Understanding the Day
Season
Septuagesima
Week
Week 2 of Septuagesima
Rank
Simple feast
Septuagesima is the preparatory season before Lent in the older liturgical practice called the divino afflatu calendar. The Saturday Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sanctæ Mariæ Sabbato) is celebrated on Saturdays during this season as a special devotion honoring Mary’s ongoing role in the Church’s life and in the spiritual formation of Christian households. The rank “Simple” indicates this is a proper devotion of modest liturgical weight: it is observed with particular prayers or antiphons in the Divine Office but does not supersede more important solemnities or Sundays. There is no octave or vigil attached here; this is a recurring weekly observance.
Daily Prayer
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Weekly Prayer
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Weekly Formation
Beatitude 1
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Poverty of spirit is freedom from placing the heart’s security in wealth, status, or self-sufficiency. It belongs to rich and poor alike when they depend humbly on God and remain willing to surrender created goods rather than offend Him.
Saint & Feast
Principal celebrationCalendar title
Saturday Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Today in Church History
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Catechism
Catechism of the Catholic Church
In the Catechism, we learn that God did not make death; death entered the world through the devil’s envy. Satan and the other demons freely refused to serve God and seek to draw humanity into their revolt. At the beginning of history, Adam abused his freedom by turning against God and seeking his goal apart from him. Through this first sin, humanity lost original holiness and justice. This original sin is transmitted with human nature, leaving it weakened, subject to ignorance, suffering, and death, and inclined to sin. Yet the good news is that Christ’s victory over sin brings blessings greater than those sin had taken away: where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. As we reflect together, we can remember both the seriousness of turning from God and the greater abundance of grace given through Christ.
In these paragraphs, the Catechism proclaims Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God made man, sent by the Father to redeem us and fulfill God’s promises. Jesus, who suffered and died for us and now lives with us forever after rising, draws us into communion with himself. Through him, we are led to the love of the Father in the Holy Spirit and share in the life of the Holy Trinity. For our daily faith and devotion, these truths invite us to grow in loving knowledge of Christ, to listen closely to his words and actions, and to share the Good News with others. As we deepen our understanding of the faith and the mysteries of Jesus’ life, may we joyfully say yes to him and remain in communion with him.
¶ 421
Christians believe that "the world has been established and kept in being by the Creator's love; has fallen into slavery to sin but has been set free by Christ, crucified and risen to break the power of the evil one. . ." (GS 2 # 2).