Devotion to the Holy Family flourished in the Renaissance. The leading artists of the time - Michelangelo, Raphael, El Greco, Rembrandt, Rubens, to name a few - often portrayed the Holy Family in their work. When this feast day was instituted in 1921, it was originally assigned to the third Sunday after Christmas.

<p>Also known as John the Divine, the apostle John was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James, and a fisherman. John was very close to Jesus and was present at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus' daughter and the Agony in the Garden. John is the "beloved disciple" referred to in the gospels. He is remembered for the Fourth Gospel, the Book of Revelation, and the three epistles which bear his name. John is believed to have died at Ephesus in extreme old age.

<p>This celebration dates back to about the 4th century. Because his name is Greek, it is assumed Stephen was a Jew of the <em>diaspora</em> (Jewish communities outside Israel) who had resettled in Jerusalem. Stephen is the first-named among the seven deacons chosen to minister to Greek-speaking Christians in Jerusalem at the very dawn of the Christian church.

<p>John was born in Kanti, Poland, in 1390. After his ordination, he served in the Faculty of Theology at Krakow University. A popular teacher and preacher, John was noted for his simplicity and love for the poor. He died in 1473, and was canonized in 1767.©2011 <em>Living with Christ, </em>Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., <strong>http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/</strong&gt;. Reprinted with permission.</p>

<p>These two men were disciples of Saint Paul and Paul's letters to them are part of the New Testament. Each worked with Paul and became leader of a Pauline community: Timothy, Bishop of Ephesus, and Titus, Bishop of Crete. It is believed Timothy was stoned to death around 67 AD, while Titus died of old age.©2011 <em>Living with Christ, </em>Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., <strong>http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/</strong&gt;. Reprinted with permission.</p>

<p>Peter was born in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, in 1521. He joined the Jesuit order and worked in Germany, Austria, Bohemia and Switzerland as a leader of the Counter-Reformation. Peter educated Catholics with his popular and influential catechism. Although he worked in a time of conflict with growing Lutheranism, he remained moderate and courteous. Peter died in Fribourg in 1597.

<p>John was born in 1542 at Fontiveros, Spain. He entered the Carmelite community and was ordained in 1567. With the great Carmelite mystic, Teresa of Avila, he worked for the reformation of his order, and helped found the reformed ('Discalced') Carmelites. During his life, he suffered much, enduring imprisonment, humiliation and ill-treatment. His writings are both classics of spirituality and of Spanish literature.

<p>Lucy was born in Syracuse, Italy, and martyred about 304. Details of her life have been lost in the ensuing legends. During the Middle Ages, people suffering from eye trouble began invoking Lucy's aid because her name is derived from <em>lux</em> ('light'). She is also associated with festivals of light, especially in Scandinavia.©2011 <em>Living with Christ, </em>Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., <strong>http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/</strong&gt;.

<p>Today's memorial commemorates the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in 1531 at Tepeyac, on the outskirts of Mexico City. Our Lady appeared four times, twice to aboriginal convert Juan Diego, with whom she left orders to build a church and an imprint of her image on a cloak. This cloak is an object of great veneration and is preserved in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the major pilgrimage centres of North America.