Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Passiontide

Week

Week 2 of Passiontide

Rank

Weekday

Holy Week Tuesday (Feria III Majoris Hebdomadae) falls in Passiontide during the solemn week before Easter. This season focuses on Christ’s suffering and the events leading to his death and resurrection. As a Greater Privileged Feria, the day is a simple weekday observance that nonetheless has a higher liturgical status than an ordinary weekday: the Mass and Office follow the special texts and prayers proper to Holy Week rather than the regular weekday cycle. There is no octave or vigil attached specifically to this day; it belongs to the continuous sequence of Holy Week services that prepare the Church for the Paschal Triduum. For families, this day matters as part of the Church’s concentrated remembrance of Jesus’ final days.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Gal 6:14.
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
Ps 66:2
May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.

Almighty and eternal God, grant us so to celebrate the mysteries of our Lord's Passion, that we may deserve to obtain forgiveness.
Through the same Christ our Lord…

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.

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 Tuesday

A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.

Customs & Fasting

Traditional fast

Traditional Lenten fast.

Today in Church History

Bernard of Clairvaux Preaches the Second Crusade
1146Event
In 1146, Bernard of Clairvaux delivered a powerful sermon at Vézelay, calling for the Second Crusade to reclaim the Holy Land. His impassioned plea inspired King Louis VII to join the effort, highlighting the Church's role in mobilizing Christian forces for a sacred cause.
The call to action by Bernard reminds us of the importance of faith in motivating collective efforts for justice and peace.
First Catholic Mass in the Philippines
1521Event
In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan and his crew celebrated the first Catholic mass in the Philippines on Limasawa, marking a significant moment in the spread of Christianity in Asia. This event symbolizes the beginning of the Catholic Church's presence in the region and its influence on Filipino culture and spirituality.
The first mass in the Philippines reminds us of the universal call to share the Gospel and the transformative power of faith in new lands.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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.

At the heart of Christian faith is Christ’s unique sacrifice: the Paschal sacrifice that brings definitive redemption and restores us to communion with God. Jesus freely offered his life in love and obedience to the Father, fulfilling the mission of the suffering Servant, atoning for our sins, and making many righteous. His sacrifice is the source of eternal salvation, for he died for all and loved us “to the end.” As we reflect together, we can remember that salvation begins with God’s loving initiative, revealed in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Jesus also calls his disciples to take up their cross and follow him, inviting them to share, in the way known to God, in the mystery of his Paschal sacrifice.

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.

Today's Mass Readings

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

Holy Week Tuesday

Understanding the Day

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Collect

Weekly Prayer

Act of Faith

Weekly Formation

Beatitude 6

The Beatitudes

Saint & Feast

Holy Week Tuesday

Customs & Fasting

Today in Church History

Bernard of Clairvaux Preaches the Second Crusade

First Catholic Mass in the Philippines

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Today's Mass Readings

Baltimore Catechism No. 3