Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Septuagesima

Week

Week 2 of Septuagesima

Rank

Feast

Septuagesima is the early part of the pre-Lenten season, a short liturgical period of preparation before Lent begins. A “Double” in older liturgical classification indicates a celebration of notable importance: the feast has its own proper prayers and antiphons and is observed with a fuller liturgical expression than ordinary commemorations. There is no octave or vigil specified here, so this day is celebrated on its proper date without an extended octave or preceding special vigil.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 44:8
Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Alleluja, alleluja.)
Ps 44:2
My heart hath uttered a good word I speak my works to the king.
Glory Be to the Father…

O God, Who, to show us the way of innocence, caused the soul of Your Virgin, blessed Scholastica, to fly up to heaven in the likeness of a dove, grant us, through her merits and prayers, to live innocently so that we may be found worthy to reach everlasting joys.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Morning Offering

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart,

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in thanksgiving for Your favors, in reparation for my sins,

for the intentions of all my associates, and in particular for the intention recommended by the Holy Father this month.

Weekly Formation

Hatreds, Rivalry, Jealousy, and Fury

The Works of the Flesh

Hatreds
Hatred deliberately wills evil to another person or rejects the good that charity requires for him. Dislike or painful emotion is not identical with hatred; the sin lies in the settled choice against another’s true good.
Rivalry
Sinful rivalry turns another person’s success into a threat and seeks victory, attention, or superiority without regard for justice and charity. Good competition can pursue excellence, but rivalry becomes a work of the flesh when defeating the other matters more than the common good.
Jealousy
Jealousy anxiously guards a good, relationship, or honor as though another person’s good necessarily deprived one of it. It becomes sinful when suspicion, possessiveness, or resentment overrides truth, trust, and charity.
Outbursts of fury
Outbursts of fury are eruptions of anger in which reason and self-command are surrendered to harmful words or actions. Their disorder lies in allowing passion to punish, frighten, or wound without the measure required by justice and charity.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Peace
Peace is the tranquility produced when desires are rightly ordered within the soul and charity unites persons in the good. It is more than quiet or lack of conflict, since true peace depends on union with God, justice, and ordered love.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Scholastica

St. Scholastica, Virgin

Italian saint

Born: 0480-00-00 · Norcia
Died: 0547-02-10 · Villa Santa Lucia

Scholastica was an Italian Christian hermit and the sister of Benedict of Nursia. She is traditionally regarded as the foundress of the Benedictine nuns.

Learn more about Scholastica

Today in Church History

Election of Pope Gelasius II
1118Papal
Pope Gelasius II was elected on February 10, 1118, during a time of significant conflict between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. His short papacy was marked by exile and opposition from Emperor Henry V.
Pope Gelasius II's election highlights the enduring struggle for the Church's independence and integrity.
Vatican Radio Begins Broadcasting
1931Event
On February 10, 1931, Vatican Radio began its first broadcast under the direction of Guglielmo Marconi. This marked a significant advancement in the Church's ability to communicate globally.
The launch of Vatican Radio underscores the importance of using modern technology to spread the Gospel message.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

God's creation is a testament to His wisdom and goodness, designed for humanity, who is made in His image. It emphasizes that everything in the universe has purpose and is a gift from God, inviting families to cultivate a sense of wonder and gratitude towards the world around them. As they recognize their dependence on God, families can find joy and confidence in His providence, trusting that He cares for them in every detail of their lives. By acknowledging their role as cooperators in God’s plan, families are called to engage actively in the stewardship of creation, fostering a spirit of collaboration and responsibility in nurturing both the earth and their relationships with one another.

¶ 301

With creation, God does not abandon his creatures to themselves. He not only gives them being and existence, but also, and at every moment, upholds and sustains them in being, enables them to act and brings them to their final end. Recognizing this utter dependence with respect to the Creator is a source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence:

¶ 302

Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. the universe was created "in a state of journeying" (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it. We call "divine providence" the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward this perfection:

Today's Mass Readings

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