He would go on to become a priest in the new Society of Jesus, then bishop and Cardinal and finally become the first Jesuit-trained Pope when he was appointed the 234th successor of Peter as Pope Gregory XV on February 9, 1621.

Historical Events in Church Annals for January 10:

• 236 A.D.
  
• Election of Pope Saint Fabian, 20th successor of Peter. At the moment of his election a dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit, alighted on his head confirming to the his electors that they had chosen wisely and God was greatly pleased. During his fourteen year pontificate the exodus from Rome would be so great in order to flee from the persecution of the Roman Emperor Decius that it prompted the beginning of the hermitical life of the anchorites.

• 681 A.D.
  
• Death of Pope Saint Agatho, 79th successor of Peter. During his three year papacy he maintained strong relations with the English Bishops and encouraged Ireland as a center of culture. He called the Sixth Ecumenical Council at Constantinople which condemned Monothelitism and censured Honorius. Agatho received the title of "Healer" because of the many miracles he worked.

• 1276 A.D.
  
• Death of Blessed Pope Gregory X, 184th successor of Peter. Born in Piacenza, Italy, he was elected on March 27, 1272. There was almost a three year vacancy because of disagreements at the conclave of Viterbo. The people finally removed the roof of the conclave and put the cardinals on bread and water until they should come to a decision which they did in choosing Gregory. He convened the Fourteenth Ecumenical Council at Lyons, France which is also called Lyons II in which some of the Greek sects were reunited with the Western Church and disciplinary reforms enacted.

• 1890 A.D.
  
• Pope Leo XIII publishes his 34th encyclical Sapientiae Christianae on Christians as citizens.

      Today we proudly present a special site maintained by contributing columnist Sister Mary Lucy Astuto, a very devoted and traditional nun who we have had the great pleasure and honor to have contributed to this publication for eight years now. Today we feature her inspiring site at HEART OF MARY MINISTRY. We encourage you to peruse the excellent tapes on musical devotion to Our Lord and Our Lady.

      A Synod refers to a periodic gathering of clergy at the diocesan level or of bishops at the international, national, territorial or provincial level. At the local level the bishop presides over the clergy, while at a Synod of Bishops, such as the one the Holy Father will officially close in Mexico City later this month, the bishops are called together to determine in a collegial manner what is best for the Universal Church as directed by Canon Law. (source: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson, Publishers)

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January 8-10, 1999 volume 10, no. 5   DAILY CATHOLIC