Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Eastertide

Week

Week 1 of Eastertide

Rank

First-class feast

Easter Sunday (Dominica Resurrectionis) opens the season of Eastertide and is the principal feast of the Christian year, celebrating Christ’s resurrection. In family terms, this day is the summit of the liturgical cycle: joy replaces the penitential focus of Lent, and the paschal mystery — Christ’s dying and rising — is the center of worship and Christian hope. Its rank, “Double of the I Class,” indicates the highest level of solemnity in traditional Catholic celebration: the Mass and the Office are celebrated with full ceremonial, and other observances give way to this feast. The day belongs to the first week of Eastertide and is also the first day of the Octave of Easter, meaning Easter is celebrated as eight continuous days of the one feast; every day of the octave is liturgically treated as Easter itself.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 138:18; 138:5-6
I arose, and am still with Thee, alleluia; Thou hast laid Thy hand upon me, alleluia; Thy knowledge is become wonderful, alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. 138. 1, 2
Lord, Thou hast searched Me and known Me; Thou knowest my sitting down and My rising up.
Glory Be to the Father…

O God, who, on this day, through Thine only-begotten Son, hast conquered death, and thrown open to us the gate of everlasting life, give effect by thine aid to our desires, which Thou dost anticipate and inspire
Through the same Christ our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Act of Hope

O my God, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

Weekly Formation

Beatitude 7

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.
Peacemakers establish the tranquility of right order by reconciling persons to God, to truth, and to one another. Christian peace is therefore more than avoiding conflict; it rests on justice and charity and does not purchase quiet by cooperation with evil.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebrationCalendar title

Easter Sunday

A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.

Today in Church History

Lothair I Crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I
823Event
In 823, Pope Paschal I crowned Lothair I as King of Italy, reinforcing the papacy's role in legitimizing secular authority. This event highlights the intertwining of church and state during the Carolingian period, showcasing the pope's influence in political matters.
The collaboration between church and state exemplifies the divine order in governance.
Dutch Noblemen's Petition Against the Inquisition (1566)
1566Persecution
In 1566, two hundred Dutch noblemen, led by Hendrick van Brederode, confronted Margaret of Parma to present the Petition of Compromise, opposing the Spanish Inquisition's harsh measures in the Seventeen Provinces. This event marked a significant moment of resistance against the Inquisition, reflecting the growing tensions between Protestant reformers and Catholic authorities in the region.
The courage to stand against injustice can inspire believers to seek truth and mercy in their own lives.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of faith in Christ, fulfilling what God promised to the fathers and standing at the heart of the Paschal mystery with the cross. The New Testament bears witness that it is a real historical event. The empty tomb, while not proof by itself, was an essential sign that led the disciples toward recognizing the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene and the holy women were the first to encounter the Risen One and to bring this message to the apostles; Jesus then appeared to Peter, the Twelve, and many others. Though the disciples were at first saddened, frightened, and slow to believe, their faith in the Resurrection was born, through divine grace, from their direct experience of the risen Jesus. As we reflect together, may we receive this central truth of faith with the witnesses who handed it on.

The Church is apostolic: she is built on the foundation of the apostles, whom Christ chose and sent to continue his mission. With the help of the Holy Spirit, she keeps and hands on the teaching received from them. Although the apostles were uniquely chosen witnesses of the Resurrection, their pastoral ministry continues through their successors. The bishops, assisted by priests and united with the successor of Peter, teach, sanctify, and guide the Church. As a family, we can give thanks that Christ continues to shepherd his Church through this enduring apostolic ministry; the Catechism teaches that listening to the bishops is listening to Christ.

The Church is apostolic: remaining in communion of faith and life with the apostles through their successors, she is sent into the whole world to spread Christ’s Kingdom. Every member shares in this mission in different ways. Its fruitfulness depends on a vital union with Christ, and charity drawn especially from the Eucharist is the soul of the whole apostolate. As we reflect together, we can rejoice in the Church’s deepest identity as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic: one Body, given life by one Spirit; holy through God, Christ, and the Spirit even while including sinners; catholic in proclaiming the fullness of faith and being sent to all peoples; and apostolic, founded on the apostles and governed by Christ through Peter and the other apostles in their successors.

Today's Mass Readings

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

Easter Sunday

Understanding the Day

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Collect

Weekly Prayer

Act of Hope

Weekly Formation

Beatitude 7

The Beatitudes

Saint & Feast

Easter Sunday

Today in Church History

Lothair I Crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I

Dutch Noblemen's Petition Against the Inquisition (1566)

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Today's Mass Readings

Baltimore Catechism No. 3