FEBRUARY 2015: MONTH OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD, JESUS

February is honored as the month of the Passion of Our Lord. This is fitting because this is when Lent  begins. Lent is a period of time set aside to specifically commemorate Jesus' Passion, Death and Resurrection. Ash Wednesday kicks it off through fasting and repentance. Penitents are blessed with ashes and reflect on conversion that they need in their life. They promise amendment and focus on one thing to change, and for forty days they practice that change. It takes about thirty days to break a bad habit, so this structured forty days helps it to become a permanent change.

Now the Church hasn't arranged the season of Lent to force a sinner to repent, or for gruesome reflections on Christ's Passion, rather it is offered because of the love relationship between Christ and His members. If you know you are hurting your spouse/lover, you'd want to stop, right? Also, it is appropriate to reflect on and be grateful for the sacrifices that your lover made/makes for you. The Church sees Lent as an opportunity for her members to be better lovers to Our Lord.

Dates in BOLD are Holy Days of Obligation:

Feb. 1: Fourth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Septuagesima, St. Brigid of Ireland 

Feb. 2: The Presentation of Child Jesus in the Temple, St. Joan de Lestonnac

Feb. 3: St. Blaise

Feb. 4: St. Joan of Valois

Feb. 5: St. Agatha

Feb. 6: St. Paul Miki

Feb. 7: Saturday of Souls, St. Moses

Feb. 8: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sexagesima
St. Jerome Emiliani

Feb. 9: St. Apollonia

Feb. 10: St. Scholastica

Feb. 11: St. Paschal

Feb.12: St. Buonfiglio Monaldo

Feb. 13: St. Catherine de Ricci

Feb.14: St. Valentine

Feb. 15: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Quinquagesima,
St. Walfrid

Feb.16: Shrove Monday, St. Daniel

Feb. 17: Shrove Tuesday, St. Alexis Falconieri

 Feb. 18: Ash Wednesday, [day of fasting and abstinence] St. Simon

Feb. 19: Bl. Alvarez of Corova

Feb. 20: St. Wulfric

Feb. 21: St. Severian

Feb. 22: First Sunday of Lent, St. Margaret of Cortona

Feb. 23: St. Polycarp

Feb. 24: St. John Theristus

Feb. 25: St. Tarasius

Feb. 26: St. Isabel of France

Feb. 27: St. Leander of Seville 

Feb. 28: St. Hilary, Pope