Liturgy For February 2010

General: For all scholars and intellectuals, that by means of sincere search for the truth they may arrive at an understanding of the one true God.

Missionary: That the Church, aware of its own missionary identity, may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples.

The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of February are:

2. Presentation of the Lord, Feast
3. Blaise; Ansgar, Opt. Mem.
5. Agatha, Memorial
6. Paul Miki and Companions, Memorial
7. Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
8. Jerome Emiliani; Josephine Bakhita, Opt. Mem.
10. Scholastica, Memorial
11. Our Lady of Lourdes, Opt. Mem.
14. Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
21. First Sunday of Lent, Sunday
22. Chair of St. Peter, Feast
23. Polycarp of Smyrna, Memorial
28. Second Sunday of Lent, Sunday

The Gospel readings for the Sundays in February are taken from St. Luke and are from Year C Cycle 2 of the readings.

The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. Between the events which marked Christmas and the beginning of Christ's public life the Church has seen fit to recall the example of the Holy Family for the emulation of the Christian family.

The Feast of the Presentation or Candlemas forms a fitting transition from Christmas to Easter. The small Christ-Child is still in His Mother's arms, but already she is offering Him in sacrifice. The middle of the month will find us on Ash Wednesday accepting the ashes that remind us of our mortality and our need for penance.

The saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are St. Blaise (February 3), St. Agatha (February 5), St. Paul Miki & Companions (February 6), St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8), St. Scholastica (February 10), Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11), The Chair of St. Peter (February 22) and St. Polycarp (February 23). The feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius (February 14) and will not be celebrated this year because it is superceded by Sunday.

Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity, for it begins in one Liturgical Season (Ordinary Time), ends in another (Lent), and contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons (Christmas and Easter)! In addition, the faithful may receive in February two of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles and the blessing of throats.

The Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save his people from their sins.” Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day, as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy.

"The Light of Revelation" shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence – exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion – propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday (February 25) and plunge ourselves into the major exercises of Lent – fasting, prayer, almsgiving – laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son.