Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 4 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

First-class feast

The Nativity of St. John the Baptist is celebrated in the season after Pentecost. This season centers on the life of the Church and the growth of Christian witness in the world.

The rank “Double of the I Class” is a high liturgical rank. In plain terms, it means this feast has primary importance in the Church’s calendar: the Mass and Office for the day are celebrated with special prayers, proper readings, and a fuller liturgical observance than an ordinary feast. There is no octave or vigil specified here, so the celebration is kept on the single day with its proper rites.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Isa 49:1-2
From my mother’s womb the Lord called me by my name, and made of me a sharp-edged sword; He concealed me in the shadow of His arm, and made me a polished arrow.
Ps 91:2
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to Your name, Most High.
Glory Be to the Father…

O God, Who made this a day most worthy of our celebration because of blessed John; grant Your people the grace of spiritual joys and direct the minds of all the faithful into the path of eternal salvation.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

Weekly Formation

Commandment 9

The Ten Commandments

Thou shalt not covet another person’s spouse.
The Ninth Commandment guards purity and marital fidelity within the heart, where deliberate desires begin. It distinguishes an unwanted temptation from a chosen desire and forbids willingly entertaining thoughts that would violate another person or another marriage.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Nativity of John the Baptist

Nativity of St. John the Baptist

The Nativity of John the Baptist celebrates the birth of John as narrated in the Gospel of Luke.

The Nativity of John the Baptist celebrates the birth of John as narrated in the Gospel of Luke. The feast is observed on June 24, six months before Christmas in the liturgical calendar.

Learn more about Nativity of John the Baptist

Today in Church History

Apparition of Our Lady of Medjugorje
1981Apparition
On June 24, 1981, six children in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, reported seeing the Virgin Mary. This event sparked ongoing pilgrimages and discussions about Marian apparitions.
The Medjugorje apparitions remind the faithful of Mary's ongoing presence and intercession.
Martyrdom of John Fisher
1535Martyrdom
John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was executed for refusing to accept King Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church of England. His martyrdom highlighted the tension between the Catholic Church and the English monarchy during the Reformation.
John Fisher's steadfast faith in the face of persecution inspires courage and fidelity to Church teachings.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Confirmation perfects the grace received at Baptism, giving the Holy Spirit to root us more deeply in our divine filiation, strengthen our union with Christ and the Church, and help us witness to the Christian faith through both words and deeds. It seals the Christian with an indelible spiritual mark and can therefore be received only once. In the Eastern tradition, Confirmation is given immediately after Baptism and followed by the Eucharist, highlighting the unity of Christian initiation. When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, the renewal of baptismal promises expresses its close connection with Baptism. Candidates who have reached the age of reason are called to profess the faith, be in the state of grace, intend to receive the sacrament, and prepare to live as disciples and witnesses of Christ in the Church and in the world.

Through the sacraments of Christian initiation, we receive the new life of Christ. Yet we still live with human frailty, suffering, illness, death, and the inclination to sin, so this new life can be weakened or even lost by sin. In his mercy, the Lord continues his work of healing and salvation in the Church through the sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick. In Penance, we confess our sins and receive God’s pardon and peace, being reconciled with God and with the Church. As we pray together, let us remember our call to conversion, forgive one another, and rely on Christ’s grace as we strive for holiness and eternal life.

¶ 1319

A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs.

Today's Mass Readings

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