MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY
Start of the novena to Saint Scholastica

Saint Scholastica was the twin sister of Saint Benedict of Norcia, founder of the Benedictine order.
Their paths to choosing religious life were similar: while staying in Rome to complete their classical studies, both were disturbed by the corruption and immorality of life in the capital and decided to embrace religious life—she in a monastery in Norcia and he as a hermit at Subiaco.
Years later, the siblings’ paths come together again at Monte Cassino, where Benedict founds the Abbey of Monte Cassino and Scholastica establishes the Benedictine order for women at the monastery of Piumarola. The Church commemorates Saint Scholastica on February 10. Starting today, you can prepare for her feast by praying the novena dedicated to her and entrusting yourself to her intercession.

To learn more:
• Prayers to Saints Benedict and Scholastica

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Presentation of the Lord

On the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the World Day for Consecrated Life is celebrated. Let us reflect on its inestimable value and meaning through the words of Pope Francis: “‘My eyes have seen your salvation’ (Lk 2:30). These are Simeon’s words, whom the Gospel presents as a simple man: ‘a righteous and devout man’ - the text says (v. 25). But among all the people who were in the temple that day, only he saw the Savior in Jesus. What did he see? A child: a small, fragile, simple child. But there he saw salvation, because the Holy Spirit enabled him to recognize in that tender newborn ‘the Christ of the Lord’ (v. 26). […] You too, dear consecrated brothers and sisters, are simple men and women who have seen the treasure worth more than all the possessions in the world. For it you left precious things, such as material goods and the possibility of creating your own family. Why did you do it? Because you fell in love with Jesus, you saw everything in Him and, captivated by his gaze, you left the rest behind. Consecrated life is this vision. It is seeing what matters in life. It is welcoming the Lord’s gift with open arms, as Simeon did. This is what the eyes of consecrated people see: God’s grace poured into their hands. A consecrated person is someone who looks at themselves every day and says: ‘Everything is a gift, everything is grace.’ Dear brothers and sisters, we did not earn religious life; it is a gift of love that we have received.”

To learn more:
• On Your Word January-February 2021
• With Living Water January-February 2021

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Beginning of the novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes

On February 11, 1858, Bernadette Soubirous met the Blessed Virgin Mary for the first time and said of her: “I saw a lady dressed in white. She wore a white dress, a white veil, a blue sash, and a yellow rose on each foot.” Today begins the novena to Our Lady of Lourdes: it is also a beautiful invitation for us to listen to the message of conversion and hope that she addresses to us. Let us place ourselves at the feet of Mary, the Immaculate Virgin, to learn from her together with little Bernadette.

To learn more:
• Lourdes. Novenas to the Virgin Mary
• Lourdes. Rosary to the Virgin Mary

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Venerable Tecla Merlo

In this week centered on consecrated life, it is beautiful to remember the figure of Venerable Sister Tecla Merlo, who said: “I am overjoyed with my vocation. I would like to have a thousand lives for the Gospel: may it run and spread.”
Indeed, Thecla lived with the joy of dedicating herself to the mission of communicating God’s love to everyone. Her meeting with Father Alberione was decisive in her life: Thecla was the co-founder and first superior of the Daughters of Saint Paul, and her life became closely intertwined with that of the Pauline Family. Sister Thecla died on February 5, 1964, surrounded by the brothers and the Daughters who had shared hardships and responsibilities with her. Alberione said of her: “I witnessed her life from 1915 until the end. First Teacher Thecla was continually ascending toward God. Her secrets? The two secrets of the saints and apostles: humility and faith. Humility that leads to docility. Faith that leads to prayer… She was weak in health, but strong in spirit. Tenacious and obedient to the point of sacrifice.”

To learn more:
• Trust in God. Novena to the Venerable Sister Thecla Merlo

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7
Martyrs of Široki Brijeg

The shrine of Široki Brijeg, a small village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was the scene, on February 7, 1945, of one of the most brutal massacres committed by the local Communist partisans, who wanted to destroy it in order to uproot the Catholic faith and benevolence toward the Franciscan friars from the hearts of the people. The Communist partisans entered the monastery and, with threats and blasphemies, tried to persuade the 30 Franciscan friars to abandon their religious habit, but they replied: “We are religious, consecrated; we cannot abandon our habit.” Then a soldier threw the crucifix onto the floor and said: “There, now you can choose: life or death.” Each of them, after kneeling and kissing Jesus, held the cross to his chest and said, like Saint Francis: “You are my God, my All.” Eyewitnesses later recounted that the friars went to their deaths praying and singing the litanies of Our Lady.
These martyrs teach us fidelity to the faith: like Simeon, they too saw the Lord’s salvation and responded to this gift of grace with their lives.

To learn more:
• Novena to the martyrs of Široki Brijeg