Understanding the Day
Season
Time After Pentecost
Week
Week 13 of Time After Pentecost
Rank
Simple feast
Introit (Daily Prayer)
Look to Your covenant, O Lord, forsake not forever the lives of Your afflicted ones. Arise, O Lord; defend Your cause; be not unmindful of the voices of those who ask You.
Ps 73:1
Why, O God, have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?
Glory Be to the Father…
Being appeased, O Lord, guide thy Church, which has been nourished by holy refreshment, that under thy direction and powerful rule it may receive increase of liberty and may continue in religious integrity.
Through our Lord…
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
Zephyrinus
St. Zephyrinus, Pope and Martyr
Pope and Bishop of Rome from 199 to 217
- Born
- Rome
- Died
- 0217-12-20 · Rome
Pope Zephyrinus was the bishop of Rome from the year 199 until his death on 20 December 217. He was born in Rome, and succeeded Victor I. Upon his death on 20 December 217, he was succeeded by his principal advisor, Callixtus I. He is known for combating heresies and defending the divinity of Christ.
Learn more about ZephyrinusToday in Church History
Suppression of the Jesuits in Chile (1767)
1767PersecutionIn 1767, the Spanish Empire arrested Jesuits across Chile, reflecting the broader suppression of the Society of Jesus. This event marked a significant moment in Catholic history, as it illustrated the tensions between the Church and state authorities, impacting Jesuit missions and education.
The resilience of faith amidst persecution reminds us of the enduring strength of the Church.
Election of Pope John Paul I
1978PapalIn 1978, Albino Luciani was elected as Pope John Paul I, marking a significant moment in the Catholic Church's history. His papacy, though brief, emphasized themes of humility and pastoral care, leaving a lasting impact on the Church's approach to leadership.
Pope John Paul I's short reign reminds us of the importance of humility and service in our own lives.