Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Eastertide

Week

Week 6 of Eastertide

Rank

Feast

Eastertide is the fifty-day season celebrating Christ’s Resurrection, a time of joy and growth in faith for families. St. Robert Bellarmine is commemorated as a bishop, confessor, and Doctor of the Church; in family devotion this points us to his witness as a teacher of the faith and a pastor who helped guide Christians to a clearer grasp of Catholic doctrine.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Isa. 48:20.
Declare the word of joy, and let it be heard, alleluia: declare it even to the ends of the earth; the Lord has delivered His people: alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. 65:1-2.
Shout joyfully to God, all you on earth, sing praise to the glory of His name; proclaim His glorious praise.
Glory Be to the Father…

Commemoration St. Robert Bellarmine
May the sacrament we have received, O Lord, our God, enkindle in us the fire of love which flamed so ardently in blessed Robert that he spent himself unceasingly in defense of Your Church.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Morning Offering

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart,

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in thanksgiving for Your favors, in reparation for my sins,

for the intentions of all my associates, and in particular for the intention recommended by the Holy Father this month.

Weekly Formation

Commandment 3

The Ten Commandments

Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
The Third Commandment sets apart the Lord’s Day for divine worship and true rest from ordinary labor. For Catholics this is fulfilled especially by assisting at Mass on Sundays and holy days and by allowing the day to serve God, the soul, and the duties of charity.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Robert Bellarmine

St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

Catholic cardinal, saint, and Doctor of the Church

Born: 1542-10-04 · Montepulciano
Died: 1621-09-17 · Rome

Robert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was canonized a saint in 1930 and named Doctor of the Church, one of only 37. He was one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation.

Learn more about Robert Bellarmine

CommemorationCalendar title

Today in Church History

Assassination Attempt on Pope John Paul II
1981Event
On May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Ağca attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square. The Pope survived the attack, which many viewed as a pivotal moment in his papacy and a testament to his faith and mission.
The survival of Pope John Paul II serves as a reminder of divine protection and the power of forgiveness.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of Christian faith, affirming His divine authority and fulfilling the promises of Scripture. It signifies not only liberation from sin through His death but also the invitation to a new life in grace, where we are adopted as God's children and called to share in the life of Christ. This transformative event assures us of our future resurrection, as Christ, the firstborn from the dead, offers us a glimpse of divine life. For Catholic families, this means embracing a life rooted in faith, living not for ourselves but for Christ, and fostering a hope that looks forward to the fullness of life in Him.

A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God’s children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit, expressed through a dialogue of words and symbolic actions. The liturgy of the Word is an integral part of this celebration, nourishing faith through the proclamation of Scripture, the homily, and the responses of the assembly. Liturgical words and actions belong together: through the sacraments, the Holy Spirit makes present and communicates the Father’s work fulfilled by his beloved Son. Sacred song and music, when closely united to the liturgical action, express prayer, support the participation of the assembly, and serve the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful. In our shared worship, may our words, actions, and songs faithfully give voice to our response of faith.

Christian sacred images, especially liturgical icons, principally represent Christ and express in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates in words. Images of the holy Mother of God and the saints also signify Christ glorified in them, making visible the cloud of witnesses with whom we are united, above all in sacramental celebrations. In our homes and prayer, we can approach these images with reverence, letting their beauty lead us to contemplation. When contemplation of sacred icons is joined to meditation on God’s Word and the singing of liturgical hymns, the mystery we celebrate may be impressed on our hearts and expressed in the new life of the faithful.

Today's Mass Readings

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