January 2012

Pope Benedict's Monthly Prayer Intentions

General Intention: That the victims of natural disasters may receive the spiritual and material comfort they need to rebuild their lives.

Mission Intention: That the dedication of Christians to peace may bear witness to the name of Christ before all men and women of good will.

Monthly Notes

The liturgy of January transitions from the Christmas Season to Ordinary Time with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 9. Another liturgical highlight is the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul on January 25. Ordinary Time will continue until Ash Wednesday next month.

In the United States, January also marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion. Since the anniversary falls on Sunday this year, the day of penance and prayer will be transferred to Monday, January 23.

January also features several opportunities to highlight different groups and encourage important prayer initiatives. The first day of the calendar year is the 45th World Day of Prayer for Peace. The theme this year is "Educating Young People for Justice and Peace." You can read the Holy Father's message on the Vatican website.

The second week of January has two national commemorations. The first is National Migration Week which seeks to make people more aware of the plight of migrants and how Catholic social teaching can inform governments and peoples so that all may be treated with respect and dignity. The second is National Vocation Awareness Week in which we not only pray for an increase in vocations but also reflect on the meaning of the different vocations in the Church.

Later in the month, we have the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an international initiative held each year from January 18-25. This week features ecumenical events all over the world.

January concludes with Catholics Schools Week beginning on the 29th. This year's theme is "Catholic Schools: Faith. Academics. Service." This week celebrates the amazing work being done in Catholic schools all over the country for hundreds of thousands of students.

Looking ahead to next month, February begins by highlighting two groups: consecrated men and women (February 5) and married couples (February 12). It will also mark the beginning of the Lenten season (February 22).