Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Lent

Week

Week 2 of Lent

Rank

Sunday or semidouble observance

Lent is a penitential season when families prepare for Easter through prayer, fasting, and acts of charity. A celebration in Lent, like St. Casimir’s feast, invites us to remember a holy life amid this time of spiritual renewal. The rank “Semidouble” is an older liturgical classification indicating that the feast has proper prayers and antiphons but remains within the penitential character of the season; evening and weekday Lenten observances are kept, and the liturgy gives a respectful but not fully privileged place to the saint’s texts. No octave or vigil is indicated here, so the celebration is observed on the single day named in the calendar.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 37:22-23
Forsake me not, O Lord; my God, be not far from me! Hasten to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
Ps 37:2
O Lord, in Your anger punish me not, in Your wrath chastise me not.
Glory Be to the Father…

Commemoration St. Casimir
Refreshed with heavenly food and drink, we humbly pray You, our God, that we also may be helped by his prayers in memory of whom we have partaken of these gifts.
Through our Lord…
Commemoration St. Lucius
Being appeased, O Lord, guide thy Church, which has been nourished by holy refreshment, that under thy direction and powerful rule it may receive increase of liberty and may continue in religious integrity.
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.

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 celebration

Casimir

St. Casimir, Confessor

Polish and Lithuanian prince (1458–1484)

Born: 1458-10-03 · Wawel Castle
Died: 1484-03-04 · Hrodna

Casimir Jagiellon was a prince of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The second son of King Casimir IV Jagiellon, he was tutored by Johannes Longinus, a Polish chronicler, diplomat, and priest. After his elder brother Vladislaus was elected as King of Bohemia in 1471, Casimir became the heir apparent. At the age of 13, Casimir participated in the failed military campaign to install him as King of Hungary. He became known for his piety, devotion to God, and generosity towards the sick and poor. He became ill and died at the age of 25. He was buried in Vilnius Cathedral. His canonization was initiated by his brother King Sigismund I the Old in 1514 and the tradition holds that he was canonized in 1521. Saint Casimir the Prince is the patron saint of Poland, Lithuania and Lithuanian youth and the only saint with this name.

Learn more about Casimir

Customs & Fasting

Traditional fast

Traditional Lenten fast.

Today in Church History

Founding of the Dominican Mission of Ilagan
1686Founding
In 1686, the Dominican mission of Ilagan was officially founded in the Philippines, marking a significant expansion of the Catholic Church's missionary efforts in Asia. This establishment played a crucial role in evangelizing the local population and promoting Catholic teachings in the region.
The founding of missions reflects the Church's commitment to spreading the Gospel and serving communities worldwide.
Reestablishment of the Catholic Church in Scotland (1878)
1878Event
In 1878, Pope Leo XIII took a significant step in revitalizing the Catholic Church in Scotland by reestablishing its hierarchy. This marked the first appointment of bishops and the recreation of sees since the Protestant Reformation, highlighting the Church's commitment to its presence in Scotland.
This event reminds us of the enduring presence of the Church in all nations, even amidst historical challenges.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

God prepared the coming of his Son over centuries, making the rituals, sacrifices, figures, and symbols of the First Covenant converge on Christ. Through the prophets he announced the Messiah, and he also awakened a dim expectation of his coming among the pagans. St. John the Baptist was Christ’s immediate forerunner, preparing his way through preaching, a Baptism of conversion, and his witness even unto martyrdom. In Advent, the Church shares in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming and renews her ardent desire for his return. As we celebrate Christmas, we remember that Jesus was born in a humble stable to a poor family, with simple shepherds as the first witnesses. We are called to humble ourselves, become little before God, and be born of God, so that Christ may be formed in us and the mystery of Christmas may be fulfilled in us.

The early life of Jesus, marked by his circumcision, the Epiphany, and his presentation in the temple, reveals his place among the people of the covenant and his fulfillment of God’s saving promise. His circumcision shows his incorporation into Abraham’s descendants, his submission to the Law, and prefigures Baptism. The Epiphany manifests Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God, and Saviour of the world, as the magi welcome the good news of salvation and the nations take their place in the family of the patriarchs. The flight into Egypt reveals opposition to Christ and recalls the exodus, presenting him as the definitive liberator of God’s people. In Nazareth, Jesus shared an ordinary life of manual labour, community, and obedience to Mary and Joseph. His hidden life allows everyone to enter into fellowship with him through the most ordinary events of daily life, while Mary’s faithful keeping of these mysteries in her heart offers a quiet example of trust.

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Today's Mass Readings

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