Catholic Family Devotions

Understanding the Day

Season

Time After Pentecost

Week

Week 19 of Time After Pentecost

Rank

Feast

This celebration falls in the Time after Pentecost, the long season of the Church year when families reflect on the life of the Church, the growth of Christian charity, and the call to follow Christ in everyday life. No octave or vigil is indicated here, so the observance is for the single day named.

Daily Prayer

The Introit for this day has not yet been generated.

Weekly Prayer

Weekly prayer content will appear here once it is scheduled.

Weekly Formation

Anger and Meekness

The Way of Darkness

Anger
Sinful anger is a disordered movement toward revenge or punishment beyond what justice and charity allow. The emotion of anger can arise without sin, but it becomes vicious when deliberately nursed into resentment, hatred, cruelty, or uncontrolled retaliation.

The Way of Light

Meekness
Meekness moderates anger so that strength remains under the command of reason and charity. It is not weakness or indifference to injustice; it enables correction and defense of the good without hatred, cruelty, or loss of self-possession.

Saint & Feast

Principal celebration

Margaret Mary Alacoque

St. Marguerite-Marie Alacoque, Virgin

Catholic Saint and Mystic (1647-1690)

Born: 1647-07-22 · Verosvres
Died: 1690-10-17 · Paray-le-Monial

Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French Visitation nun and mystic who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form.

Learn more about Margaret Mary Alacoque

Today in Church History

No Church history reflection has been prepared for this date yet.

Catechism

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism teaches that scientific, medical, and psychological experiments can contribute to healing the sick and advancing public health. Science and technology are valuable resources when they serve the human person and the good of all, yet they cannot by themselves reveal the meaning of life or human progress. They must always respect fundamental moral criteria, the dignity and rights of every person, and God’s plan (CCC 2292-2295). Experimentation must never involve acts contrary to human dignity or the moral law, disproportionate or avoidable risks, or a lack of informed consent. Organ donation after death can be a noble and meritorious gift of solidarity when explicit consent has been given (CCC 2296). Families can lovingly care for relatives who are dying through attention, prayer, and timely access to the sacraments. They are also encouraged to treat the bodies of the dead with respect and charity through burial, in faith and hope in the resurrection; cremation is permitted when it does not deny this faith (CCC 2299-2301).

In these paragraphs, the Catechism teaches that peace is rooted in charity, justice, respect for human dignity, and the safeguarding of human life. Murderous anger, deliberate hatred, and the desire for revenge are contrary to charity, while Christ calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Peace is more than the absence of war: it is the tranquillity of order, born from justice and charity. Christ is our peace, and he blesses peacemakers. As we pray and live these teachings, we can ask for hearts that reject hatred and seek the good of others. Those who renounce violence and bloodshed while safeguarding human rights through means available to the weakest bear witness to evangelical charity, provided they respect the rights and obligations of others.

Today's Mass Readings

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