Dearly beloved in Christ,

God has been very good to us in getting us to the second month of this year. January reminded us to appreciate God for the blessings we had received and hope for new gifts, trusting in Him. February, the new month, contains two unique messages for us. It encourages us to purify ourselves and to give up our possessions.

Firstly February was named from the Latin word Februum, which means ‘purification’, linked to the Roman purifying festival of Februa or Februatio, on 15 February. Intriguingly, the Latin term for fever is febris, which also suggests purification via sweating, a common side effect of fevers. Thus, February serves as a reminder of purification or sanitization.

Secondly, one of the hypotheses regarding why February is the shortest month says that February had 30 days. Julius Caesar took a day away from those 30 days and added it to June. When Augustus became emperor, he wanted the month of August, named after him, to have 31 days. Hence, February was once again sacrificed. In other words, the month of February reminds us of the need to give up one’s rights to help others thrive.

A believer’s purification and renunciation nurtured through prayer, penitence, almsgiving, and self-denial are crucial to the Church’s witness, especially as she approaches the Ash Wednesday (2 March 2022) and the Lenten Season. These qualities help us prepare for the annual commemoration of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Therefore, as a secular and spiritual community, this is the perfect moment to understand the necessity for purification and sacrifice. It is an invitation to realign our lives vertically and horizontally, vertically through confession and penitence, and horizontally through almsgiving and self-denial.

Prayers and blessings,

Yours-in-Christ
Vijiachen