Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Lent

Week

Week 1 of Lent

Rank

Second-class feast

St. Matthias the Apostle is celebrated within the season of Lent, a time of prayer, penance, and preparation for Easter. In the old liturgical classification used here, this feast is a “Double of the II Class,” which in plain language means it is an important solemnity in the calendar but does not rank with the highest solemnities such as Easter or Christmas. The designation “day kind: feast” indicates a joyful commemoration of a saint rather than a weekday ferial observance. No octave or vigil is attached to this celebration in the supplied information, so the observance is contained to the one liturgical day.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 138:17
To me, Your friends, O God, are made exceedingly honorable; their principality is exceedingly strengthened.
Ps 138:1-2
O Lord, You have probed me and You know me; You know when I sit and when I stand.
Glory Be to the Father…

Commemoration Feria III after the I Sunday of Lent
We beseech You, almighty God, that we may obtain that salvation whose pledge we have received in this divine sacrament.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

℣ Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
℟ And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Weekly Formation

Beatitude 1

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Poverty of spirit is freedom from placing the heart’s security in wealth, status, or self-sufficiency. It belongs to rich and poor alike when they depend humbly on God and remain willing to surrender created goods rather than offend Him.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Matthias

St. Matthias the Apostle

religious figure of the Christian faith

Born: 0001-01-01 · Judaea
Died: 0080-01-01 · Jerusalem

Matthias was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, chosen by God through the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death. His calling as an apostle is unique, in that he was elected by fellow disciples following Jesus' Ascension into heaven, though Matthias knew Jesus throughout his earthly ministry.

Learn more about Matthias

CommemorationCalendar title

Customs & Fasting

Traditional fast

Traditional Lenten fast.

Today in Church History

Huneric's Persecution of Nicene Bishops
484Persecution
In 484, King Huneric of the Vandals enacted a policy of religious persecution by replacing Nicene bishops with Arian ones, reflecting the ongoing conflict between Arianism and Nicene Christianity. This event highlights the struggles faced by the Catholic Church in maintaining its leadership and orthodoxy during the early centuries of Christianity.
The resilience of the Church in the face of persecution reminds us of the importance of steadfast faith.
Introduction of the Gregorian Calendar
1582Event
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued the papal bull Inter gravissimas, reforming the calendar to correct inaccuracies in the Julian calendar. This reform was significant for the Church and society, aligning the liturgical year with the seasons and improving the calculation of Easter.
The Gregorian calendar serves as a reminder of the Church's role in guiding time and seasons in accordance with God's creation.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism teaches that original sin, stemming from the sin of our first parents, has introduced a profound struggle for humanity, placing us under a certain influence of the devil while still preserving our freedom. This condition, described as “the sin of the world,” affects not only individuals but also communal situations and social structures shaped by human sin. Yet God does not abandon us. Through the Protoevangelium, he announces the coming victory over evil and the restoration of humanity through the Messiah and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the New Adam, whose obedience unto death makes amends for Adam’s disobedience. For families, this calls us to recognize life’s ongoing battle against evil while holding firmly to hope in God’s redemptive plan and the abundance of his grace. Mary, the mother of Christ and the new Eve, uniquely benefited from Christ’s victory over sin: preserved from original sin, she committed no sin throughout her earthly life.

In the Catechism, we learn that God did not make death; death entered the world through the devil’s envy. Satan and the other demons freely refused to serve God and seek to draw humanity into their revolt. At the beginning of history, Adam abused his freedom by turning against God and seeking his goal apart from him. Through this first sin, humanity lost original holiness and justice. This original sin is transmitted with human nature, leaving it weakened, subject to ignorance, suffering, and death, and inclined to sin. Yet the good news is that Christ’s victory over sin brings blessings greater than those sin had taken away: where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. As we reflect together, we can remember both the seriousness of turning from God and the greater abundance of grace given through Christ.

¶ 407

Today's Mass Readings

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