Catholic Day, Week, and Month

The Catholic Day, Week, and Month

The Catholic Day has its own rhythm, and each day of the week and each month has a special devotional emphasis.

Day

The hours of the day are broken up into the Canonical Hours during which priests, religious, and some pious laymen pray from the Breviary. At 6AM, Noon, and 6PM the Angelus is prayed.

Some Catholics might pray, instead or in addition to the above, the Morning Offering upon awakening, and make a Nightly Examination of Conscience at night, just before bed.
Week

Fridays are penitential days and Catholics are to keep in mind Christ's suffering and to sacrifice something for the sake of penance and discipline. Catholics fulfill this duty by abstaining from meat and making other penances.

Saturdays are, traditionally, the days Catholics go to Confession in preparation for receiving the Eucharist on Sundays. Some Catholics might make a habit of going to Confession on Saturdays; other might go before Mass on Sunday, or might go only when they need to confess, or on some other schedule.

Sundays are, of course, the day for renewing Christ's once and for all Sacrifice during the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass. Because Christ rose from His tomb on Sunday, Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sundays, or "the Lord's Day." On this day we fulfill God's Third Commandment, to "remember the sabbath day [which means "rest", not "Saturday"], to keep it holy." We refrain from unecessary servile work and fulfill our "Sunday Obligation" to attend Mass.



Day of the Week


Dedicated to:


Mystery of the Rosary
traditionally prayed:

Sunday
Resurrection & the Holy and Undivided Trinity

Glorious
Monday The Holy Ghost & the Souls in Purgatory

Joyful
Tuesday The Holy Angels 1

Sorrowful
Wednesday St. Joseph 2

Glorious
Thursday The Blessed Sacrament 3

Joyful
Friday Christ's Passion and His Sacred Heart 4

Sorrowful
Saturday The Blessed Virgin and her Immaculate Heart. 5

Glorious


Month


Month


Dedicated to:
January The Holy Name and Childhood of Jesus
February The Holy Family
March St. Joseph
April The Blessed Sacrament
May Mary
June Sacred Heart of Jesus
July The Precious Blood
August Immaculate Heart of Mary
September Seven Dolours (Sorrows) of Mary
October The Holy Rosary (and, less formally, the Holy Angels)
November Poor Souls in Purgatory
December The Immaculate Conception



Footnotes:
1 Tuesdays are also the day for honoring the Holy Face and, unofficially, honoring St. Anthony of Padua. On the Tuesday after St. Anthony's death, the day his funeral cortege took his body to the church, many miracles took place, so this day is commemorated in his honor, often by praying a Novena to St. Anthony either for thirteen consecutive Tuesdays or perpetually.

A special Novena to St. Martha is also made on 9 consecutive Tuesdays or on all Tuesdays by some Catholics.

2 On Wednesdays, many Catholics make a special devotion to St. Joseph by going to Mass on the first Wednesdays of 9 consecutive months and offering their Communions in his honor and for the salvation of the dying..

3 On Thursdays, many Catholics make "Holy Hour," that is, they spend an hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as an aspect of devotion to the Sacred Heart.

4 On Fridays, many Catholics make what is known as the "First Fridays Devotion" in honor of the Sacred Heart. This entails going to Mass and receiving Communion in reparation to the Sacred Heart on the first Friday of the month for 9 consecutive months. See Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus..

5 On Saturdays, many Catholics make what is called the "First Saturdays Devotion" which entails going to Mass and receiving Communion for the first Saturday of the month for 5 consecutive months in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. See Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.