Understanding the Day
Season
Time After Pentecost
Week
Week 14 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…
Through our Lord…
Weekly Prayer
Act of Spiritual Communion
I believe that Thou art present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love Thee above all things,
and I desire to receive Thee into my soul.
Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace Thee as if Thou wert already there,
and unite myself wholly to Thee.
Never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen.
Weekly Formation
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
Admonish the sinner
Admonishing the sinner is a charitable warning intended to help a person recognize and leave serious wrongdoing. It requires truth, prudence, and concern for the person’s salvation, not humiliation, anger, or a desire to display superiority.
Instruct the ignorant
Instructing the ignorant means teaching needed truth to someone who does not know it, especially truth concerning faith and moral duty. The work presumes patience and accuracy and differs from winning an argument or displaying knowledge.
Counsel the doubtful
Counseling the doubtful helps a person whose judgment is uncertain to recognize a sound and morally lawful course. Good counsel applies truth prudently to the actual difficulty and does not replace conscience with another person’s preferences.
Comfort the sorrowful
Comforting the sorrowful shares another person’s burden through truthful consolation, patient presence, and appropriate help. Christian comfort neither dismisses grief nor offers false assurances, but strengthens hope in God amid real suffering.
Bear wrongs patiently
Bearing wrongs patiently means enduring injuries that cannot prudently be corrected without yielding to hatred or revenge. It does not require enabling abuse or refusing lawful protection; patience governs the heart while justice addresses the wrong.
Saint & Feast
Stephen of Hungary
St. Stephen, King of Hungary, Confessor
11th-century king of Hungary and saint
- Born
- 0969-00-00 · Esztergom
- Died
- 1038-08-15 · Szentkirály (Esztergom)
Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen, was the last grand prince of the Hungarians between 997 and 1000 or 1001, and the first king of Hungary from 1000 or 1001 until his death in 1038. The year of his birth is uncertain, but many details of his life suggest that he was born in, or after, 975, in Esztergom. He was given the pagan name Vajk at birth, but the date of his baptism is unknown. He was the only son of Grand Prince Géza and his wife, Sarolt, who was descended from a prominent family of gyulas. Although both of his parents were baptized, Stephen was the first member of his family to become a devout Christian. He married Gisela of Bavaria, a scion of the imperial Ottonian dynasty.
Learn more about Stephen of HungaryToday in Church History
Death of Saint Joseph Chang Song-jib
1865MartyrdomSaint Joseph Chang Song-jib, a Korean martyr, was executed on September 2, 1865, during the persecution of Christians in Korea. He was a lay catechist who remained steadfast in his faith.
Saint Joseph's unwavering faith under persecution inspires us to hold firm to our beliefs.
Death of Blessed Maria Stella and Companions
1943MartyrdomOn September 2, 1943, Blessed Maria Stella and her ten companions, Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, were executed by the Gestapo in Nowogródek, Poland, for sheltering Jews and aiding the resistance.
Their sacrifice is a testament to the power of faith and love in the face of evil.