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 liturgical season between Pentecost and Advent focused on the life and growth of the Church. As a Semidouble feast in the divino_afflatu calendar, it has a modest liturgical rank: the proper Office and Mass for the saint are observed, but certain elements of the daily prayers or higher-ranking celebrations may take precedence. There is no octave or vigil indicated here, so the day is celebrated on its assigned date without an eight-day extension or special eve.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 46:2
All you peoples clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness.
Ps 46:3
For the Lord, the Most High, the awesome, is the great King over all the earth.
Glory Be to the Father…

Commemoration St. Alexis
Refreshed with heavenly food and drink, we humbly pray You, our God, that we also may be helped by his prayers in memory of whom we have partaken of these gifts.
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

Alexius

St. Alexis, Confessor

saint

Born: 0400-01-01 · Rome
Died: 0412-01-01 · Rome

Saint Alexius of Rome or Alexius of Edessa, also Alexis, was a fourth-century Greek monk who lived in anonymity and is known for his dedication to Christ. Two versions of his life exist, one in Syriac and the other in Greek.

Learn more about Alexius

Customs & Fasting

No traditional fast · Complete abstinence

Traditional Friday complete abstinence.

Today in Church History

Crowning of Charles VII and Joan of Arc's Role
1429Event
In 1429, Charles VII was crowned King of France in Reims Cathedral, a pivotal moment aided by Joan of Arc's divine mission. This event not only marked a turning point in the Hundred Years' War but also reinforced the Church's influence in legitimizing monarchs through sacred rites.
The crowning of Charles VII exemplifies the interplay between faith and leadership in God's plan.
The Martyrdom of the 16 Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne
1794Martyrdom
In 1794, during the Reign of Terror, 16 Carmelite nuns were executed for their faith, exemplifying the courage and commitment of the Church in the face of persecution. Their martyrdom is a testament to the enduring strength of Catholic belief amidst revolutionary turmoil.
Their sacrifice inspires us to remain steadfast in our faith, even in the face of adversity.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism teaches that through Baptism the whole Church is a priestly people, sharing in Christ’s priesthood through the common priesthood of the faithful. Alongside this, Holy Orders gives ordained ministers a distinct participation in Christ’s mission, serving the People of God through teaching, divine worship, and pastoral governance. This ordained ministry has three degrees: bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Bishops, successors of the apostles, are visible heads of the particular Churches entrusted to them; priests are their co-workers in pastoral service; and deacons are ordained for service in the ministry of the word, worship, pastoral governance, and charity. As families reflect on these readings, we can give thanks for the ordered ministries through which Christ serves his Church.

¶ 1593

Since the beginning, the ordained ministry has been conferred and exercised in three degrees: that of bishops, that of presbyters, and that of deacons. the ministries conferred by ordination are irreplaceable for the organic structure of the Church: without the bishop, presbyters, and deacons, one cannot speak of the Church (cf St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Trall. 3,1).

¶ 1594

The bishop receives the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders, which integrates him into the episcopal college and makes him the visible head of the particular Church entrusted to him. As successors of the apostles and members of the college, the bishops share in the apostolic responsibility and mission of the whole Church under the authority of the Pope, successor of St. Peter.

Today's Mass Readings

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