Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 26 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

Weekday

This Friday is a weekday, or feria, in the final liturgical week before Advent. Although a raw elapsed-week counter can call it Week 26, the traditional calendar treats it as part of the week of the Twenty-Fourth and Last Sunday after Pentecost, after any needed Sundays after Epiphany have been resumed. It therefore belongs to the appointed final Sunday’s week immediately before Advent.

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Jer 29:11-12; 29:14
The Lord says: “I think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction. You shall call upon Me, and I will hear you; and I will bring back your captivity from all places.”
Ps 84:2
You have favored, O Lord, Your land; You have restored the well-being of Jacob.
Glory Be to the Father…

O Lord, we beseech You, arouse the wills of Your faithful people that, by a more earnest search for the fruit of Your divine work, they may receive more abundantly of the healing effects of Your goodness.
Through our Lord…

Weekly Prayer

Weekly prayer content will appear here once it is scheduled.

Weekly Formation

Faith and Charity

Sins Against the Theological Virtues

Resisting or attacking the known truth
Resisting known truth means opposing a truth recognized as coming from God because accepting it would require conversion or surrender. The sin lies not in honest difficulty or inquiry, but in a willful refusal of light already understood.
Envy at another’s spiritual good
Envy of another’s spiritual good is sadness or resentment at the grace, virtue, holiness, or service of God found in someone else. It is especially contrary to charity because it grieves over the very good by which God is honored and souls are helped.

The Theological Virtues

Faith
Faith is the infused virtue by which the mind firmly assents to the truths God has revealed because He can neither deceive nor be deceived. It rests on God’s authority and gives the foundation by which the believer knows Him and orders life toward Him.
Charity
Charity is the infused virtue by which God is loved above all things for His own sake and one’s neighbor is loved for God. It gives supernatural life to the other virtues by directing the whole person toward friendship with God and eternal union with Him.

Featured Saint

Modern saint

Featured saintCalendar title

Friday of Week 26 of Time after Pentecost

Saint Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini

A biography or feast reflection has not yet been prepared.

Customs & Fasting

No traditional fast · Complete abstinence

Traditional Friday complete abstinence.

Today in Church History

Return of Saint John Chrysostom's Relics
2004Event
In 2004, Pope John Paul II returned the relics of Saint John Chrysostom to the Eastern Orthodox Church, symbolizing a step towards healing the historical rift between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. This act of goodwill emphasized the importance of unity and mutual respect within the Christian faith.
This event reminds us of the call to unity among Christians and the importance of reconciliation.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

In the teachings of Jesus on prayer, we find a profound invitation to deepen our relationship with God through faith, hope, and charity. Jesus emphasizes the importance of a converted heart, urging us to reconcile with others and pray sincerely, embodying humility and perseverance in our requests to the Father. By praying in Jesus' name and inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives, we engage in a transformative communion that strengthens our faith and aligns our desires with God's will. For Catholic families, this means fostering an environment of prayer that is heartfelt and persistent, encouraging each member to seek God earnestly, uphold one another in faith, and cultivate a spirit of love and forgiveness.

In the Catechism, we learn that prayer is shown to us in Jesus and Mary, who teach us to approach God with faith. Jesus answers prayers of faith, whether spoken or silent, and responds with healing and forgiveness. Mary’s unique prayer, especially in her Fiat and the Magnificat, reflects the generous offering of her whole being to God in faith, as well as thanksgiving for his gifts. As we grow in prayer, we are called to pray with purified hearts, lively and persevering faith, and filial boldness, presenting our needs to God in Jesus’ name and trusting in Christ’s response.

¶ 2615

Even more, what the Father gives us when our prayer is united with that of Jesus is "another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth." This new dimension of prayer and of its circumstances is displayed throughout the farewell discourse. In the Holy Spirit, Christian prayer is a communion of love with the Father, not only through Christ but also in him: "Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

Today's Mass Readings

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

Friday of Week 26 of Time after Pentecost

Understanding the Day

Introit (Daily Prayer)

Collect

Weekly Prayer

Weekly Formation

Faith and Charity

Sins Against the Theological Virtues

The Theological Virtues

Featured Saint

Friday of Week 26 of Time after Pentecost

Customs & Fasting

Today in Church History

Return of Saint John Chrysostom's Relics

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Today's Mass Readings

Baltimore Catechism No. 3