Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Epiphany

Week

Week 2 of Time After Epiphany

Rank

Feast

This feast falls in the Time after Epiphany, the liturgical season that continues the celebration of Christ’s revelation and the growth of the Church following Epiphany. The rank “Double” is an older liturgical classification indicating this celebration has a higher importance than simple memorials: it is meant to be observed with fuller prayer, the proper Mass and Office for the saint, and priority in the liturgical day over lower-ranked commemorations. No octave or vigil is specified here, so the feast is observed on its day without an extended eight-day celebration or special vigil required.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Sir 45:30
The Lord made a covenant of friendship with him, and made him a prince; that he should possess the dignity of priesthood forever. (Alléluia, alléluia.)
Ps. 131:1
Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.
Glory Be to the Father…

Be mindful of our weakness, almighty God, and because the burden of our sins weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of blessed Timothei, Your Martyr and Bishop, sustain us.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love.

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

Principal celebration

Timothy

St. Timothy, Bishop and Martyr

1st century Christian evangelist, philosopher and bishop

Born: 0017-00-00 · Lystra
Died: 0097-00-00 · Ephesus

Timothy was an early Christian evangelist and the first Christian bishop of Ephesus, whom the Acts of Timothy relates died around the year AD 97.

Learn more about Timothy

Today in Church History

Death of St. Francis de Sales
1622Church Father
St. Francis de Sales, a Doctor of the Church, passed away on December 28, 1622. His feast day is celebrated on January 24. Known for his writings on spiritual direction and devotion, he played a key role in the Counter-Reformation.
St. Francis de Sales teaches us the power of gentle persuasion and the importance of living a devout life.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Faith is a profound gift that allows us to glimpse the eternal joy of the beatific vision, anchoring our hope as we navigate life’s challenges. While our journey often feels dark and filled with suffering, we are encouraged to lean on the examples of great witnesses like Abraham and Mary, who persevered through trials and maintained their faith in God's promises. Importantly, faith is not a solitary endeavor; it is nurtured within the community of the Church, which acts as our spiritual mother, teaching and sustaining us in belief. In fostering our faith, we not only strengthen our own relationship with God but also become vital links in a chain that supports and inspires others, ensuring that we all move together toward the eternal life promised to us.

The Catechism teaches that faith is not limited to formulas, but reaches the realities those formulas express. At the same time, the Church’s formulations help believers express, hand on, celebrate, understand, and live the faith more deeply. The Church, our Mother, faithfully guards the faith received from the apostles and teaches the language of faith, much as a mother teaches her children to speak, so that we may grow in understanding and in the life of faith. Across centuries, languages, cultures, and nations, the Church confesses and hands on one faith. Though languages differ, the content of Tradition remains one and the same, and this precious deposit of faith is continually renewed under the action of God’s Spirit.

Faith is the heartfelt response of our entire being to God's revelation, requiring both our intellect and will to trust in Him. It calls us to believe in the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and to recognize that faith is a divine gift, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Importantly, faith is not just an individual act; it is nurtured within the community of the Church, which serves as a mother to all believers. For families, this means fostering a shared faith experience that acknowledges the Church's teachings and the necessity of faith for salvation, as it prepares us for the eternal joy of being united with God.

Today's Mass Readings

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