Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 19 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

Feast

This celebration falls in the Time after Pentecost, the long season of the Church year when we follow Christ’s life and the growth of his Church through the Sundays after Pentecost. No octave or vigil is indicated here, so the celebration stands on its single day.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 118:75; 118:120
I know, O Lord, that Your ordinances are just, and in Your faithfulness You have afflicted me. Pierce my flesh with Your fear; I fear Your ordinances. (Alleluja, alleluja.)
Ps 118:1
Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.
Glory Be to the Father…

Commemoration Ss. Sergio, Baccho, Marcello and Apulejo Martyrs
May we be strengthened, O Lord, by the sacrament we have received, and protected through the intercession of Your holy Martyrs, Sergius, Bacchus, Marcellus and Apuleius, by heavenly armor against all the wickedness besetting us.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Weekly prayer content will appear here once it is scheduled.

Weekly Formation

Avarice or Greed and Generosity

The Way of Darkness

Avarice or Greed
Avarice is an excessive desire to possess or retain wealth and material goods. It makes possessions an end rather than a means, producing hardness toward those in need and tempting the soul toward dishonesty, anxiety, and neglect of spiritual goods.

The Way of Light

Generosity
Generosity readily uses possessions, time, ability, and attention for the good of others and the honor of God. It opposes avarice by keeping created goods in their proper role as means of service rather than objects that possess the heart.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Bridget of Sweden

St. Birgitta, Widow

Swedish nun, mystic, and saint (c.1303–1373)

Born: 1303-01-01
Died: 1373-07-23

Bridget of Sweden, OSsS, also known as Birgitta Birgersdotter and Birgitta of Vadstena, was a Swedish Catholic mystic and the founder of the Bridgettines. Outside Sweden, she was also known as the Princess of Nericia and was the mother of Catherine of Vadstena.

Learn more about Bridget of Sweden

Today in Church History

First Session of the Council of Chalcedon
451Council
The first session of the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD was a pivotal moment in Catholic history, addressing critical Christological debates. It affirmed the doctrine of the two natures of Christ, divine and human, which has been foundational for Catholic theology.
Understanding the dual nature of Christ deepens our appreciation of the mystery of the Incarnation.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism emphasizes the vital role of parents in the moral and spiritual education of their children, extending beyond procreation to nurturing their faith and character. Parents are called to regard their children as children of God and to respect them as human persons, fostering a home of tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and selfless service. In this home, children can learn virtue, self-denial, sound judgment, self-mastery, solidarity, and responsibility. Education in the faith should begin early, with parents as their children’s first heralds of the faith, teaching them to pray, helping them discover their vocation as children of God, and drawing them into the life of the Church. As children mature, they should take on their responsibilities in a trusting relationship with their parents, seeking and receiving wise counsel, while the whole family grows in holiness through mutual affection and forgiveness.

In the journey of faith, family ties are vital but should not overshadow the unique divine calling each child receives from God, urging parents to support their children's spiritual vocations, including a life dedicated to Christ. Embracing discipleship means recognizing that all believers belong to God's family, and parents are encouraged to celebrate when a child feels called to the priesthood or consecrated life. Authority, whether in family or society, should be exercised as a service to others, promoting justice and the common good while respecting individual dignity and rights. By nurturing a spirit of responsibility and harmony, families can foster a culture of mutual respect and support, ultimately guiding each member to fulfill their God-given purpose in love and service.

¶ 2227

Today's Mass Readings

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