March 2024—St. Joseph with the Infant Jesus
By Guido Reni c. 1635 | Acquired by the Hermitage (St. Petersburg) in 1850 from an auction of the collection of the Netherlands King William II in The Hague
The important words of the Bible are that he planned to divorce Mary “quietly” because he was “a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame” (Matthew 1:19). The just man was simply, joyfully, wholeheartedly obedient
to God—in marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth,
in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage
February 2024—Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple
By Ludovico Carracci (c. 1602)
In the Gospel of St. Luke’s, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people, Simeon and the widow Anna. hey embody Israel in their patient expectation; they acknowledge the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.
January 2024—The Epiphany of the Lord
January 7, 2024
“Rise up in Splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” Is 60: 1
December 2023—The Immaculate Conception
by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1767-1768) | Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
In 1854, Pius IX solemnly proclaimed: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”
November 2023—Portrait of St. Charles Borromeo
By Giovanni Ambrogio Figino, c. 1599 | Museo Diocesano di Milano
In 1559, when his uncle, Cardinal de Medici was elected Pope Pius IV, he made Charles cardinal-deacon and administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan.
Soon after being ordained a priest at age 25, Borromeo was consecrated bishop of Milan.
In 1576 there was famine at Milan due to crop failures. Borromeo tried to feed 60,000 to 70,000 people daily, using his own funds.
October 2023—‘Three Archangels with Tobias’
By Francesco Botticini (c.1471) | Uffizi Museum, Florence, Italy
As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will:
they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness. ~Catechism of the Catholic Church #328–330
Patron Saints of soldiers, police, paramedics, and the sick and dying (Michael);
messengers, postal workers, broadcasters, and expectant mothers (Gabriel);
travelers, the blind, medical workers, and matchmakers (Raphael)
