| DIES | 28 Sun | 29Mon | 30 Tue | 01 Wed | 02 Thu | 03 Fri | 04 Sat | 05 Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officium | Dominica XVI Post Pentecosten | In Dedicatione S. Michaëlis Archangelis | S. Hieronymi Presbyteris Confessoris et Ecclesiæ Doctoris | S. Remigii Episcopi et Confessoris | Ss. Angelorum Custodum | S. Theresiæ a Jesu Infante Virginis | S. Francisci Confessoris | Dominica XVII Post Pentecosten |
| Classis | Dominica minor | Duplex I | Duplex | Simplex | Duplex majus | Duplex | Duplex majus | Dominica minor |
| Color* | Viridis | Albus | Albus | Albus | Albus | Albus | Albus | Viridis |
| Missa | Miserére mihi | Benedícite | In médio | Státuit | Benedícite | Veni de Líbano | Mihi autem | Justus es |
| Orationes | 2a. S. Wenceslai Ducis et Martyris 3a. A cunctis | NA | NA | 2a. de S. Maria 3a. ad libitum | NA | NA | NA | 2a. Ss. Placidi et Sociorum Martyrum 3a. A cunctis |
| Notae | Gl. Cr. Pref. de Trinitate | Gl. Cr. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Cr. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Pref. de Communis | Gl. Cr. Pref. de Communis |
| Nota Bene/Vel/Votiva | Missae votivae vel Requiem permittuntur |
SUNDAY
The week spanning late September to early October in the Tridentine calendar is unusually rich, a veritable tapestry of saints and mysteries. These feasts present to us a succession of witnesses — a Christian king, an archangel, a fiery scholar, an apostolic bishop, the invisible guardians of our souls, the Little Flower of Carmel, a reforming English prelate, and the poverello of Assisi. Each reveals an aspect of Christ’s lordship, and each invites us to follow Christ according to our own state of life.
28 September – St Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia (†935)
Born into the ruling Přemyslid dynasty, Wenceslaus was educated in the faith by his grandmother St Ludmila, who herself was martyred by pagan factions at court. As duke of Bohemia, Wenceslaus combined statesmanship with holiness: he promoted the building of churches, encouraged missionary activity, and worked to bring Christian justice into civil law. His murder at the hands of his own brother Boleslaus at Stará Boleslav became a national tragedy and a Christian triumph. Canonised swiftly, he has remained the patron of the Czech people and a model of the Christian ruler.
His testimony lies in showing that governance must be suffused with Christian virtue, that political authority is not an end in itself but a stewardship for God. For us, his life is a call to fidelity in whatever authority or influence we possess — to govern homes, workplaces, or communities in the spirit of justice, service, and faith.
29 September – Dedication of St Michael the Archangel
The feast of St Michael recalls the dedication of a basilica on the Via Salaria near Rome, but far more, it celebrates the role of the Archangel Michael as defender of God’s people. Michael appears in the book of Daniel as the protector of Israel, and in the Apocalypse he casts down the dragon, symbolising the triumph of divine power over satanic rebellion. In the liturgy, Michael is invoked as guardian of the Church, defender in battle, and guide of souls to heaven.
The testimony of Michael and the angelic hosts is not human in the ordinary sense, but it is real: fidelity, service, and combat in the name of God. In an age when evil often disguises itself as tolerance or progress, Michael’s example reminds us that the Christian life involves warfare — not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. To emulate Michael is to take up the weapons of prayer, fasting, and vigilance, confident that Christ has already secured the victory.
30 September – St Jerome of Bethlehem (†420)
St Jerome was born in Dalmatia and received a fine classical education in Rome. Baptised in young adulthood, he devoted himself to Scripture and asceticism, spending years as a hermit in the Syrian desert. Ordained a priest, he later settled in Bethlehem where, under the patronage of St Paula, he founded a monastic community and dedicated himself to translating the Bible into Latin. This Vulgate became the normative biblical text for Western Christendom for over a millennium. Jerome’s letters and commentaries reveal a sharp intellect and an equally sharp tongue, but always at the service of divine truth.
