Collection: January

Traditional Catholic prayers, Bible passages, songs, and devotions for the month of the Holy Name!

All the saint of the day images for the month of January!

The Auspice Maria, sometimes called the Marian monogram, is a symbol that means “Under the protection of Mary”. It’s a reminder that Mary is our mother, and that she watches over and protects us.

Well, the whole story is in Acts 9, but the short version is that, while on the road to Damascus with some companions, hurrying to persecute and arrest more Christians, Jesus appeared to Saul as a white light, flashing from the sky, and knocking him to the ground, presumably from a donkey or horse. Jesus identified himself, told Saul to knock it off with the persecuting, blinded him, and ordered him to get going. Saul’s companions helped him up, and got him to Damascus, where he was healed after three days, baptized, and began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues, calling him the Son of God. We think that deserves a tasty treat to celebrate!

On this day we remember many important events from Jesus’ life, recorded in the New Testament, but also the Ten Plagues and the first Passover from the Old Testament. Color this page to learn each of the plagues.

We don’t have any special foods or activities we traditionally use to celebrate today, just a normal dinner, a dessert to celebrate, and a conversation about how much people can change, if they are willing to be open to God’s grace. And how God wants to use us, with all our flaws and imperfections. But, if you’re a planner and want to make something intentional, why not Middle Eastern food, like falafel and a side of hummus!

On (or around) the feast of Epiphany we like to throw one last Christmas party, because it’s still Christmas! We encourage novelty Christmas accessories for the occasion. Because the Three Wise Men are traditionally understood to have come from different continents: Europe (Melchior), Asia (Caspar) and Africa (Balthasar), I like to serve various international “parcel”-type finger foods, so that our dinner spread is as universal as our Catholic/catholic faith.

The word Agnes means “lamb” in Latin, so she’s usually pictured holding a lamb. To celebrate, you could make a lamb cake . . . but those turn out creepy, like, 90% of the time. That’s kind of their charm. But you can make a slightly-less-weird-looking Rice Krispie Lamb in a fraction of the time. Everyone wins! Let a kid do the sculpting and then you won’t have to take credit for your lamb’s looks. #momhack

Traditional Catholic prayers, Bible passages, songs, and devotions for the month of the Holy Name!

Apparently, in many European countries, the traditional dinner for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, was a whole suckling pig. To remind us of motherhood? I guess? That sounds very dramatic, and I’m sure it would make quite an impression on my kids if I were to pull one of those babies (literally) out of the oven while everyone is hanging out watching football. Maybe one of these years I’ll give it a try. In the meantime I think a corn dog is a reasonable approximation!

On our baptismal days, our souls become as pure as clean, white snow. Of course, Jesus was already perfectly pure, but His baptism was still a momentous event. This fun, white drink is a yummy reminder of the effects of the gift of baptism! Make it to celebrate the Lord’s baptismal day, but keep it in mind for sacrament parties, too!

Your original 2" calendar medallions for the month of January!!

Also works for pouring and sprinkling. Because the Baptism of the Lord is almost always observed on a Sunday, we like to invite our kids’ godparents to join us for dinner. They are spread out all over the country (and there are a lot of them!) but it’s worth a try. And, whether or not godparents can join you, what better way to celebrate Saint John the Baptist dunking Jesus in a river, than by dunking bread in melted cheese? Right? RIGHT? Baptism of the Lord fondue party! Aldi is a great place to find affordable European cheeses.

On (or around) the feast of Epiphany we like to throw one last Christmas party, because it’s still Christmas! We encourage novelty Christmas accessories for the occasion. Because the Three Wise Men are traditionally understood to have come from different continents: Europe (Melchior), Asia (Caspar) and Africa (Balthasar), I like to serve various international “parcel”-type finger foods, so that our dinner spread is as universal as our Catholic/catholic faith.

On (or around) the feast of Epiphany we like to throw one last Christmas party, because it’s still Christmas! We encourage novelty Christmas accessories for the occasion. Because the Three Wise Men are traditionally understood to have come from different continents: Europe (Melchior), Asia (Caspar) and Africa (Balthasar), I like to serve various international “parcel”-type finger foods, so that our dinner spread is as universal as our Catholic/catholic faith.

