Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 22 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

Simple feast

The Vigil of All Saints falls in the Time After Pentecost and is observed on the evening before the Solemnity of All Saints. This vigil does not extend into an octave; its purpose is to lead intentionally into the Solemnity of All Saints, a day when the Church honors all who have attained heavenly glory.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Sedulius
Hail, holy Mother, who in childbirth brought forth the King Who rules heaven and earth world without end.
Ps 44:2
My heart overflows with a goodly theme; as I sing my ode to the King.
Glory Be to the Father…

Grant us, Your servants, O Lord God, we beseech You, to enjoy lasting health of mind and body; and by the intercession of glorious and blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrow and partake to the full of eternal happiness.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Weekly prayer content will appear here once it is scheduled.

Weekly Formation

Gluttony and Temperance

The Way of Darkness

Gluttony
Gluttony is an unreasonable attachment to eating, drinking, or similar bodily satisfactions. Its disorder lies not simply in quantity but in allowing appetite to rule reason, damage health or duty, or place bodily pleasure above the good of the soul.

The Way of Light

Temperance
Temperance moderates attraction to pleasure and keeps the use of created goods within the order of reason. It does not condemn bodily goods, but prevents appetite from ruling the person or crowding out health, duty, charity, and spiritual good.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

All Saints

Vigil of All Saints

Christian feast day

All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are known or unknown.

Learn more about All Saints

Customs & Fasting

Traditional fast · Complete abstinence

Traditional All Saints Vigil fast and complete abstinence.

Today in Church History

Death of Blessed Rupert Mayer
1941Event
Rupert Mayer, a German Jesuit priest known for his opposition to the Nazi regime and his work with the poor, died on November 1, 1945.
Blessed Rupert Mayer's courage inspires us to stand firm in our faith against injustice.
Joint Declaration on Justification
1999Doctrine
The Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, marking a significant step towards reconciliation after centuries of division.
This declaration highlights the power of dialogue and unity in Christ.
Posting of the 95 Theses
1517Schism Heresy
Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, sparking the Protestant Reformation and leading to significant changes in the Catholic Church.
This event challenges Catholics to deepen their understanding of Church teachings and history.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Seventh Commandment calls us to respect our neighbors' goods, emphasizing justice and charity in how we manage our resources. God entrusts the earth to all of humanity, urging us to use and share its bounty responsibly, ensuring that everyone's basic needs are met and fostering solidarity among us. While private property is a legitimate right, it carries the responsibility of stewardship; we must see our possessions not just as ours, but as resources meant to benefit others, especially our families and those in need. This understanding promotes a culture of generosity and moderation, reminding us that political authority also plays a role in regulating ownership for the common good, thus fostering a just society where all can thrive.

In today’s reading, the Catechism teaches that respect for human dignity in economic matters calls us to temperance in our attachment to worldly goods, justice in respecting our neighbor’s rights, and solidarity expressed through generosity. The seventh commandment forbids theft and other unjust ways of taking or keeping another person’s property, including fraud, unjust wages, and taking advantage of another’s hardship or ignorance. It also calls us to keep morally just promises and contracts in good faith, to pay debts, safeguard property rights, and make restitution for injustice. Games of chance are not wrong in themselves, but gambling becomes unacceptable when it deprives people of what they need, and gambling can become enslaving. Above all, the Catechism condemns every practice that treats human beings as merchandise or reduces them to profit, affirming their personal dignity and fundamental rights.

¶ 2406

Political authority has the right and duty to regulate the legitimate exercise of the right to ownership for the sake of the common good.

Today's Mass Readings

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