Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 20 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

Sunday or semidouble observance

This day falls in the Time after Pentecost, the long portion of the Church year when families focus on the growth of the Church and living out the Christian life in daily routines. The celebration honors St. Edward the Confessor, a king known for his Christian faith and service. His feast is ranked as a Semidouble. In plain language, Semidouble indicates a moderately important liturgical celebration: special prayers and antiphons are used, but the day does not displace higher-ranking solemnities or feasts. There is no octave or vigil attached here, so the observance is celebrated on the single day without an eight-day extension or a separate preparatory liturgy.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Ps 36:30-31
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…

O God, Who crowned blessed King Edward with the glory of eternity, grant us, we beseech You, so to venerate him on earth that we may be worthy to reign with him in heaven.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Weekly prayer content will appear here once it is scheduled.

Weekly Formation

Disordered Desire and Chastity

The Way of Darkness

Disordered Desire
This capital vice is disordered desire for bodily intimacy outside faithful marriage or apart from the duties of one’s state in life. It treats persons or the body as objects of appetite rather than gifts entrusted to faithful love, purity, and responsibility.

The Way of Light

Chastity
Chastity is the virtue that orders the gift of the body and its powers according to God’s design and one’s state in life. It preserves personal dignity, faithful love, and rightful boundaries by bringing desire under reason, grace, and charity.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Edward the Confessor

St. Edward the Confessor, King

Anglo-Saxon King of England from 1042 to 1066

Born: Islip
Died: 1066-01-05 · London

Edward the Confessor was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex.

Learn more about Edward the Confessor

Today in Church History

Consecration of Westminster Abbey
1269Dedication
The consecration of the present church building at Westminster Abbey in 1269 marked a significant moment in the history of English Christianity. As a royal church, it became a focal point for the Catholic faith in England, influencing both religious and political life.
The dedication of sacred spaces invites us to reflect on the presence of God in our lives.
Coronation of Henry IV of England
1399Event
The coronation of Henry IV in 1399 marked a significant moment in English history, reflecting the intertwining of monarchy and the Catholic Church. As the first Lancastrian king, his reign would influence the relationship between the crown and papacy, particularly during the ongoing tensions of the time.
The event reminds us of the importance of faith in governance and the role of the Church in guiding leaders.
Arrest of the Knights Templar (1307)
1307Event
In 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar, accusing them of heresy and other crimes. This event marked a significant moment in Church history, as it led to the eventual dissolution of the Order and raised questions about papal authority and the relationship between the monarchy and the Church.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism teaches that legitimate self-defense is a moral right that allows individuals to protect their own lives and those of others without being guilty of murder, as the intention is to preserve life, not to take it. For families, this underscores the importance of valuing life and understanding that defending oneself or others can sometimes be a grave duty, especially when responsible for the safety of loved ones. Additionally, public authorities have a responsibility to uphold justice and the common good through appropriate means, including the possibility of penalties for crimes, but always with a focus on rehabilitation and respect for human dignity. Ultimately, the Church emphasizes that non-lethal methods of protection should be prioritized, reflecting a commitment to the sanctity of life and the belief in the potential for redemption.

The Fifth Commandment clearly forbids direct and intentional killing, which is gravely sinful, as well as voluntary cooperation in murder. It also forbids acting with the intention of indirectly causing a person’s death. In our daily lives, this calls us to take seriously the safety of others: we must not expose anyone to mortal danger without a grave reason, and we must not refuse assistance to someone in danger. As we reflect together, may we grow in care and responsibility toward those whose lives are entrusted to our concern.

The Catechism teaches that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from conception. It affirms that every procured abortion is morally evil, and that this teaching is unchangeable. It also emphasizes the grave seriousness of formal cooperation in abortion, for which the Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication, while making clear both the gravity of the act and the irreparable harm done to the innocent person, the parents, and society. The right to life of every innocent human being is a foundational element of civil society and its laws. Because the embryo must be treated as a person from conception, it should be defended, cared for, and healed as far as possible. Procedures that respect an embryo’s life and integrity and are directed toward healing, improved health, or survival can be licit; however, producing embryos for exploitation or using non-therapeutic genetic interventions to select predetermined traits is immoral and contrary to the person’s dignity, integrity, and unique identity.

Today's Mass Readings

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