A warm welcome to the month of January as we still bask in the joy of the New Year. The first month of every year is indicative of new beginnings, new opportunities and a chance to start life and striving of holiness of life in a new and fresh way. While the past year has been memorable in different ways, we pray that in the new year 2024, our hopes, desires and good intentions will be realised through Christ our Lord. In the first part of January, we continued to rejoice and celebrate the birth of Christ at Bethlehem and in our hearts as we continue the season for Christmas.
We have had the wonderful Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on January 1, in which we honoured Mary’s highest title, and then we followed the Magi to the crib as they brought their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh on Epiphany Sunday, January 7. We reached the culmination of this season with the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord celebrated on January 8. With much reluctance, we took down our Christmas decorations and entered into the liturgical period known as the Ordinary Time of the Year during which we devote ourselves to the mystery of Christ in its entirety.
The liturgical colour changes from white to green – a symbol of the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, the hope of a glorious resurrection. We have so far marked feast days and memorials in this month that include, Ss. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, January 2; The Most Holy Name of Jesus, January 3; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, January 4; St. John Neumann, January 5 and St. Andre Bessette, January 6. Others yet to be celebrated are St. Anthony of Egypt, January 17; Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, January 20; St. Francis De Sales, January 24; Conversion of St. Paul, January 25; Ss. Timothy and Titus, January 26 and St. John Bosco, January 31.
…My intention for January 2024
For Peace in our World: We pray as we begin this new year that Christ the Prince of Peace may instil His peace in our world and that warring nations may cease their fire and seek resolution through dialogue. • Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins is the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos.
