Understanding the Day
Season
Lent
Week
Week 2 of Lent
Rank
Weekday
Lent is a forty-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that prepares Catholics for the Easter Triduum and the joy of Easter. The rank “Greater Non-Privileged Feria” is a technical way of saying this day is an ordinary weekday in the liturgical calendar but carries more importance than a simple memorial; it keeps the Lenten character and its readings and prayers reflect penitential themes. There is no octave or special vigil attached to this day; it belongs to the continuous rhythm of Lent leading toward Holy Week.
Introit (Daily Prayer)
Ps 25:11-12
Redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me; my foot stands on level ground; in the assemblies I will bless the Lord.
Ps 25:1
Do me justice, O Lord! for I have walked in integrity, and in the Lord I trust without wavering.
Glory Be to the Father…
Redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me; my foot stands on level ground; in the assemblies I will bless the Lord.
Ps 25:1
Do me justice, O Lord! for I have walked in integrity, and in the Lord I trust without wavering.
Glory Be to the Father…
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that Your servants who discipline the body by fasting from food, may strive after righteousness by abstaining from sin.
Through our Lord…
Through our Lord…
Weekly Prayer
Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus,
I believe that Thou art present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love Thee above all things,
and I desire to receive Thee into my soul.
Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace Thee as if Thou wert already there,
and unite myself wholly to Thee.
Never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen.
I believe that Thou art present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love Thee above all things,
and I desire to receive Thee into my soul.
Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace Thee as if Thou wert already there,
and unite myself wholly to Thee.
Never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen.
Weekly Formation
Beatitude 2
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.
Meekness is strength governed by reason and charity rather than by resentment or the desire to retaliate. The meek endure wrong without returning evil for evil and remain peaceful and teachable under God’s providence.
Saint & Feast
Principal celebrationCalendar title
Monday of Week 2 of Lent
A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.
Customs & Fasting
Traditional fast
Traditional Lenten fast.
Today in Church History
Election of Pope Pius XII
1939PapalOn March 2, 1939, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was elected as Pope Pius XII. His papacy spanned World War II and the early Cold War, marked by efforts to maintain Church neutrality and address humanitarian crises.
Pope Pius XII's leadership during tumultuous times reminds us of the Church's role in seeking peace and justice.
Catechism
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism reveals the profound significance of the title "Lord," which designates both God the Father and Jesus Christ as divine. Rooted in the use of "Lord" for the divine name YHWH, this title expresses Jesus’ divine sovereignty, which he demonstrated through works of power over nature, illness, demons, death, and sin. Those who approached Jesus for help and healing addressed him as "Lord" with respect and trust; in the risen Christ, this confession becomes adoration, love, and affection: "My Lord and my God!" In Christian prayer, the title "Lord" is a familiar expression of trust and hope. Confessing Jesus as Lord recognizes his divinity and reminds each person not to submit personal freedom absolutely to any earthly power, but to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the life of Christ, the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Paschal mystery shed light on all of his earthly life, revealing the Father’s love and the work of redemption. Although the Gospels do not record every detail of Jesus’ hidden and public life, they were written so that we may believe that he is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life in his name. Everything in his life—from his birth to his Passion and Resurrection—reveals his divine sonship and saving mission. For Catholic families, Jesus is our perfect model: his humility invites us to follow him, his prayer draws us to pray, and his poverty calls us to accept freely the hardships that may come our way. United with him, we are enabled to share in what he lived for us.
¶ 454
The title "Son of God" signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (cf Jn 1:1). To be a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (cf Acts 8:37; 1 Jn 2:23).