Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 7 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

Sunday or semidouble observance

This celebration falls in the Time After Pentecost, the long season after Pentecost that focuses on the growth of the Church in daily life and holiness. The rank “Semidouble” is an older, traditional liturgical category: in simple terms, it means the feast has notable importance and receives its own proper prayers and readings, but it does not displace the higher-ranking days of major solemnities. There is no octave or vigil indicated here, so the observance is kept on the single day without an extended eight-day celebration or a special vigil the night before.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom, and his tongue utters what is right. The law of his God is in his heart. (Alléluia, alléluia.)
Ps 36:1
Be not vexed over evildoers, nor jealous of those who do wrong.
Glory Be to the Father…

O God, Who on this day took St. Henry, Your Confessor, to the everlasting kingdom from the throne of an earthly empire; we humbly beseech You, that as You enabled him, protected by the abundance of Your grace, to overcome the temptations of the world, so grant that we, in emulation of him, may shun the allurements of this world and come to You with pure hearts.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Act of Charity

O my God, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love.

I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Weekly Formation

The Precepts of the Church: Sunday Worship

The Precepts of the Church

You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of Obligation and rest from servile labor.
This precept gives a concrete minimum for keeping the Lord’s Day: Catholics assist at Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and refrain from work that prevents worship, proper rest, or duties of charity. Serious reasons such as illness or the necessary care of others can excuse the obligation.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Henry II

St. Henry the Emperor, Confessor

Holy Roman Emperor from 1014 to 1024

Born: 0973-05-06 · Bad Abbach
Died: 1024-07-13 · Grone

Henry II, also known as Saint Henry, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor from 1014. He died without an heir in 1024, and was the last ruler of the Ottonian line. As Duke of Bavaria, appointed in 995, Henry became King of the Romans following the sudden death of his second cousin, Emperor Otto III in 1002, was made King of Italy in 1004, and crowned emperor by Pope Benedict VIII in 1014.

Learn more about Henry II

Today in Church History

Destruction of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
1823Event
In 1823, a devastating fire consumed the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, a significant site for Catholic pilgrims and a symbol of the Church's history. The basilica was later rebuilt, reflecting the resilience of the Catholic faith and the importance of preserving sacred spaces.
The destruction and subsequent rebuilding of the basilica remind us of the enduring nature of faith amidst trials.
The Capture of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (1099)
1099Event
The First Crusade culminated in the capture of Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a pivotal moment for Christendom. This event marked the reclaiming of a sacred site believed to be the burial place of Jesus, reinforcing the Catholic faith's connection to its historical roots.
The reclaiming of holy sites reminds us of the importance of our spiritual heritage.
Disbandment of the Spanish Inquisition (1834)
1834Event

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism teaches that only a baptized man can validly receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Church recognizes herself as bound by Jesus’ choice of men for the Twelve Apostles and by the apostles’ choice of collaborators in their ministry; through the bishops, united with priests in the priesthood, this apostolic college remains present and active until Christ’s return. Holy Orders is not a right or something a person claims for himself, but an unmerited gift and a call from God, to be humbly submitted to the Church’s authority. In the Latin Church, ordained ministers other than permanent deacons are normally chosen from faithful men who live and intend to remain celibate for the sake of the Kingdom, giving themselves with an undivided heart to the Lord and to others. In the Eastern Churches, married men may be ordained as deacons and priests, while bishops are chosen from celibates; celibacy is also held in great honor, and some priests freely choose it for the Kingdom of God. In both East and West, a man who has received Holy Orders cannot marry.

The sacrament of Holy Orders configures the ordained minister to Christ through a special grace of the Holy Spirit, enabling him to serve as Christ’s instrument for the Church and to act in the person of Christ the Head as priest, prophet, and king. Like Baptism and Confirmation, Holy Orders confers an indelible spiritual character: it cannot be repeated or given temporarily. Even when someone is discharged from the obligations or functions of ordination, the character of ordination remains forever, and the vocation and mission received at ordination mark him permanently. Christ himself acts and brings about salvation through ordained ministers. Bishops receive grace to guide and defend the Church with strength, prudence, and love, especially for the poor, sick, and needy; deacons serve the People of God in the liturgy, the Gospel, and works of charity. As families, we can prayerfully reflect on the great grace and lasting mission given through Holy Orders.

Today's Mass Readings

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