Today, January 5, is the twelfth day of Christmas, and the memorial day for another more modern saint; St. John Neumann, a Bohemian born American.

Today, January 3, is the tenth day of Christmas. Rather than honoring a saint, today honours a name. The Most Holy Name of Jesus.

Jesus, of course, is the name we know in the English language. I grew up in a Polish household and, while spelled the same, we pronounced is YEH-sus (the J in Polish has the same sound as the English Y).

In Hebrew, 2000 years ago, it was Yeshua (Joshua), which means Yahweh Saves. It was actually a common name in the period. The Greek translation is Iesous. He was also Emmanuel, which means “God with Us”. There were other names and titles attributed to Him as well, but the most important one is the one He used for himself, in John 8:58. I Am. That is the name of God himself, from Exodus, and is an example of when Jesus directly identified Himself as being God incarnate, which ultimately got Him executed.

Which didn’t quite go the way the Pharisees planned, now, did it? 😁

Today is New Year’s Day, and the Eighth day of Christmas. Today commemorated the Solemnity of Mary on the liturgical calander.

What better hymn for this day than Ave Maria!

December 28 is the Feast of the Holy Innocents.