Daybreak

Wednesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226; following an illness, prayer led Francis to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road; he gave up all of his possessions; he had no intention of founding an order, but once it began, he protected it and accepted all legal structures needed to support it; during his...

Tuesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Mother Theodore Guerin, 1798-1856; foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana; a visionary, a model of virtue, and a source of inspiration and hope; canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006; patron of the Roman Catholic diocese of Lafayette, in Indiana Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/3/23 Gos...

Monday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Guardian Angels; celestial beings assigned to represent us before God, watch over us always, aid our prayer, and present our souls to God at death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/2/23 Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/1/23 Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32

Saturday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Jerome, 345-420; eminent scripture scholar; responsible for the translation of the Bible which came to be known as the Vulgate; a mystic, he traveled extensively in Palestine, marking each spot of Christ's life with devotion; he settled in Bethlehem, living in the cave believed to be the birthplace of Christ; Jerome died in Bethlehem Offic...

Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael Friday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/29/23 Gospel: John 1:47-51

Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, 907-929; raised as a Christian by his aunt, to become the ruler of Bohemia; his rule was marked by efforts toward unification within Bohemia, support of the Church, and peace-making negotiations with Germany; in a plot against him, his brother Boleslav invited him to the celebration of Saints Cosmas and Damian, and mur...

Wednesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, 1580-1660; founder of the Congregation of the Mission, aka the Vincentians; with the help of St. Louise de Marillac, he also helped to found the Daughters of Charity; patron of all charitable societies, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/27/23 Gospel: Luke 9:1-6 

Tuesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian; brothers born in Arabia, known for their skill in the science of medicine; as Christians, they took no money for their services; under the persecution of Diocletian, they became targets; they were arrested, tortured, and martyred in about the year 283 A.D.; they are the patrons of pharmacists Office of Reading...

Monday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Albert of Jerusalem, 1149-1215; born in Parma, Italy, llikely of a noble family; as Patriarch of Jerusalem, the hermits on Mount Carmel asked him to establish a rule of life for them, constituting the beginning of the Carmelite order; Albert was assassinated on his way to the Lateran council Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/...

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/24/23 Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16a

Saturday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, aka Padre Pio, 1887-1968; grew up in a family of farmers in southern Italy; joined the Capuchins at age 15; ordained in 1910; in 1918, after mass, he received a vision of Jesus; after the vision, he had the stigmata on his hands, feet, and side; busloads of people came to see him, and he heard confessions for up to ten...

Friday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Phocas the Gardener; lived in the Third and Fourth Centuries in Sinope, earning his living cultivating a garden; he shared with the poor, and provided lodging to travelers; when his identity as a Christian became known to the pagan Roman authorities, soldiers were dispatched to arrest Phocas; they stopped at his home for lodging, unawa...

Feast of St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist Thursday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/21/23 Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13

Wednesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and companions, martyrs; during the 19th Century persecutions of Christians in Korea, 103 gave their lives as martyrs, including some bishops and priests, and lay people--men and women, married and unmarried, children, young people, and the elderly Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/20/23...

Tuesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Januarius; bishop of Benevento during the persecution of Diocletian; arrested while visiting clergy and laymen in prison, and executed; a vial of his blood is kept in Naples as a relic, and liquifies when exposed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/19/23 Gospel: Luke 7:11-17

Monday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph of Cupertino, 1603-1663; showed a fondness for prayer even as a child; joined the Capuchins, and then the Conventual Franciscans; ordained a priest in 1628; tended to levitate during prayer, and this often became a cross for him, as people would come to see him as a curiosity; he was investigated and exonerated by the Inquisitio...

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/17/23 Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Saturday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian; Third Century pope and bishop, respectively, who were friends; Cornelius had to deal with the controversy of readmission of those who had left the Church during persecution; he ordered that they be readmitted with the Sacrament of Penance Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/16/23 Gospel: Luke 6:43-49

Friday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows; Biblical references are found in Luke and John--Simeon’s prediction about a sword piercing Mary’s soul, and Jesus' words from the Cross to Mary and John Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/15/23 Gospel: John 19:25-27

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/14/23 Gospel: John 3:13-17

Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, 344-407; bishop and doctor of the Church; born in Antioch; lived as an anchorite for two years, but poor health forced him to return to Antioch; ordained a priest, and elevated to the see of Constantinople; his enemies included Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria, and the empress Eudoxia, who forced him into exile; his en...

Tuesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary; a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus; the feast began in Spain in 1513, and was extended to the entire Church by Pope Innocent XI Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/12/23 Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

Monday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Paphnutius; Egyptian who became bishop of Upper Thebaid; tortured under Emperor Maximinus; returned to his flock when peace was restored; zealous in defending the Catholic faith against the Arian heresy; a major figure in the first General Council of the Church at Nicea in 325 A.D.; date of death unknown Office of Readings and Morning...

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/10/23 Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20