Devotions, Explained!

January 11, 2026
St. Blaise Blessing of the Throat

Mini Explanation
Catholics traditionally receive a blessing of the throat on the feast day of St. Blaise (Feb. 3), who was a bishop and martyr of fourth-century Armenia. During the blessing, a cross is formed from two blessed candles that are held over the throat.

St. Blaise Blessing of the Throat, Explained
Perhaps it’s an example of divine providence that the feast of St. Blaise falls on Feb. 3 — right in the middle of cold and flu season! This fourth-century Armenian saint was a bishop and martyr and is venerated as the patron of those who suffer from illnesses of the throat.

On his feast day, Catholics traditionally receive a blessing of the throat. This blessing is administered by a priest, deacon or a lay minister who follows the rites and prayers designated for a layperson. During the blessing, the minister takes two candles that were blessed on the feast of the Presentation and makes a cross in front of the throat, saying “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness.” A priest or deacon will then make the sign of the cross.

Virtues, Explained!
January 11,2026
Joy

Mini Explanation

Joy is the experience of achieving what we most desire — and what we most desire is love. God made us in love and for love, and so, in the same way that a flower seeks the sunlight, our souls seek the warmth of true, selfless love.

Joy, Explained!

Though it is often used as a synonym for happiness, joy has far more to do with the choices we make than the emotions we feel. 

Joy is the experience of achieving what we most desire — and what we most desire is love. God made us in love and for love, and so, in the same way that a flower seeks the sunlight, our souls seek the warmth of true, selfless love. The virtue of joy, therefore, is a fruit of the virtue of love, or charity (CCC 1829).

“We are meant to have our human joys: the joy of living, the joy of love and friendship, the joy of work well done,” said Saint Pope John Paul II. “We who are Christians have a further cause for joy: like Jesus, we know that we are loved by God our Father. This love transforms our lives and fills us with joy.”

January 4, 2026

Devotions, Explained!
Epiphany Blessing

Mini Explanation
The Epiphany household blessing is an ancient practice in the Church. This tradition is a beautiful way to observe the coming of the magi while invoking God’s blessing on your home and all who enter it. All that is needed is chalk and a prayerful heart!

Epiphany Blessing, Explained
The Epiphany household blessing is a centuries-old tradition that invokes God’s blessing on all who enter one’s home.

All you need for an Epiphany blessing is chalk, which is usually made available by parishes either on the feast of the Epiphany or in the weeks leading up to it. There are a few different formulas for blessings out there, but the essence of the ritual is always the same: a priest or the head of the household calls down God’s blessing on the house and everyone who comes into it, and an inscription is made above the door in chalk.

The inscription reads: the first two digits of the year + C + M + B + the last two digits of the year. The initials C, M and B represent the names of the magi — Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar — and also signify the Latin phrase Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless the house.”

December 28, 2025

Devotions, Explained!
St. Gertrude’s Prayer

Mini Explanation

St. Gertrude’s Prayer is a petition said on behalf of the Holy Souls of Purgatory, offering the Blood of Christ in reparation for the sins of the departed.

St. Gertrude’s Prayer, Explained!

St. Gertrude’s Prayer is a petition said on behalf of the Holy Souls of Purgatory, offering the Blood of Christ in reparation for the sins of the departed.

St. Gertrude, often called “St. Gertrude the Great,” was a Benedictine nun who lived in 13th-century Saxony, present-day Germany. A mystic, she received visions of Christ beginning at the age of 25. She was also a prolific writer and devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and is often invoked as an intercessor for the Holy Souls of Purgatory. Her feast day is celebrated on November 16.

The St. Gertrude Prayer reads: “Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen.”

December 21, 2025

Devotions Explained

Las Posadas

Mini Explanation

Las Posadas is a Mexican tradition which recreates the Holy Family’s search for lodging in Bethlehem. This nine-day devotion anticipates the birth of Jesus Christ, who seeks refuge in the heart of every man and woman.   

Las Posadas, Explained!
Las Posadas, typically celebrated between Dec. 16 and Dec. 25, is a Mexican tradition which recreates the Holy Family’s search for lodging in Bethlehem. A novenario, or a devotion which extends over a period of nine days, Las Posadas is a celebration of anticipation for the birth of Jesus Christ, who seeks refuge in the heart of every man and woman.

Each night of Las Posadas, a couple portraying Mary and Joseph knocks on the doors of different homes looking for a place to stay. Traditionally, the Holy Family is accompanied by a procession of people singing hymns and bearing candles who stand outside the home as they are denied entry again and again. Finally, they come to the “inn,” the house or church that welcomes them. Carols are sung, a feast is enjoyed and star-shaped piñatas are broken open.

Still practiced in Mexico today, Las Posadas has also become an important cultural and spiritual touchstone for communities of Mexican immigrants who have moved abroad.

December 14, 2025

Devotions, Explained!
Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mini Explanation

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico City in 1531. The Patroness of the Americas, Our Lady of Guadalupe is a beloved symbol of faith, motherhood and identity. Her feast day is Dec. 12.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Explained!

The four apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe took place in December 1531, when Juan Diego, an indigenous convert to the Catholic faith, encountered a woman dressed as an Aztec princess on Tepeyac Hill in present-day Mexico City. The woman, who was pregnant, spoke to him in his native language. She identified herself as the Mother of God.

Over the next four apparitions, Our Lady requested that Juan Diego implore the local bishop to build a church on the hill, and performed miracles to prove her identity. Through one of the miracles, she imprinted her image onto Juan Diego’s tilma, or cloak; the tilma bearing that image can still be viewed today at the basilica which now stands on the site of the apparition.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is venerated as the Patroness of the Americas, and she is beloved worldwide as a symbol of motherhood, faith and identity. Her feast day is Dec. 12