Understanding the Day
Season
Passiontide
Week
Week 2 of Passiontide
Rank
Weekday
Holy Week Monday (Feria II Majoris Hebdomadae) falls within Passiontide, the final days of Lent that lead directly into the Triduum and Easter. This season focuses on Christ’s suffering and the unfolding events of his Passion. As a Greater Privileged Feria, the day is a weekday of special solemnity: it is not a feast of a saint but a liturgical weekday with higher rank than an ordinary feria, so the prayers and readings emphasize the liturgy’s focus on the Lord’s Passion and take precedence over simple commemorations. There is no separate octave or vigil attached to this day itself; rather it belongs to the concentrated sequence of Holy Week observances culminating in the Paschal Triduum.
Introit (Daily Prayer)
Ps 34:1-2
Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me : overthrow them that fight against me. Take hold of arms and shield : and rise up to help me. O Lord, my salvation.
Ps 34:3
Bring out the sword, and shut up the way against them that persecute me : say to my soul : I am thy salvation.
Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me : overthrow them that fight against me. Take hold of arms and shield : and rise up to help me. O Lord, my salvation.
Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me : overthrow them that fight against me. Take hold of arms and shield : and rise up to help me. O Lord, my salvation.
Ps 34:3
Bring out the sword, and shut up the way against them that persecute me : say to my soul : I am thy salvation.
Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me : overthrow them that fight against me. Take hold of arms and shield : and rise up to help me. O Lord, my salvation.
Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that we who fail through our weakness in so many difficulties, may be relieved through the pleading of the Passion of thy only-begotten Son.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father…
Who livest and reignest with God the Father…
Weekly Prayer
Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
Weekly Formation
Beatitude 6
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the pure of heart; for they shall see God.
Purity of heart is singleness of purpose before God, together with purity in thought, desire, word, and deed. A heart cleansed from divided and sinful attachments is made capable of knowing God more clearly and seeing Him in glory.
Saint & Feast
Principal celebrationCalendar title
Holy Week Monday
A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.
Customs & Fasting
Traditional fast
Traditional Lenten fast.
Today in Church History
Pope Francis' Historic Visit to Morocco
2019EventIn March 2019, Pope Francis visited Morocco, marking a significant moment in interfaith dialogue and promoting peace between Christians and Muslims. This visit emphasized the Catholic Church's commitment to fostering understanding and cooperation among different faiths in a region where religious tensions have historically existed.
This visit reminds us of the importance of dialogue and mutual respect in building a more peaceful world.
Catechism
Catechism of the Catholic Church
In the mystery of salvation, Jesus’ violent death was not a mere coincidence but part of God’s plan, while those involved still acted freely rather than as passive players in a predetermined scenario. God’s eternal plan includes each person’s free response to his grace, and, for our salvation, he permitted the acts flowing from human blindness. Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, fulfilling the prophecy of the suffering Servant and offering a universal redemption from slavery to sin. In loving solidarity with sinners, Jesus was given up for us so that we might be reconciled to God. For our family’s prayer and reflection, these passages invite us to remember God’s benevolent love: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, and he suffered for every human person without exception.
In these paragraphs, we reflect on the profound mystery of Jesus’ Incarnation and redemptive mission. From the first moment of his Incarnation, Jesus embraces the Father’s plan of salvation and lives to do the will of the One who sent him. John the Baptist points to him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and Christ’s whole life expresses his mission to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Out of love for the Father and for those the Father desires to save, Jesus freely accepts his Passion and death. At the Last Supper, he offers his body and blood for the salvation of men and institutes the Eucharist as the memorial of his sacrifice, including the apostles in his offering and bidding them perpetuate it. As we pray with these passages, families can contemplate Jesus’ faithful love, his obedience to the Father, and his free gift of himself.
The Catechism teaches that the Church’s relationship with those who have not received the Gospel includes the Jewish people, Muslims, and followers of other religions. The Jewish people hold a unique place as the first to hear God’s Word, and their faith is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Covenant. Muslims acknowledge the Creator, profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and adore with Christians the one, merciful God. The Church also recognizes that other religions may contain goodness and truth that prepare people for the Gospel. At the same time, the Father wills to gather all humanity into his Son’s Church, for all salvation comes from Christ through the Church, his Body. For Catholic families, this is a reminder to hold firmly to Christ while recognizing the Church’s sacred obligation to evangelize all people.