Understanding the Day
Season
Time After Pentecost
Week
Week 13 of Time After Pentecost
Rank
Sunday or semidouble observance
Introit (Daily Prayer)
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…
Who livest and reignest with God the Father…
Weekly Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit
and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
℣ Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
℟ And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Weekly Formation
The Corporal Works of Mercy
The Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry
Feeding the hungry supplies necessary nourishment to those who lack it. It is a corporal work because it serves a bodily need, and an act of mercy because charity responds to another’s misery rather than ignoring preventable want.
Give drink to the thirsty
Giving drink to the thirsty provides the water or other wholesome refreshment needed for life and health. The work includes direct aid and reasonable support for efforts that make safe water available to people in need.
Clothe the naked
Clothing the naked provides suitable clothing and protection to those who lack them. It safeguards bodily health and personal dignity while recognizing that unused or excess goods can answer another person’s genuine necessity.
Visit the imprisoned
Visiting the imprisoned brings humane presence and assistance to those deprived of liberty, including people unjustly confined or otherwise held captive. It neither approves wrongdoing nor abandons justice, but refuses to treat any prisoner as beyond dignity, truth, or mercy.
Shelter the homeless
Sheltering the homeless provides safe lodging or helps secure it for those without a stable place to live. Traditional language calls this harboring the harborless, extending hospitality and protection to the stranger and displaced person.
Visit the sick
Saint & Feast
Louis IX
St. Louis, Confessor
King of France from 1226 to 1270
- Born
- 1214-04-25 · Poissy
- Died
- 1270-08-25 · Tunis
Louis IX, also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VIII, he was crowned in Reims at the age of 12. His mother, Blanche of Castile, effectively ruled the kingdom as regent until he came of age, and continued to serve as his trusted adviser until her death. During his formative years, Blanche successfully confronted rebellious vassals and championed the Capetian cause in the Albigensian Crusade, which had been ongoing for the past two decades.
Learn more about Louis IXToday in Church History
Philip III Becomes King of France
1270EventPhilip III became King of France on August 25, 1270, following the death of his father, Louis IX, during the Eighth Crusade. His ascension marked a continuation of the Capetian dynasty's involvement in crusading efforts, reflecting the Church's influence on European monarchies.
Leadership in faith often requires courage and perseverance, even in adversity.
Destruction of Leuven Library during World War I
1914EventIn 1914, the German Army deliberately destroyed the library of the Catholic University of Leuven, resulting in the loss of countless irreplaceable volumes and manuscripts. This event highlights the cultural and historical losses faced by the Catholic Church during wartime, emphasizing the importance of preserving ecclesiastical heritage.
The loss of sacred texts reminds us of the fragility of our cultural heritage and the importance of safeguarding our faith.