Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Eastertide

Week

Week 5 of Eastertide

Rank

Major feast

Eastertide is the fifty-day season from Easter Sunday to Pentecost when the Church celebrates Christ’s Resurrection and the new life it brings. A feast in Eastertide like the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel is thus observed in the joyful light of the Resurrection, drawing connections between Christ’s victory over sin and the ongoing care of heaven's servants. The rank “Greater Double” is an older canonical term indicating a principal celebration with its own proper prayers and readings; in plain terms, it means this is an important liturgical feast for parish and family devotion, more solemn than an ordinary memorial but not as elaborate as a major solemnity.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 97:1; 97:2
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle, alleluia: because the Lord hath done wonderful things, alleluia. He hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 97:1
His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy.
Glory Be to the Father…

O God, of Whom it cometh that the minds of thy faithful people be all of one will, grant unto the same thy people that they may love the thing which Thou commandest, and desire that which Thou dost promise, that so, amid the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Weekly Formation

Commandment 2

The Ten Commandments

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
The Second Commandment protects the holiness of God’s name and everything specially dedicated to Him. It forbids using sacred names carelessly or falsely and requires reverence in oaths, vows, prayer, and speech about holy things.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Apparition of St. Michael

Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel

archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings

Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second-century BC Jewish works, often but not always apocalyptic, where he is the chief of the angels and archangels, and he is the guardian prince of Israel and is responsible for the care of the people of Israel. Christianity conserved nearly all the Jewish traditions concerning him, and he is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7–12, where he does battle with Satan, and in the Epistle of Jude, where the archangel and the devil dispute over the body of Moses.

Learn more about Apparition of St. Michael

Customs & Fasting

No traditional fast · Complete abstinence

Traditional Friday complete abstinence.

Today in Church History

Buddhist Crisis in South Vietnam (1963)
1963Event
The Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam highlighted the tensions between the Roman Catholic government of Ngo Dinh Diem and the Buddhist majority. This event raised questions about religious freedom and the role of the Church in politics, impacting the perception of Catholicism in a predominantly Buddhist society.
The struggle for religious freedom reminds us of the importance of dialogue and respect among different faiths.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Instituted by Christ, the sacraments are not mere rituals; they are life-giving actions of the Holy Spirit in the Church and “masterworks of God” in the new and everlasting covenant. They manifest and communicate to us, above all in the Eucharist, the mystery of communion with God, who is love. Through Baptism and Confirmation, the faithful are enabled to celebrate the liturgy as a priestly people, while Holy Orders serves this baptismal priesthood through the ministry of word and grace. Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders also give an indelible sacramental character, configuring Christians to Christ and the Church and calling them to divine worship and service of the Church.

The Catechism teaches that Christ's mission to the apostles includes the essential call to baptize and evangelize, highlighting that the sacraments serve to sanctify, build the Church, and worship God. These sacred signs not only require faith but also nourish and express it, making them integral to the life of believers. The Church’s celebration of the sacraments reflects the faith handed down from the apostles, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity of liturgical practices. For Catholic families, this means valuing the sacraments as vital moments that strengthen their faith and community, while also respecting the traditions that shape their worship and unity in Christ.

¶ 1116

Sacraments are "powers that comes forth" from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church. They are "the masterworks of God" in the new and everlasting covenant.

Today's Mass Readings

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