For generations, Catholic families have kept the year not only by the calendar on the kitchen wall but by the devotions of the Church. Each month is given to a particular mystery of Our Lord, to His Blessed Mother, or to a saint, so that the whole year becomes a quiet school of prayer.
These monthly devotions are a pious tradition rather than a law of the Church, and you will find small differences from one prayer book to another. The list below follows the traditional pattern most Catholics will recognize.
January: The Holy Name of Jesus
The year begins with the Name above every name. Saint Bernardine of Siena spread devotion to the Holy Name throughout Italy, and the Church keeps its memorial on January 3. A simple practice for the month is to bow the head whenever the Name of Jesus is spoken.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
February: The Holy Family
February turns to Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the hidden years at Nazareth, the model of every Christian home. It is a fitting month to pray together as a family, even for a few minutes after dinner.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
March: Saint Joseph
March belongs to the Guardian of the Redeemer, whose solemnity falls on March 19. Blessed Pius IX named him patron of the universal Church in 1870. Fathers, workers and all who hope for a holy death go to him with confidence.
Saint Joseph, protector of the Holy Church, pray for us.
April: The Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Spirit
April usually falls in the Easter season, and many traditions give it to the Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of the Christian life. Others turn toward the Holy Spirit as the Church prepares for Pentecost. Both lead the soul to the altar, which is why our April collection offers a set for each.
O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.
May: The Blessed Virgin Mary
May is Mary's month. Parishes crown her statue with flowers, and families keep a small May altar at home. Praying a decade of the Rosary each evening is a lovely way to honor her.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners.
June: The Sacred Heart of Jesus
June honors the Heart that has so loved the world. Our Lord revealed this devotion to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the seventeenth century, and the solemnity of the Sacred Heart falls in June most years. Our own name, Cor Meum, "my heart," began here.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.
July: The Precious Blood
July honors the Precious Blood of Christ, poured out for our redemption and offered at every Mass. Blessed Pius IX extended the feast of the Precious Blood to the whole Church in 1849, and it was long kept on July 1.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
August: The Immaculate Heart of Mary
August rests in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which "kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." The month also holds the Solemnity of the Assumption on August 15.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
September: The Seven Sorrows of Mary
September stands with Our Lady at the foot of the Cross. The memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15 follows the Exaltation of the Holy Cross the day before.
Holy Mother, pierce me through; in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified.
October: The Holy Rosary
In 1883 Pope Leo XIII dedicated the month of October to the Rosary, and the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is kept on October 7. If you have never prayed the Rosary daily, October is the month to begin.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
November: The Holy Souls in Purgatory
November opens with All Saints and All Souls and is given to prayer for the faithful departed. Visiting a cemetery, having a Mass offered and simply naming our dead in prayer are all acts of mercy. We have written more about this in Praying for the Holy Souls in November.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
December: Advent and the Nativity
December waits through Advent for the Word made flesh and rejoices at Christmas. Many prayer books also give the month to the Immaculate Conception, whose solemnity falls on December 8.
O come, let us adore Him.
Keeping the year at your wrist
Each month, we make a bracelet set for that month's devotion, so you can carry it with you through ordinary days. You can see the whole year on our homepage, or browse the monthly devotional bracelets.
Wear your heart on your wrist,
The Cor Meum Family