The Third Sunday after Epiphany falls in the liturgical season following the Epiphany manifesting Christ’s early ministry and the light he brings to the nations. There is no octave or special vigil connected to this celebration in the given data, so the day stands on its own liturgical place within the third week after Epiphany.
Introit (Daily Prayer)
Ps 96:7-8 Adore God, all you His angels: Sion hears and is glad, and the cities of Juda rejoice. Ps 96:1 The Lord is King; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. Glory Be to the Father…
Almighty and everlasting God, look with favor upon our weakness, and stretch forth the right hand of Your majesty to help and defend us. Through our Lord…
Weekly Prayer
Confiteor
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Weekly Formation
Purity and Self-Control
The Works of the Flesh
Conduct contrary to purity and faithfulness
Conduct against purity and faithfulness follows bodily appetite outside the order of faithful love established by God. St. Paul calls such conduct a work of the flesh because fallen desire, rather than grace and right reason, is allowed to govern the person.
Disrespect for purity and personal boundaries
Disrespect for purity and personal boundaries treats another person’s dignity, commitments, or rightful limits as obstacles to appetite. It belongs to the works of the flesh because desire is separated from charity, responsibility, and reverence for the person.
Reckless indulgence that dishonors God’s gift of the body
Reckless indulgence is the deliberate abandonment of moderation in bodily pleasure. It dishonors the body by making immediate satisfaction rule over reason, duty, health, and the spiritual purpose for which human freedom is given.
Indulgent gatherings that cast aside modesty and self-control
Indulgent gatherings are social occasions ordered toward excess and the abandonment of modesty or self-control. Their fault is not celebration itself, but a shared atmosphere that encourages participants to set aside reason, purity, and responsibility.
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Saint & Feast
Principal celebrationCalendar title
Third Sunday after Epiphany
A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.
Commemoration
Conversion of Paul the Apostle
Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle
event that led Paul to cease persecuting early Christians and to become an apostle of Jesus
The conversion of Paul the Apostle was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Saul/Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to become a follower of Jesus.
In 1941, Pope Pius XII elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands to the status of a diocese, establishing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. This significant event marked the formal recognition of the Catholic Church's presence and mission in Hawaii, fostering spiritual growth and community development.
The establishment of the Diocese of Honolulu reminds us of the Church's commitment to evangelization and the nurturing of faith in diverse cultures.
Foundation of São Paulo by Jesuit Priests
1554Founding
In 1554, Jesuit priests founded São Paulo, Brazil, establishing a significant foothold for the Catholic Church in South America. This event marked the beginning of a vibrant Catholic presence in the region, contributing to the spread of Christianity and education among indigenous populations.
The establishment of São Paulo reminds us of the Church's mission to evangelize and nurture faith in new lands.
Pope John Paul II's Historic Visit to Cuba (1998)
1998
Catechism
Catechism of the Catholic Church
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.
¶ 177
"To believe" has thus a twofold reference: to the person, and to the truth: to the truth, by trust in the person who bears witness to it.
¶ 178
We must believe in no one but God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
¶ 179
Faith is a supernatural gift from God. In order to believe, man needs the interior helps of the Holy Spirit.
Modesty governs outward conduct, speech, dress, and manner so that they express dignity, humility, and respect for others. It avoids both indecency and attention-seeking display by bringing self-presentation under charity and right reason.
Self-Control
Self-control is the Spirit-assisted mastery by which reason and grace govern impulses and appetites. It creates interior freedom, allowing a person to choose the good rather than being carried along by anger, fear, craving, or habit.
Chastity
Chastity as a fruit is the peaceful and mature ordering of the body and affections according to God’s design. It reflects purity that has become stable and spiritually fruitful through grace, faithful love, and self-command.
CommemorationCalendar title
St. Peter the Apostle
A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.
Event
In 1998, Pope John Paul II made a significant visit to Cuba, advocating for political reforms and the release of political prisoners. His call for dialogue and openness highlighted the Church's role in promoting human rights and social justice, while also addressing the isolation imposed by the U.S.
The visit reminds us of the Church's mission to advocate for justice and human dignity in all circumstances.
¶ 180
"Believing" is a human act, conscious and free, corresponding to the dignity of the human person.
¶ 181
"Believing" is an ecclesial act. the Church's faith precedes, engenders, supports and nourishes our faith. the Church is the mother of all believers. "No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother" (St. Cyprian, De unit. 6: PL 4, 519).
¶ 182
We believe all "that which is contained in the word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church proposes for belief as divinely revealed" (Paul VI, CPG # 20).
¶ 183
Faith is necessary for salvation. the Lord himself affirms: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" ( Mk 16:16).
¶ 184
"Faith is a foretaste of the knowledge that will make us blessed in the life to come" (St. Thomas Aquinas. Comp. theol. 1, 2).
Baltimore track
Baltimore Catechism No. 3
An Act of Love
Q. 103.Do an "Act of Love" and an "Act of Charity" mean the same thing?
A.An "Act of Love" and "Act of Charity" do mean the same thing, because Charity means love, or it means an act of kindness that comes from love.
Q. 104.How may all persons show Charity to their neighbor?
A.All persons may show Charity to their neighbor by never injuring his character and by always speaking well of him.
Q. 105.Are we bound to make Acts of Faith, Hope and Love?
A.We are bound from time to time during our lives to make Acts of Faith, Hope and Love; otherwise we risk our salvation.