| DIES | 14 Sun | 15 Mon | 16 Tue | 17 Wed | 18 Thu | 19 Fri | 20 Sat | 21 Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officium | In Exaltatione Sanctæ Crucis | Septem Dolorum Beatæ Mariæ Virginis | Ss. Cornelii Papæ et Cypriani Episcopi, Martyrum | Impressionis Stigmatum S. Francisci | S. Josephi de Cupertino Confessoris | S. Januarii Episcopi et Sociorum Martyrum | Ss. Eustachii et Sociorum Martyrum | S. Matthæi Apostoli et Evangelistæ |
| Classis | Duplex | Duplex II | Semiduplex | Duplex | Duplex | Duplex | Duplex | Duplex II |
| Color* | Rubeum | Albus | Rubeum | Albus | Albus | Rubeum | Rubeum | Rubeum |
| Missa | Nos autem | Stabant juxta | Intret in | Mihi autem | Diléctio Dei | Salus autem | Sapiéntiam | Os justi |
| Orationes | 2a. Dominica XIV Post Pent. 3a. VII die infra Octavam Nat. B.M.V. | 2a. S. Nicomedis Martyris | 2a. Ss. Euphemiæ, Luciæ et Geminiani Martyrum 3a. A cunctis | 2a. Feria Quarta Quattuor Temporum Septembris | NA | 2a. Feria Sexta Quattuor Temporum Septembris | 2a. Sabbato Quattuor Temporum Septembris | 2a. Dominica XV Post Pentecosten |
| Notae | Gl. Cr. Pref. de Sancta Cruce Ev. Propr. ad fin.Missae | Gl. Seq. Cr. Pref. de Beata Maria Virgine | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Cr. Pref. de Apostolis Ev. Propr. ad fin.Missae |
| Nota Bene/Vel/Votiva | Missae votivae vel Requiem permittuntur |
14 September – The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
This feast commemorates two historical events: the finding of the True Cross by St Helena in Jerusalem around 326, and the recovery of the Cross from the Persians by Emperor Heraclius in 628. More profoundly, it exalts the mystery of the Cross itself as the instrument of salvation. In the liturgy, the Cross is not only a symbol of suffering but a throne of victory, the ladder to heaven, and the standard of Christ’s kingship.
The Fathers of the Church saw in the Cross the reversal of Adam’s sin, the tree of death becoming the tree of life. By lifting up the Cross, the Church proclaims the paradox of Christian glory: that through death comes life, and through humiliation comes exaltation. To venerate the Cross is to embrace our share in Christ’s Passion.
We are called not to flee the Cross but to take it up daily. To exalt the Cross is to prefer God’s will above our own, to endure trials with patience, and to see in every suffering an opportunity for union with Christ. In this way, the Cross becomes for us not a stumbling block, but a sign of triumph and a pledge of eternal life.
15 September – Our Lady of Sorrows
The Church turns from the triumph of the Cross to the compassion of Mary at its foot. Instituted first by the Servite Order in the 13th century and extended to the whole Church, this feast honours the Blessed Virgin’s share in her Son’s Passion, especially in the “seven sorrows” traditionally meditated upon: Simeon’s prophecy, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child in the Temple, the meeting with Jesus on the way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the taking down of His body, and His burial.
Mary’s suffering was unique, for she endured not only physical anguish but the sword that pierced her heart (Luke 2:35), uniting her interiorly to the sacrifice of the Cross. By her fidelity, she became the “Queen of Martyrs,” suffering with her Son and offering Him in love for the salvation of the world.
Her witness calls us to stand at the foot of the Cross in our own lives—sharing Christ’s sufferings with patience, interceding for others, and uniting our sorrows with hers. We emulate her by remaining faithful in trial, steadfast in compassion, and hopeful even in grief, trusting that suffering borne in Christ is transformed into redemption and glory.
16 September – Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
The joint commemoration of Pope Cornelius and Bishop Cyprian highlights the unity of the Church under trial. Pope Cornelius reigned during the Decian persecution in the mid-third century, a time when countless Christians lapsed under the threat of torture or death. Faced with the rigorist challenge of the anti-pope Novatian, Cornelius upheld the Church’s ancient discipline: apostates could be reconciled after sincere penance. This pastoral decision preserved both the truth of faith and the mercy of Christ, against the divisive severity of schismatics.
Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage and a man of eloquence and learning, defended Cornelius and taught that “he cannot have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother.” Cyprian himself faced martyrdom under Emperor Valerian in 258, choosing beheading rather than renouncing Christ. Cornelius died earlier in exile, a confessor of the faith. Together, their feast proclaims the balance of truth and mercy, unity and pastoral care.
Their lives challenge us to resist both laxity and rigorism in our spiritual lives: to hold firm in faith, but never to close the door of mercy to the repentant. They remind us that fidelity to the visible Church, even when persecuted or divided, is fidelity to Christ Himself.
17 September – The Impression of the Stigmata on St Francis of Assisi
Two years before his death, in September 1224, Francis of Assisi withdrew to Mount La Verna for prayer and fasting in preparation for the feast of St Michael. While absorbed in contemplation of the Passion, he beheld a vision of the Crucified, in the form of a seraph, and when the vision faded he found upon his body the sacred wounds of Christ: in his hands and feet, and in his side. This extraordinary grace was the first recorded instance of the stigmata, marking Francis as an image of the Crucified in his own flesh.
Francis bore the wounds with humility, concealing them from most, but their presence testified to his perfect conformity to Christ’s sufferings. His body became a living icon of the Cross, a sign to the world of the depth of his union with the Lord. The feast of the stigmata reminds us that to be a Christian is to be marked by the Passion, not necessarily outwardly but inwardly: by patient endurance, by mortification of pride and selfishness, and by charity in the midst of trial. We may not bear visible wounds, but we are all called to bear the imprint of Christ’s Cross in our lives, through sacrifice and self-denial united with love.
18 September – St Joseph of Cupertino, Confessor
Joseph Desa, born in Cupertino in 1603, grew up in poverty and obscurity. As a child he was ridiculed for his slowness of mind, and as a young man he struggled with his studies. Rejected by some orders, he was eventually admitted by the Conventual Franciscans as a humble lay brother, later ordained a priest by divine providence. God rewarded his humility and perseverance with extraordinary mystical gifts.
Most striking were the ecstasies and levitations that overtook him in prayer. At the mention of God or during the celebration of Mass, he would be carried into rapture, sometimes rising into the air before astonished witnesses. These phenomena brought both fame and suffering: Joseph was often misunderstood, restricted, or transferred, but he bore it all with obedience and meekness. He died in 1663, known for his holiness and simplicity.
Joseph of Cupertino teaches us that holiness is not found in worldly brilliance or human approval, but in humility and surrender. His life is proof that God chooses the weak to confound the strong, and that even our limitations can become the stage for God’s power. In a world obsessed with success and achievement, his example calls us to embrace simplicity, obedience, and trust in divine providence.
19 September – St Januarius and Companion Martyrs
During the persecution under Diocletian around 305, Januarius, Bishop of Benevento, was arrested along with deacons, priests, and lay companions. They were condemned to death in Pozzuoli. Tradition holds that when thrown to wild beasts in the amphitheatre, the animals refused to harm them, and so they were instead beheaded. Januarius’s courage and leadership strengthened the Christians of Campania, and his cult quickly spread. His relics were brought to Naples, where his blood is preserved in a vial that, on certain feast days, is said to liquefy — a wonder that has long inspired the faithful.
The veneration of St Januarius, or San Gennaro, is not only about miracles, but about fidelity. He and his companions remind us that no earthly power can overcome Christ’s life in the soul. Their calm courage before death echoes the words of Christ: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” To emulate them is to live with fearless fidelity, refusing compromise in matters of faith, and trusting that the grace of God sustains us even in persecution.
20 September – St Eustace and Companion Martyrs
The Acts of St Eustace tell of a Roman general named Placidus, who, while hunting, saw a stag with a crucifix between its antlers and heard a call to conversion. Baptised with his wife Theopista and sons Agapius and Theopistus, he took the name Eustace. After trials of exile, loss, and restoration, he and his family were finally condemned under Emperor Hadrian for refusing to sacrifice to the gods. According to tradition, they were put to death together, roasted in a bronze bull.
Though the historic details may be uncertain, the Church venerates Eustace and his family as martyrs who preferred fidelity to Christ over honour, wealth, or even life itself. Their story speaks especially to the sanctification of family life: husband, wife, and children united in faith and martyrdom. They show that holiness is not individual only, but communal, and that the Christian family itself can be a witness to the Gospel.
To emulate them is to put Christ first in our families, to let faith shape every decision, and to accept trials together with trust in God. In their story, the splendour of worldly glory is set aside for the eternal crown of life.
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