The Winter Doldrums. I remember hearing those words in school. Their original meaning had to do with ships and oceans. The doldrums were a time when summer and fall storms had passed. Waters were still. Nothing much happened. A good time for seafaring folk.

But, when I heard the doldrums talked about in school it referred to us. Students in the long month of January. January, after the exciting holidays had passed. January, too soon to look for signs of spring. January, with its dark and cold days and nights. Teachers claimed that we all slowed down a bit in January.

Into our January, some church things pop up, worthy of our attention, our prayer, and sometimes our celebration. Let’s look at a few:

January 18–25: the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, when we’re called to ask God to restore the unity to the Christian family that human sin and frailty have broken. Make that part of our prayers these days.

January 22: in the United States the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, when we’re called to fast and pray for a deepened respect for all human life, especially the most vulnerable.

At the end of the month, February 2: the feast of the Lord’s Presentation, also called Candlemas because we begin Mass that day by blessing candles to recall the true of Light come into our world.

And the next day, February 3: St Blaise, patron saint of ailments of throat. We’ll bless throats at the Saturday evening Masses asking his prayers for health in these days of cough and cold.