The Chair of Saint Peter is a relic that the faithful can visit in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tradition says that the interior wooden chair belonged to Saint Peter, the first pope. The exterior is a sculpted gilt bronze casing added in the seventeenth-century. Pope Benedict XVI described the chair as “a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity.”

Names are important and Jesus’ name is the most important of all. To celebrate the day, I like to make this tasty alphabet soup, and then . . . let the kids play with it! The kids get to scoop letters out with their spoons to build their names—and Jesus’ name of course—on the edge of their plates. You can pull the bay leaf and thyme sprigs out before serving, or you can just tell your family that whoever gets them in his bowl is king/queen/duke/princess/etc. of dinner. That’s what we do. For a heartier meal, add prepared meatballs, cooked chicken, or diced ham. The soup makes great leftovers, just add some water and reheat.

For the crime of being a Christian, Saint Sebastian was sentenced to death by an archer firing squad. He survived. Emperor Diocletian wasn’t impressed, though, and had him put to death again, this time successfully. In the saint’s honor, these mini-skewers are best made on arrow-shaped food picks (included in the box) but also work on toothpicks or longer wooden skewers, and are tasty as an appetizer or a meal. Put them together before serving or let kids skewer cooked ingredients themselves. Other fruits, meats, and/or vegetables can be added or substituted.

The word Agnes means “lamb” in Latin, which is traditionally associated with purity, innocence, and sacrifice in the Bible! Use the included template, yarn, and pompoms, to make a garland to celebrate her feast day, and reflect on this young virgin martyr and her shining example of faith and courage as you DIY. Plus, it works great for Easter, too!

This delicious caramelized, crustless cheesecake is a traditional recipe from the town in the Basque region of Spain called San Sebastian. . . making it the perfect way to celebrate the saint! Not to mention, it’s decadent and delicious. This dessert is best enjoyed two hours after chilling, but it can be refrigerated until the next day, if needed.

On this feast day we honor the papacy. Use this stationary to write a letter to the pope! It’s a chance to say “hi,” or say “thank you,” offer a suggestion, or tell him about your family.

St. Thomas Aquinas’s “dumb ox” nickname is the inspiration for this fun feast day dinner! I love it when I get to serve a saint story-themed meal to my children, the idea of which will be shocking and horrifying to them, but that is actually a totally normal dinner that they’ll like eating. Oxtail soup is perfect. An ox is just a bull with a job (and some surgical modifications), so oxtail is just a cow’s tail, which, once it’s skinned and whatnot, is just a piece of beef with some bones in it. Ethnic grocery stores often have them in stock, but any store’s butcher counter should be able to get some for you. In a pinch, you can make mock oxtail soup with a combination of beef stew meat and marrow bones.

Decorate you mantle or wall for Jesus’ special day (January 9th) with this banner. Use it again to celebrate baptism day anniversaries in your family!

As you color, give thanks for all of the beautiful things God has given you—even amid suffering—and reflect on Saint Josephine’s powerful example of strength and grace.

Saint Sebastian is a patron saint of soldiers and athletes. This illustration is based on artist Marco Palmezzano’s work Saint Sebastian.

St. Luke’s symbol as an evangelist is a winged ox or cow, which is the inspiration for this fun feast day dinner!

Find the letters of Jesus’ name in this bowl of soup! To learn more of titles of honor of Jesus, look up and pray the Litany of the Holy Name.

Celebrate the feast of Saint Paul Miki by praying the prayer on the back of this holy card and by displaying her image for the day!

Celebrate the feast of Saint Agnes by praying the prayer on the back of this holy card and by displaying her image for the day!

Your calendar medallions for the month of January!

Traditional Catholic prayers, Bible passages, songs, and devotions for the month of the Holy Name!

Let someone in your life know how much you appreciate the work that coaches do with this thank you card inspired by St. Sebastian, patron saint of coaches.