Understanding the Day
Season
Eastertide
Week
Week 6 of Eastertide
Rank
Weekday
Rogation Wednesday and the Vigil of the Ascension falls in the sixth week of Eastertide, a season celebrating Christ’s Resurrection and the promise of new life. In family terms, this day combines two linked practices: rogation days are traditional times of prayer and asking God’s blessing on the land, work, and community, while a vigil is a time of preparation and watchful waiting for an important feast — here, the Ascension. Because it is the Vigil of the Ascension, the day directs attention forward to Christ’s ascending into heaven and the mission that follows, encouraging prayerful preparation.
Daily Prayer
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Weekly Prayer
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Weekly Formation
Commandment 5
The Ten Commandments
Thou shalt not kill.
The Fifth Commandment protects human life because every person is made by God and belongs ultimately to Him. It forbids unjust killing and deliberate injury, and it also condemns hatred, revenge, and conduct that recklessly endangers oneself or another.
Saint & Feast
Principal celebrationCalendar title
Rogation Wednesday and Vigil of the Ascension
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Today in Church History
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Catechism
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of Christian faith, affirming His divine authority and fulfilling the promises of Scripture. It signifies not only liberation from sin through His death but also the invitation to a new life in grace, where we are adopted as God's children and called to share in the life of Christ. This transformative event assures us of our future resurrection, as Christ, the firstborn from the dead, offers us a glimpse of divine life. For Catholic families, this means embracing a life rooted in faith, living not for ourselves but for Christ, and fostering a hope that looks forward to the fullness of life in Him.
Baptism is a profound sacrament of faith that marks the person baptized as belonging to Christ and signifies liberation from sin. As families attentively follow its gestures and words, they are invited to see the riches that Baptism signifies and brings about: the sign of the cross marks the candidate with Christ’s redemption, and the proclamation of God’s Word calls forth the response of faith. Baptism itself signifies and brings about death to sin and entry into the life of the Most Holy Trinity through union with Christ’s Paschal mystery. The anointing with sacred chrism signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit, while the white garment and candle show that the newly baptized has put on Christ, risen with him, and been enlightened by him. As a child of God, the baptized person is oriented toward the Eucharist and can pray, “Our Father.”
The Catechism teaches that every person who has not yet been baptized may receive Baptism. Where the Gospel is newly proclaimed, adult Baptism is common, and the catechumenate has an important place in preparing adults to receive God’s gift in Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. This formation helps catechumens’ conversion and faith mature within the Church, introducing them to Christian life, faith, liturgy, charity, and the practice of the evangelical virtues through successive sacred rites. Catechumens are already joined to the Church and are embraced with love and care.
Children also need the new birth of Baptism because they are born with a fallen human nature and original sin. In Baptism, they are freed from the power of darkness and brought into the freedom of God’s children. The Church encourages parents to have their children baptized shortly after birth, recognizing both the priceless grace offered to the child and parents’ role as nurturers of the life God has entrusted to them. Infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church, with explicit testimony from the second century onward.
Children also need the new birth of Baptism because they are born with a fallen human nature and original sin. In Baptism, they are freed from the power of darkness and brought into the freedom of God’s children. The Church encourages parents to have their children baptized shortly after birth, recognizing both the priceless grace offered to the child and parents’ role as nurturers of the life God has entrusted to them. Infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church, with explicit testimony from the second century onward.