Understanding the Day
Season
Time After Epiphany
Week
Week 2 of Time After Epiphany
Rank
Sunday or semidouble observance
There is no octave or vigil called for here in the supplied data.
This celebration matters because martyrs witness to living faith even under trial.
Introit (Daily Prayer)
Let the prisoners’ sighing come before You, O Lord; repay our neighbors sevenfold into their bosoms; avenge the shedding of Your servants’ blood.
Ps 78:1
O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple, they have made Jerusalem as a place to keep fruit.
Glory Be to the Father…
Through our Lord…
Weekly Prayer
Act of Contrition
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
Weekly Formation
Partaking, Silence, and Defense
Ways of Being Accessory to Another’s Sin
By partaking
A person becomes accessory by partaking when he knowingly shares in the performance, benefit, or necessary support of another’s sinful act. The degree of guilt depends on intention, freedom, closeness to the act, and whether the assistance helped cause it.
By silence
A person becomes accessory by silence when a serious duty to speak, warn, correct, or protect is deliberately neglected. Silence is not automatically consent, but it becomes blameworthy when speaking was reasonably possible and necessary to prevent or oppose the wrong.
By defense of the sinful action
A person becomes accessory by defending a sinful action when he knowingly excuses, justifies, or protects the wrongdoing as though it were right. Defending the dignity or legal rights of a sinner is different from defending the sin itself.
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
Instruct the ignorant
Instructing the ignorant means teaching needed truth to someone who does not know it, especially truth concerning faith and moral duty. The work presumes patience and accuracy and differs from winning an argument or displaying knowledge.
Saint & Feast
Vincent
Ss. Vincent and Anastasius, Martyrs
saint and martyr
- Born
- 0300-01-01 · Osca
- Died
- 0304-00-00 · Valentia Edetanorum
Vincent of Saragossa, the Protomartyr of Spain, was a deacon of the Church of Saragossa. He is the patron saint of Lisbon, Algarve, and Valencia. His feast day is 22 January in the Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, with an additional commemoration on 11 November in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He was born at Huesca and martyred under the Emperor Diocletian around the year 304.
Learn more about VincentToday in Church History
Arrival of the Swiss Guards at the Vatican
1506EventIn 1506, the first contingent of Swiss Guards arrived at the Vatican, marking the beginning of a longstanding tradition of papal protection. This elite force has since served as a symbol of loyalty and dedication to the Pope and the Catholic Church.
The commitment of the Swiss Guards reminds us of the importance of service and loyalty in our faith.
The Convention Parliament and James II's Flight
1689EventThe Convention Parliament's deliberation on James II's abdication marked a pivotal moment in British history, directly impacting the Catholic Church's influence in England. James II's flight to France in 1688 led to the Protestant Ascendancy, which marginalized Catholics and altered the religious landscape for centuries.
This event reminds us of the trials faced by the Church and the importance of steadfast faith in times of adversity.