Monday January 17:
Feast of Saint Antony of Egypt, Abbot
Martin Luther King, Jr.

White vestments

First Reading: 1 Samuel 15: 16-23
Psalms: Psalm 50: 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23
Gospel Reading: Mark 2: 18-22

Saint Antony of Egypt, Abbot and hermit

   St. Antony of Egypt was born in the middle of the 3rd Century and decided to become a mendicant hermit after hearing the Gospel reading at Mass: "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast and give to the poor"(Matthew 19: 21). After searching for the perfect way to do this, he opted to serve God in the desert as a hermit. It was here that he was attacked by a legion of from hell as the devils physically wounded him. This happened so often that at one time even the devils thought they had beaten him to death. But his faith and perseverance won out and he grew to fear no one as he said to the avenging devils: "I fear you not; you cannot separate me from the love of Christ." Finally giving up, the legion of demons fled and Jesus Himself appeared to Antony. He was the epitome of what a poor monk should be, wearing sackcloth and sheepskin, eating only bread and water and kneeling in prayer throughout the night. It's interesting here to note how we sometimes complain about kneeling for one hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, or that we can't fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays as our Blessed Mother requests. St. Antony attracted countless souls who flocked to him for spiritual direction and finally, after 20 years of seclusion, he knew Our Lord was calling him to teach these eager souls so the Church would flourish in the future. Like Saint Hilary last week, St. Antony's feast has continued on the same date in the Church Calendar for any, many years

Tuesday January 18:
Second Tuesday in Ordinary Time
Beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Green vestments

First Reading: 1 Samuel 16: 1-13
Psalms: Psalm 89: 20-22, 27-28
Gospel Reading: Mark 2: 23-28

          

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