Daybreak

Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary; observance established by St. Pius V in 1573, in thanksgiving for a Christian victory in the Battle of Lepanto Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/7/22 Gospel: Luke 11:15-26

Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Blessed Marie Rose Durocher, 1811-1849; born in Quebec, educated by the Sisters of Notre Dame; at the bishop's invitation, she founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, dedicated to Christian education; she remained unswerving in her concern for the poor, and died at the age of 38 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer f...

Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1905-1938; born in what is now west-central Poland; as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, she carried out her work faithfully, and received revelations from the Lord Jesus--who chose to emphasize his mercy and forgiveness for sins acknowledged and confessed; thus, St. Faustina...

Tuesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226; serious illness brought him to a conversion; he heeded the Lord's call, "Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down"; he never intended to found an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted all legal strructures needed to support it; his devotion an loyalty to the Church we...

Monday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Theodora Guerin, 1798-1856; born in France; joined the Sisters of Prividence in 1823; she was sent, with five sisters, to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in 1840, to form a new religious congeregation, and care for the sick poor; she and her community persevered despite fires, crop failures, prejudice against Catholic women religious...

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/2/22 Gospel: Luke 17:5-10

Saturday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Therese of Lisieux, 1873-1897; the "Little Flower" lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the convent of Lisieux; her preference was for "hidden sacrifice," saying that "to pick up a pin for love can convert a soul"; her autobiography, "The Story of a Soul," is read and loved throughout the world Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for...

Friday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Jerome, 345-420; avid student, thorough scholar, prodigious letter-writer, and consultant to monk, bishop, and pope; translated the Bible into what became known as the Vulgate; traveled extensively in Palestine, and settled in Bethlehem, in what was believed to be the cave of the Lord's nativity, where he died Office of Readings and Morning...

Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael Thursday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/29/22 Gospel: John 1:47-51

Wednesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, 907-935; born near Prague, the son of Duke Wratislaw, who was murdered; after a coup in 922, Wenceslaus became the ruler; after Wenceslaus had a son, his brother Boleslaus was no longer successor to the throne, so he and a group of dissenters murdered Wenceslaus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/28/22 Gospel...

Tuesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Vincent de Pau, 1580-1660; became leader of what is now known as the Congreagation of Mission, or the Vincentians, who devote themselves to people in smaller towns and villages; eventually formed confraternities, from which sprang the Daughters of Charity; patron of all charitable societies Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/27/22...

Monday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian; Third Century brothers skilled in the science of medicine; took no money for their services; captured as Christians during the persecution of Diocletian, tortured, and martyred; the patrons of pharmacists Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/26/22 Gospel: Luke 9:46-50

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/25/22 Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Saturday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Rupert of Salzburg, 660-710; as bishop of Worms, he was asked to evangelize Bavaria; he converted Duke Theodo II, and built the abbey of St. Peter and the Nonnberg convent; converted pagan temples into Christian churches, and established the salt-mining industry, from which the city takes its name Office of Readings and Morning Praye...

Friday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), 1887-1968; grew up in a family of farmers in southern Italy; joined the Capuchins at age 15; received a vision of Jesus in 1918, and when the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet, and side; heard confessions up to ten hours per day; cures were reported through his intercession Office of Reading...

Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Phocas the Gardener; Third and Fourth Century gardener in Sinope, now in Turkey; shared with the poor, and offered lodging to travelers; when pagan Roman authorities found out he was a Christian, they sent soldiers to capture him; they stopped--unknowingly--at his house for the night; in the morning, when Phocas revealed his identity...

Feast of St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist; former tax collector who was called by Jesus to be one of The Twelve Wednesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/21/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13

Tuesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and companions, the Korean martyrs; Pope John Paul II canonized 100 Koreans and three French missionaries who had been martyred between 1839 and 1867, when he visited Korea in 1984 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/20/22 Gospel: Luke 8:19-21

Monday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Januarius; believed to have been martyred in Diocletian's persecution of 305 A.D.; a vial of what is believed to be his blood is kept in the Cathedral in Naples, and liquifies several times per year Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/19/22 Gospel: Luke 8:16-18

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/18/22 Gospel: Luke 16:1-13

Saturday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine, 1542-1621; born in Italy, entered the Jesuits in 1560; eventually became Provincial of Naples and a Cardinal; spiritual father of St. Aloysius Gonzaga; helped St. Francis de Sales obtain formal approval of the Visitation Order; left a host of important writings Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/17/22 G...

Friday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian; Third Century pope and bishop, respectively, who dealt with the Novatian heresy, which held that apostates could not be readmitted to the Church, even after repenting; under Roman persecution, Cornelius was martyred in 253, and Cyprian in 258. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/16/22 Gospel: Luke 8:1-3

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Thursday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/15/22 Gospel: John 19:25-27

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Wednesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/14/22 Gospel: John 3:13-17

Tuesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, 344-407; born in Antioch; lived as an anchorite but poor health forced him to return to Antioch; he was ordained and eventually elevated to the see of Constantinople; his enemies had him exiled, and later to further exile in Pythius; he died on his way to Pythius Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/13/22 Gospel: Luk...