His testimony is the primacy of God’s Word. Jerome teaches us that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. His fierce commitment to truth over popularity challenges us in an age where compromise and relativism are more valued than clarity. We imitate Jerome by making Scripture the foundation of our prayer and moral choices, not merely an ornament of our faith.
1 October – St Remigius, Bishop of Reims (†533)
Remigius, born into a noble Gallo-Roman family, became bishop of Reims at only twenty-two years old. His long episcopate was marked by missionary zeal, culminating in the baptism of King Clovis at Christmas in 496, together with thousands of his Frankish warriors. This event, often compared to Constantine’s conversion, laid the foundation of Catholic France, which for centuries bore the title Eldest Daughter of the Church.
His testimony is the evangelisation of nations through the baptism of their rulers, not in a merely political sense, but as the ordering of civil power to Christ the King. Today, in a world that insists faith must be private, Remigius challenges us to proclaim the Gospel’s claim over all of life. We imitate him when we bring Christ into the public square, refusing to accept a divorce between faith and politics, between Gospel and culture.
2 October – The Holy Guardian Angels
Following closely after Michaelmas, the Church honours not just the prince of the heavenly host, but the countless angels whom God has assigned to guard each soul. This teaching is firmly rooted in Christ’s words: “Their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). The feast, instituted universally by Pope Paul V in 1607, emphasises God’s personal care for every believer.
The testimony of the Guardian Angels is silent but constant: they embody perfect obedience and tireless charity, watching over us, guiding us away from temptation, and interceding for us before God’s throne. To emulate them is to live in attentiveness to God’s providence and to imitate their humility by serving others, unseen and unthanked. Gratitude for their care should translate into vigilance in prayer and fidelity in small things.
3 October – St Thérèse of the Infant Jesus (†1897)
Born in Alençon, France, Thérèse Martin entered the Carmelite convent at Lisieux at just fifteen years old. Though she died of tuberculosis at twenty-four, her autobiography Story of a Soul made her one of the most beloved saints of modern times. In her “little way” of spiritual childhood, she discovered sanctity in small acts done with great love, trusting wholly in God’s mercy. Declared Patroness of the Missions and Doctor of the Church, her influence has spanned continents.
Her testimony is that holiness is attainable in the ordinary. Where the world seeks greatness in power and spectacle, Thérèse found it in hidden sacrifice and trustful surrender. To emulate her is to sanctify our everyday duties: to accept weakness, to love those nearest to us, and to do everything for love of God.
3 October – St Thomas of Hereford (†1282)
Thomas de Cantilupe, born into a distinguished English family, was educated at Oxford, Paris, and Orléans, becoming a noted scholar and canon lawyer. Appointed bishop of Hereford in 1275, he was a strict reformer, insisting on clerical discipline and defending the Church’s rights against the crown, even at personal cost. After his death at Orvieto, miracles were reported at his tomb, and his shrine at Hereford became a renowned place of pilgrimage.
His testimony is courage in the face of political pressure. In an age when the state often encroaches upon the rights of conscience, Thomas stands as a defender of the Church’s liberty and the integrity of her ministers. To emulate him is to stand firm for truth even when unpopular, to prefer fidelity to God over favour with the world.
4 October – St Francis of Assisi (†1226)
Francis, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant, renounced all worldly possessions to follow Christ in radical poverty. He founded the Order of Friars Minor, calling his brothers to live the Gospel literally — without property, in fraternity, in joy, and in preaching penance. His stigmata, received at La Verna in 1224, marked his conformity to Christ crucified. Francis’s love of creation sprang not from sentimentality but from his vision of all creatures as reflections of the Creator.
His testimony is total conformity to Christ. In him we see the Beatitudes lived without compromise. Francis challenges us to strip away our attachments — to money, to comfort, to self — and to embrace simplicity, penance, and joy. To emulate him is to live as pilgrims and strangers, seeing all things as gifts that lead us back to God.
Conclusion
From Wenceslaus to Francis, from angelic hosts to little Thérèse, these feasts remind us that the Church is never without witnesses. Their lives show us that Christ can be confessed in government, scholarship, solitude, mission, reform, hidden sacrifice, or radical poverty. What unites them all is fidelity — the willingness to lose one’s life for Christ and so to find it.
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