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Weekly Newsletters / Bulletins for the current month

1. 05th Feb 2012
2. 29th Jan 2012
3. 22nd Jan 2012
4. 15th Jan 2012
5. 08th Jan 2012

February, 2012 - Overview for the Month

The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family. The first three and a half weeks of February fall within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green, the symbol of hope, is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The remaining days of February are the beginning of Lent. The liturgical color changes to purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart.

The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of February 2012
General: That all peoples may have access to water and other resources needed for daily life.
Missionary: That the Lord may sustain the efforts of health workers assisting the sick and elderly in the world's poorest regions. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net)

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

02. Presentation of the Lord, Feast
03. Blaise; Ansgar, Opt. Mem.
05. Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
06. Paul Miki and Companions, Memorial
08. Jerome Emiliani; Josephine Bakhita, Opt. Mem.
10. Scholastica, Memorial
11. Our Lady of Lourdes, Opt. Mem.
12. Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
14. Cyril and Methodius, Memorial
17. Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites, Opt. Mem.
19. Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
21. Peter Damian; Fat Tuesday, Opt. Mem.
23. Polycarp of Smyrna, Memorial
26. First Sunday of Lent, Sunday

Focus of the Liturgy

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

February 5th - Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
The Gospel is about miracles our Lord worked — including healing Peter's mother-in-law.

February 12th - Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time - The Gospel is about Christ healing a leper.

February 19th - Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time - The Gospel is about the paralytic being healed by Christ.

February 26th - First Sunday of Lent - Jesus is tempted by the devil in the desert.

Highlights of the Month

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 (February 2) 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. February 21, Shrove Tuesday, will find us preparing for Ash Wednesday.

The saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are St. Blaise (February 3), 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), Sts. Cyril and Methodius (February 14), Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites (February 17), Peter Damian (February 22) and St. Polycarp (February 23).

The feast of St. Agatha (February 5), will not be celebrated this year because it is superseded by Sunday. The Chair of St. Peter (February 22) falls on Ash Wednesday this year.
From Feast to Fast

Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity, for it typically 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 three of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles, the blessing of throats and blessed ashes.

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 22) 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.

Ideally, the members of the domestic church should try to have the candles for their home altar blessed on Candlemas Day (February 2nd); and the next morning, on the Feast of St. Blaise, all might receive the blessing of the throats. Always a solicitous Mother, the Church offers this sacramental during the wintry month of February, and also sets aside the World Day of Prayer for the Sick on February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

taken from http://www.catholicculture.org/