Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 5 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

Major feast

The Commemoration of St. Paul the Apostle falls in Ordinary Time after Pentecost, a season when the Church focuses on the mission of the apostles and the growth of the Christian community. There is no octave or vigil specified here, so the observance is kept on the appointed day.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

2 Tim. 1:12
I know Whom I have believed, and I am certain that He is able to guard the trust committed to me, against that day; being a just Judge.
Ps 138:1-2
O Lord, You have probed me and You know me; You know when I sit and when I stand.
Glory Be to the Father…

O God, Who taught vast numbers of the Gentiles by the preaching of the blessed Apostle Paul, grant we beseech You that, by honoring his memory, we may enjoy the benefit of his patronal intercession.
Through our Lord…

Let us pray.
Pro St. Peter
O God, Who, when giving blessed Peter, Your Apostle, the keys of the heavenly kingdom bestowed on him the power of binding and loosing, grant that by the help of his intercession we may be delivered from the bonds of our sins.
Who livest…

Weekly Prayer

Act of Faith

O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.

Weekly Formation

Commandment 10

The Ten Commandments

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.
The Tenth Commandment governs desire for possessions and calls the heart to contentment and justice. It forbids wishing to obtain another’s goods wrongfully or resenting another’s prosperity, while still allowing honest work to improve one’s condition.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Paul

Commemoration of St. Paul the Apostle

Early Christian apostle and missionary (c. AD 5 – c. 64/65)

Born: 0005-00-00 · Tarsus
Died: 0066-00-00 · Rome

Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally regarded as one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age, and he also founded several Christian communities in Asia Minor and Europe from the mid-40s to the mid-50s AD.

Learn more about Paul

CommemorationCalendar title

Today in Church History

Pope Marcellinus Begins His Papacy
296Papal
Pope Marcellinus served as the Bishop of Rome during a tumultuous time in the early Church, facing challenges from both internal divisions and external persecutions. His papacy is significant as it reflects the struggles and resilience of the Christian community in the face of adversity.
Leadership in faith often requires courage and steadfastness amidst trials.
Pope Paul VI's Credo of the People of God
1968Doctrine
In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued the Credo of the People of God, reaffirming core Catholic beliefs in response to modern challenges. This document served to clarify and strengthen the faith of the Church amidst the cultural upheaval of the 1960s.
The Credo reminds us of the importance of unity in faith and the need to articulate our beliefs clearly in a changing world.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism teaches that Christ entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the apostles, and that bishops and priests continue this ministry through the sacrament of Penance. Forgiveness of sins brings reconciliation with God and with the Church. The faithful are encouraged to come to this sacrament, and priests are to make themselves available when Christians reasonably ask for it. In confession, the priest serves as a sign and instrument of God’s merciful love, seeking to guide the penitent patiently toward healing. Families can take comfort in knowing that priests are bound by absolute secrecy regarding sins confessed, so that what is shared in confession remains sealed by the sacrament.

The sacrament of Penance is a powerful means of restoring our relationship with God, bringing us back to his grace and intimate friendship. For those who receive it with contrite hearts, it is usually followed by peace, serenity of conscience, and strong spiritual consolation. It brings a true spiritual resurrection, restoring the dignity and blessings of life as God’s children. It also reconciles us with the Church, repairing the fraternal communion damaged by sin and strengthening the whole Body of Christ through the communion of saints. In this sacrament, we place ourselves before God’s merciful judgment and are encouraged to choose the path of conversion, penance, and faith that leads from death to life. While grave sin deprives us of communion with God, every sin involves an unhealthy attachment that needs purification. As we patiently bear trials, practice mercy and charity, pray, and embrace penance, we can accept this purification as grace and seek to put off the old self and put on the new.

¶ 1464

Priests must encourage the faithful to come to the sacrament of Penance and must make themselves available to celebrate this sacrament each time Christians reasonably ask for it.

Today's Mass Readings

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