Traditional Catholic Daily Devotional

It's the Feast of Ember Wed in September, 2nd Class, with the color of Violet. In this episode: the meditation: "Intimacy with God", today's news from the Church: "The Interior Renewal Effected by the Spiritual Exercises", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? [email protected] Sources Used Today: "Intimacy with God" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption "The Interior Renewal Effected by the Spiritual Exercises" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.asia/en/news/interior-renewal-effected-spiritual-exercises-60355 The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook Saint Adomnán of Iona is one of those saints who becomes more interesting the more you dig into him. He was a monk and abbot, but also a historian, biographer, diplomat, traveler, and the driving force behind one of medieval Europe's earliest attempts to protect civilians during warfare. He was born in Ireland around 624 and eventually entered the great monastery of Iona, the island community off the coast of Scotland founded by Columba. About a century after Columba's birth, Adomnán became Iona's ninth abbot. And fortunately for us, he liked to write. His Life of Saint Columba is one of the most valuable works surviving from early medieval Britain and Ireland. Adomnán collected stories from older monks who had known people close to Columba himself. He recorded miracles, voyages, conversations, kings, monasteries, and little details of daily life that otherwise would have disappeared completely. So a surprising amount of what we know about Saint Columba comes from Adomnán. He also wrote a fascinating book about the Holy Land. Adomnán had never been there. Instead, a Frankish bishop named Arculf was apparently shipwrecked near Britain after making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He eventually reached Iona and described everything he had seen. Adomnán carefully interviewed him and turned those conversations into On the Holy Places, complete with descriptions of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and other biblical sites. But perhaps the most remarkable part of Adomnán's story came later. According to Irish tradition, he encountered a woman who had been brutally injured during warfare. The experience deeply disturbed him. Adomnán began pushing Irish kings and churchmen to agree that some people simply should not be legitimate targets in war. In 697, a major gathering at Birr adopted what became known as the Law of Adomnán, or Cáin Adomnáin. It offered special legal protection to women, children, and clerics and established penalties for killing, assaulting, or abusing them. For the seventh century, that's extraordinary. It wasn't modern humanitarian law, of course, but it came from a strikingly familiar conviction: even warfare needs limits, and the vulnerable deserve protection. Adomnán died in 704, leaving behind something unusual for an early medieval saint. We don't just have legends about him. We have his books. You can still visit Iona today and walk the island where he governed the monastery and gathered stories about Columba more than thirteen centuries ago. Saint Adomnán reminds us that preserving history, protecting the vulnerable, and telling the stories of holy people can themselves become works of Christian charity. Saint Adomnán of Iona, keeper of sacred memory and defender of the vulnerable, pray for us. Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - - Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/ What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition. What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Thomas of Villanova, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: "Charity and Friendship", today's news from the Church: "Leo XIV increases salaries in the Curia", a preview of this week's episode of The Archbishop Lefebvre Audiobook: Ch. 18: "Strongholds of Reconquest", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? [email protected] Sources Used Today: "Charity and Friendship" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption "Leo XIV increases salaries in the Curia" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/rome-leo-xiv-increases-salaries-curia-61195 Lefebvre Audiobook: " Strongholds of Reconquest " (SSPX Podcast) View on YouTubeListen & Subscribe on SSPXpodcast.com The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook Saint Thomas of Villanova became an archbishop, but he apparently never got very good at looking like one. He was born in Spain in 1486 and grew up in Villanueva de los Infantes. His family was comfortable but remarkably generous. His father regularly gave food to the poor, and Thomas absorbed that habit early. One story says that when his parents were away, young Thomas gave away several of the family's chickens to people who needed food. That instinct never really left him. Thomas was brilliant. He studied at the University of Alcalá and became a professor of philosophy before entering the Augustinian Order in his thirties. He quickly became known as an exceptional preacher and eventually served in leadership positions within the order. Then, in 1544, he was appointed Archbishop of Valencia. Thomas did not want the job. When obedience finally forced him to accept, the cathedral chapter gave him money to furnish his new residence appropriately. Thomas gave the money to a hospital. Apparently, the old furniture was good enough. That pretty much describes his entire episcopacy. Thomas wore patched clothing, kept a simple household, and distributed enormous amounts of the archdiocese's income to the poor. People sometimes criticized him for giving money too freely, but Thomas was actually quite thoughtful about charity. He didn't want merely to hand someone a coin and send him away. He tried to provide work, tools, education, and opportunities that could help families escape poverty permanently. He also had a particular concern for abandoned babies. Valencia had many infants left without families, so Thomas established programs to provide them with nurses, clothing, food, and eventually apprenticeships or dowries as they grew older. His generosity became so famous that people called him the "Father of the Poor." But Thomas wasn't