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Daily Readings for:January 14, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Attend to the pleas of your people with heavenly care, O Lord, we pray, that they may see what must be done and gain strength to do what they have seen. 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.

RECIPES

o Spiedino Romano

ACTIVITIES

o Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Confirmation)

PRAYERS

o Little Litany of the Holy Souls

· Ordinary Time: January 14th

· Wednesday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: St. Hilary, bishop and doctor; St. Felix of Nola, priest and martyr

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Felix who lived in the third century. He was a priest and suffered greatly in the Decian persecution. The tomb of St. Felix at Nola, a small town in the south of Italy, was a much frequented place of pilgrimage in Christian antiquity, and in the Middle Ages veneration of him spread throughout the west. Along with St. Hilary his feast is celebrated today on the Extraordinary Form Calendar. St. Hilary's feast is now celebrated on January 13 in the Ordinary Form Calendar.

St. Felix
In one of the early persecutions the priest Felix was first tortured on the rack, then thrown into a dungeon. While lying chained on broken glass, an angel appeared, loosed his bonds, and led him out to freedom. Later, when the persecution had subsided, he converted many to the Christian faith by his preaching and holy example. However, when he resumed his denunciation of pagan gods and false worship, he was again singled out for arrest and torture; this time he escaped by hiding in a secret recess between two adjacent walls. No sooner had he disappeared into the nook than a thick veil of cobwebs formed over the entrance so that no one suspected he was there. Three months later he died in peace (260), and is therefore a martyr only in the wider sense of the word.

St. Paulinus of Nola (see June 22), who cherished a special devotion toward St. Felix, composed fourteen hymns (carmina natalicia) in his honor. In his day (fifth century) the saint's tomb was visited by pilgrims from far and wide and was noted for its miraculous cures.

— The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Against eye disease; against eye trouble; against false witness; against lies; against perjury; domestic animals; eyes.

Symbols: Cobweb; deacon in prison; spiderweb; young priest carrying an old man (Maximus) on his shoulders; young priest chained in prison with a pitcher and potsherds near him; young priest with a bunch of grapes (symbolizes his care of the aged Maximus); young priest with a spider; young priest with an angel removing his chains.

Things to Do:

Let us be convinced that if we strive and struggle in God's behalf, we may also rely on His special protection. God shields you from your enemies, even, if need be, by a spider's web. Spend some time recalling occasions when you were protected in an unusual way from harm.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 1:29-39

Mark 1:29-39

The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases. (Mark 1:33-34)

Can you imagine everyone in your town arriving at your doorstep? It would take a monumental event or person to bring such a crowd. This is exactly what happened to Jesus—and probably quite often. People came to him with all of their problems and needs, begging him for help. And as today’s Gospel reading tells us, he cured many, many people.

On one level, it’s true that all these people were healed because they sought the Lord on their own. It makes sense: word spread about him, and crowds began gathering around him. But it’s just as important to recognize that none of these blessings would have taken place if Jesus hadn’t come to earth in the first place. If he had not left his heavenly home and taken on our human flesh, there would be no one to run after!

Every now and then, it’s a good idea to step back from our pursuit of the Lord to get a big picture. Instead of thinking about what God wants of us, instead of questioning whether we are being faithful enough, instead of wondering if we’re missing out on something we should be doing—instead of all of these, let’s think about how relentlessly Jesus is pursuing us.

For instance, it wasn’t enough for him to remain in heaven and hope that we would turn back to him. It wasn’t enough for him to send us his word through the prophets. It wasn’t even enough for him to take on human flesh so that he could show us the way back to his Father. No, he pursued us to the very gates of hell. He rescued us from the clutches of the enemy—and it cost him his life!

This is your Savior. His love for you knows no bounds. He has already done so much in order to come to you. All he’s asking is that you take the final steps toward him. So don’t hesitate. Run to him, and you’ll find every grace and blessing you could ever need.

“Lord, thank you for loving me before I even knew you! Thank you for running after me with so much love. I turn to you now with a heart ready to receive your mercy and grace.”

Psalm 105:1-4,6-9
Hebrews 2:14-18