Lives of Saints - January

”January is the only month in a year which starts with a     holiday of a double significance, namely - The Circumcision of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. the 1st of January marks eight days since the nativity of the Son of God when He, Who took flash for the salvation of the world, was brought to the temple in Jerusalim, where he received the baptism of the Old Law, namely bodily circumcision. On this day He was named Jesus,  which means Savior, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow; of things in heaven and things in earth,  and things under the earth (Filipeni 2, 10), as Saint Apostle Paul says, of angels, of humans and of those in hell....”

(fragment from  Foreword, by Archimandrite Ioanichie Bălan)