The Church, desirous of filling our minds with pious thoughts from the beginning to the end of the year, has encouraged, and in some cases designated, certain devotions to be practised, and sets aside a whole month in which the prevailing thought ought to be centred on a certain devotion. Not that the Church has by any decree appointed a special devotion for any particular time, except in the cases of Advent and Lent; but the universal piety of the people has adopted them; and each month has its particular devotion. The Church celebrates the feast of the Sacred Heart in June, and during this month we may offer our prayers in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that our souls may be thoroughly imbued with the beauty of this devotion. The Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Rosary on the first Sunday of October, and our Holy Father Leo XIII. has ordered that the Rosary be recited each day during the month. The feast of the Guardian Angel is celebrated on the second of October; thus two devotions are practised during this month. The Church has arranged some special devotion for each month by which our confidence in God is increased, and our love of holy Church intensified. What a rich treasure of piety and love for God may a good Catholic not gather from one year of such holy practices! JANUARY. THE HOLY INFANCY. The month of the holy infancy of Our Lord is January. The Lord was born in December as we know, but so late in the month that we must take the beginning of the new year and consecrate the first part of the year to God. We begin with the childhood of Our Lord in our devotions, that we may grow as He did in grace before God and man. The holy Infant is laid in our arms this month, that we may contemplate Him and learn holy lessons. What are these lessons? The goodness of God towards us—the mercy and kindness of the Child Jesus for us; for His infancy is infinitely meritorious before God, and all grace comes to us on account of Christ, Who has been an Infant among us. We should be like children in our confidence in God, Who has created us and will not make us stand greater trials than we are able to bear. We should not care over much for the things of this world; we should not depend so much on our own efforts; but with filial resignation we should say to God: “You want this done, and you want one to do it. Well, then, give me the grace, the intelligence, the will, and I will do it in such a manner as will be worthy of God.” The whole month can be spent in meditating on these virtues; be assured they are worth being learned, and will repay you for the trouble of practising them. Considerations and Prayers for Every Day. First Day.