Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 3 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

Major feast

The Octave Day of the Sacred Heart falls in the Time After Pentecost, a season when the Church reflects on the life of Christ and the growth of the Church through the Spirit. This celebration completes the eight-day octave that began on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart; an octave extends a major feast so the faithful can continue its prayerful focus. Its canonical rank, Greater Double, means it is a significant liturgical celebration with particular prayers and portions of the Divine Office and Mass assigned to it; in simple terms, it’s more solemn than an ordinary feast and shapes the weekday liturgy. As an octave day, it keeps the community centered on the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, emphasizing Christ’s love, mercy, and the ongoing call to conversion and charity.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 44:8
Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Alleluja, alleluja.)
Ps 44:2
My heart hath uttered a good word I speak my works to the king.
Glory Be to the Father…

Commemoration Sts. Gervasius and Protasius
May this Communion, O Lord, cleanse us of sin, and, through the intercession of Your holy Martyrs N. and N., make us sharers of heavenly salvation.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Prayer for the Home

Visit, we beseech Thee, O Lord, this home,
and drive far from it all snares of the enemy.

Let Thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace;
and may Thy blessing be always upon us.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Weekly Formation

Commandment 8

The Ten Commandments

Thou shalt not bear false witness.
The Eighth Commandment requires truthfulness and respect for another person’s good name. It forbids lies, false testimony, rash judgment, slander, detraction, and the needless disclosure of faults, because justice and charity both govern speech.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebrationCalendar title

Octave Day of the Sacred Heart

A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.

Commemoration

Juliana Falconieri

St. Juliana Falconeri, Virgin

Italian nun

Born: 1270-01-01 · Florence
Died: 1341-01-01 · Florence

Juliana Falconieri, O.S.M., was the Italian foundress of the Religious Sisters of the Third Order of Servites.

Learn more about Juliana Falconieri

Customs & Fasting

No traditional fast · Complete abstinence

Traditional Friday complete abstinence.

Today in Church History

Canonization of 117 Vietnamese Martyrs
1988Canonization
In 1988, Pope John Paul II canonized 117 Vietnamese Martyrs, recognizing their sacrifice and faith during the persecution of Christians in Vietnam. This event highlights the Church's commitment to honoring those who have suffered for their faith, reinforcing the universal call to holiness.
The lives of the martyrs inspire us to remain steadfast in our faith amidst trials.
Adoption of the Nicene Creed at Nicaea
325Council
In 325 AD, the First Council of Nicaea convened to address the Arian controversy and establish a unified Christian doctrine. The adoption of the Nicene Creed was a pivotal moment in affirming the divinity of Christ and shaping the foundation of Christian belief, solidifying the Church's teachings for centuries to come. The council traditionally concluded on June 19, 325.
The Nicene Creed serves as a reminder of our shared faith and the importance of unity in belief.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Christian initiation is beautifully woven through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist, each playing a vital role in the life of a believer. Baptism marks our birth into new life in Christ and, according to the Lord’s will, is necessary for salvation. Its grace forgives original and personal sin, makes us adoptive children of the Father, incorporates us into the Church, and makes us sharers in Christ’s priesthood. In an emergency, any person can baptize if they intend to do what the Church does and use water with the words of baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For families, this encourages us to nurture faith from an early age, since children may be baptized in the faith of the Church. We are also invited to trust in God’s mercy and pray for the salvation of children who have died without Baptism.

In the journey of faith, Baptism, the Eucharist, and Confirmation together form the sacraments of Christian initiation. Confirmation completes baptismal grace, binds the baptized more perfectly to the Church, and enriches them with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit rested upon Jesus for his saving mission, and Christ promised to pour out the Spirit upon his people—a promise fulfilled on Easter Sunday and more strikingly at Pentecost. Through Confirmation, received through the laying on of hands and anointing with chrism, the baptized are strengthened to be true witnesses of Christ, spreading and defending the faith by word and deed.

¶ 1280

Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship. Because of the character Baptism cannot be repeated (cf. DS 1609 and DS 1624).

Today's Mass Readings

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

Octave Day of the Sacred Heart

Understanding the Day

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Collect

Weekly Prayer

Prayer for the Home

Weekly Formation

Commandment 8

The Ten Commandments

Saint & Feast

Octave Day of the Sacred Heart

Juliana Falconieri

Customs & Fasting

Today in Church History

Canonization of 117 Vietnamese Martyrs

Adoption of the Nicene Creed at Nicaea

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Today's Mass Readings

Gervase

Baltimore Catechism No. 3