simply a charitable administrator. He was also trying to reform an archdiocese badly in need of attention. He visited parishes, improved the formation of priests, established a seminary, and preached constantly. His sermons became famous throughout Spain for being direct, practical, and understandable. There's a wonderfully characteristic story from near the end of his life. Thomas knew he was dying and began giving away almost everything remaining in his possession. He even gave away the bed he was lying on, although he borrowed it back long enough to die in it. That's Thomas of Villanova in one image. Even his deathbed wasn't really his anymore. He died in 1555 while Mass was being celebrated nearby. His funeral drew enormous crowds, especially the poor of Valencia, who knew they had lost someone who had treated them not as a problem to manage, but as members of his own family. Saint Thomas of Villanova, father of the poor and humble shepherd of Valencia, pray for us. Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - - Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/ What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition. What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Matthew, 2nd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "The Love of God for Us", today's news from the Church: "The Jesuits leave Liège, 450 years after their arrival", a preview of the Sermon: "The Power of Humility", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? [email protected] Sources Used Today: "The Love of God for Us" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption "The Jesuits leave Liège, 450 years after their arrival" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/belgium-jesuits-leave-liege-450-years-after-their-arrival-61143 "The Power of Humility" (SSPX Sermons) SSPX YouTube: Sermons PlaylistListen & Subscribe: SSPX Sermons Podcast The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook Saint Matthew has one of the shortest conversion stories in the Gospel. Jesus walks past a tax booth, sees Matthew sitting there, and says, "Follow Me." Matthew gets up and goes. But there's much more packed into that moment than it first appears. Matthew was a publican, a tax collector working within the Roman system. Tax collectors were deeply disliked, partly because they cooperated with the occupying power and partly because the system gave plenty of opportunity for corruption. To respectable Jewish society, Matthew was not an obvious candidate for an Apostle. Jesus chose him anyway. And Matthew's first reaction is interesting. He threw a dinner. He invited Jesus, the disciples, and a collection of tax collectors and other people respectable society labeled "sinners." Matthew had only just begun following Christ, but he was already bringing his friends along. After Pentecost, Matthew disappears from the New Testament record, and this is where ancient traditions begin to diverge. Early Christian writers agreed that he preached first among the Jews. Papias of Hierapolis, writing in the early second century, recorded a tradition that Matthew compiled sayings of Jesus in the "Hebrew dialect." Exactly how that relates to the Greek Gospel of Matthew we possess today remains debated, but it shows how early Matthew was connected with preserving Christ's teaching in written form. Later traditions send him much farther afield. Some place his missionary work in Persia. Others speak of Syria or lands south of the Caspian Sea. The strongest later tradition associates his martyrdom with Ethiopia, although ancient sources differ enough that we shouldn't pretend we know exactly where or how he died. His relics have an interesting story too. By the Middle Ages, they were believed to have reached southern Italy and eventually the city of Salerno. Today, the Salerno Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Matthew, and his relics are venerated in the crypt beneath the cathedral. His presence became so important to the city that Matthew is still honored as Salerno's patron. There's also a nice bit of symbolism in Christian art. Matthew is represented by a winged man or angel, one of the four creatures associated with the Evangelists. The symbol fits because his Gospel begins with Christ's human genealogy: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ." But perhaps the most interesting thing about Matthew is still that tax booth. Christ didn't wait for Matthew to clean up his reputation, find better friends, or prove himself worthy. He simply said, "Follow Me." And Matthew stood up. Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, who left everything at the call of Christ, pray for us. Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - - Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/ What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition. What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of XVII Sun of Pentecost, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: "Jesus Christ, Son of God", today's news from the Church: "Preconception Genetic Screening: A New Form of Eugenics?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? [email protected] Sources Used Today: "Jesus Christ, Son of God" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption "Preconception Genetic Screening: A New Form of Eugenics?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/preconception-genetic-screening-new-form-eugenics-61142 The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook The story of the Korean Martyrs begins in a way that's almost unique in Catholic history. Christianity reached Korea before missionaries did. During the eighteenth century, Korean scholars traveling to China encountered Catholic books written by Jesuit missionaries. They brought them home and began studying Christianity on their own. A small group became convinced that the faith was true. There was just one problem. They didn't have any priests. So Korean lay Catholics began teaching one another, baptizing converts, gathering for prayer, and building an underground Church largely by themselves. When they eventually learned more about how the Church actually worked, they wrote to the Bishop of Beijing essentially saying: please send us a priest. That request became increasingly dangerous. Korean