Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Christmastide

Week

Week 2 of Christmastide

Rank

Second-class feast

The Circumcision of the Lord and Octave Day of the Nativity (In Circumcisione Domini et Octava Nativitatis) is celebrated on the eighth day after Christmas, closing the Octave of the Nativity during the season of Christmastide. An octave is an eight‑day extension of a major feast, so this day both commemorates the Lord’s circumcision according to Jewish law and marks the conclusion of the Christmas octave’s concentrated celebration of the Incarnation. The rank “Double of the II Class” indicates this is a principal liturgical feast with a high place in the calendar: it outranks ordinary memorials and obliges the community to observe its particular prayers and readings, while remaining within the broader Christmas season.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Isa 9:6
A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us; upon His shoulder dominion rests; and His name shall be called the Angel of great counsel.
Ps 97:1
Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds.
Glory Be to the Father…

O God, Who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, have bestowed upon mankind the reward of eternal salvation, grant, we beseech You, that we may enjoy the intercession of her through whom we have been found worthy to receive among us the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who livest and reignest with God the Father…

Weekly Prayer

Act of Faith

O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.

Weekly Formation

Defrauding Laborers of Their Wages

Sins Crying to Heaven

Defrauding laborers of their wages
Defrauding laborers means withholding, delaying, or diminishing the just wages owed for their work. Scripture treats this as a sin crying to heaven because a worker’s livelihood may depend on that pay and the stronger party exploits an unequal position.

The Cardinal Virtues

Justice
Justice is the steady will to give God and each person what is due. It governs worship, rights, promises, property, work, authority, and social duties by measuring conduct according to objective obligation rather than convenience or favoritism.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebrationCalendar title

Circumcision of the Lord and Octave Day of the Nativity

A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.

Today in Church History

Saint Telemachus and the End of Gladiatorial Games
404Martyrdom
Saint Telemachus' martyrdom in 404 AD marked a pivotal moment in the early Church's influence on Roman society. His courageous stand against the brutal gladiatorial games inspired Emperor Honorius to ban such spectacles, reflecting the growing moral authority of Christianity.
The courage of Saint Telemachus reminds us to stand firm in our faith, even in the face of great opposition.
Coronation of Stephen I of Hungary
1001Event
In 1001, Grand Prince Stephen I of Hungary was crowned as the first King of Hungary, likely with the approval of Pope Sylvester II, marking a significant moment in the establishment of Christianity in Hungary. This event solidified the relationship between the Hungarian monarchy and the Catholic Church, promoting the spread of the faith in the region.
The establishment of a Christian monarchy illustrates the transformative power of faith in shaping nations.
Pope Sylvester II and the Coronation of Stephen I of Hungary
1001Event

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism teaches us that the Word became flesh through the Incarnation for our salvation. Jesus reconciles us with God, reveals God’s love, and was sent so that we might live through him and have eternal life. By taking on human nature, Jesus also becomes our model of holiness, teaching us to listen to him, walk in the way of truth and life, and love one another as he has loved us. This mystery invites us to enter into communion with the Word and become partakers of the divine nature through divine sonship. As we confess that Jesus Christ truly came in the flesh, we join the Church’s joyful faith in the mystery of the Incarnation.

God, in his goodness, created us to share in his blessed life. He draws close to us, calling us to seek, know, and love him, and through his Son invites us in the Holy Spirit to become his adopted children. Christ sent the apostles to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of all nations, and all the faithful are called to hand on this faith by professing it, living in fraternal sharing, and celebrating it in liturgy and prayer. Catechesis serves this mission by educating children, young people, and adults in the faith and initiating them into the fullness of Christian life. As we grow in faith, celebrate the sacraments, take part in the Church’s community, and bear witness to the Gospel, we help hand on the treasure received from the apostles to the next generation.

¶ 456

With the Nicene Creed, we answer by confessing: "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man."

Today's Mass Readings

Open the day's Sancta MissaDivinum Officium · Divino Afflatu - 1954View readings

Circumcision of the Lord and Octave Day of the Nativity

Understanding the Day

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Collect

Weekly Prayer

Act of Faith

Weekly Formation

Defrauding Laborers of Their Wages

Sins Crying to Heaven

The Cardinal Virtues

Saint & Feast

Circumcision of the Lord and Octave Day of the Nativity

Today in Church History

Saint Telemachus and the End of Gladiatorial Games

Coronation of Stephen I of Hungary

Pope Sylvester II and the Coronation of Stephen I of Hungary

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Today's Mass Readings

Baltimore Catechism No. 3