society was built around Confucian customs, including ancestral rites that Catholics came to understand they could not participate in as religious worship. Christianity also taught that every person possessed equal dignity before God, an idea that could unsettle a rigid social hierarchy. Persecution followed. Over the next century, thousands of Korean Catholics were killed. Among the best known was Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, the first native Korean Catholic priest. His journey to ordination was incredible. Because there was no seminary in Korea, he secretly traveled hundreds of miles to Macau, studied for the priesthood, was ordained in Shanghai, and then slipped back into Korea to serve Catholics in hiding. He lasted about a year. Andrew was arrested in 1846, tortured, and beheaded at only twenty-five. Another remarkable figure was Saint Paul Chong Hasang, a layman who repeatedly crossed into China seeking priests for Korea. He even wrote directly to the pope asking for help establishing a permanent Catholic mission. He was eventually executed too. What makes the Korean Martyrs especially striking is the variety among them. They included priests and laypeople, nobles and servants, husbands and wives, elderly believers and teenagers. Some families lost several generations. And yet the underground Church survived. When religious freedom finally began emerging in the late nineteenth century, missionaries discovered something astonishing: Catholic communities had continued praying, baptizing children, teaching the faith, and waiting for priests through decades of persecution. Today, several major shrines around Seoul preserve their memory, especially the sites where executions took place along the Han River. The Korean Church wasn't originally built around a missionary arriving from somewhere else. It began with ordinary laypeople reading books, discovering the Catholic faith, and deciding it was worth risking everything to keep it. Holy Martyrs of Korea, courageous priests, families, and lay apostles who kept the faith alive, pray for us. Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - - Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/ What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition. What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

It's the Feast of St. Januarius and Companions, 3rd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "Sunday Rest", today's news from the Church: "France: Will Convents Disappear?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? [email protected] Sources Used Today: "Sunday Rest" — From the Assumption to Adventhttps://angeluspress.org/products/from-trinity-sunday-to-the-assumption "France: Will Convents Disappear?" (FSSPX.news) https://fsspx.news/en/news/france-will-convents-disappear-61083 The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press) https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook: Learn more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Wp4MQdK2oDonate:https://sspx.gifts/audiobook Saint Januarius is one of those early martyrs whose death is remarkable, but what has happened to his blood afterward has made him one of the most famous saints in Italy. Januarius, or San Gennaro as the Italians call him, was Bishop of Benevento during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian around the year 305. When several Christians were arrested near Naples, Januarius didn't keep a safe distance. He went to visit them. That got him arrested too. Among those caught up in the persecution were the deacons Festus and Proculus, the lector Desiderius, and the laymen Sosius, Eutyches, and Acutius. Ancient traditions vary on some details, but all seven came to be remembered together as companions in martyrdom. According to one popular account, they were thrown before wild beasts. The animals refused to attack. So the authorities settled on something considerably more reliable. They beheaded them. Januarius's body was eventually brought to Naples, where he became the city's great patron. But sometime afterward, another tradition appeared. A Christian woman named Eusebia was said to have collected some of Januarius's blood after his execution and preserved it in small glass ampoules. Those ampoules still exist. And this is where the story gets fascinating. Several times each year, the dried substance inside is publicly displayed in the Naples Cathedral. During the ceremony, what normally appears as a dark solid mass frequently becomes liquid. Neapolitans have been watching this happen for centuries. The best-known ceremony takes place around September 19. The cathedral fills with people, including a traditional group of local women known affectionately as the "aunts of Saint Januarius," who pray, call out to the saint, and sometimes become increasingly impatient if the liquefaction takes too long. It's one of those wonderfully human Catholic traditions. When the blood liquefies, bells ring and word quickly spreads through Naples. The Church permits devotion to the phenomenon but has not defined the liquefaction itself as a supernatural miracle. Scientists have proposed various explanations, but because the sealed relic cannot simply be opened for unrestricted testing, the phenomenon remains a fascinating subject of debate. For Neapolitans, however, San Gennaro is much more than a scientific curiosity. His image appears throughout the city. His feast fills the streets. His treasure includes centuries of gifts from kings, queens, popes, and ordinary people. Even Neapolitans who rarely enter a church often speak of him almost like a member of the family. Seventeen centuries after Januarius and his companions were executed, Naples still waits every September to see the blood of its bishop. That's a remarkable afterlife for a martyr Rome intended everyone to forget. Saint Januarius and Companions, martyrs of Campania and courageous witnesses to Christ, pray for us Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - - Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional- it's a perfect companion!Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website:https://sspx.org/ What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition. What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org