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Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, 1303-1373; had visions of Christ crucified from her childhood; her husband, King Magnus II gave her property to found a monastery, and the group eventually became known as the Bridgetines; made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1350, and never returned to Sweden, dying on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land Office of Readings a...

Feast of St. Mary Magdalene; the first person to witness the resurrected Christ; the "apostle to the apostles"; died about 63 A.D. Friday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/22/22 Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18

Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559-1619; possessed a gift of languages; as a Capuchin, he preached to the Jews in Italy--and the rabbis felt sure he was a Jew who had become a Christian, because of his knowledge of Hebrew; became minister general of the Capuchins in 1602; served as a papal emissary and peacemaker; died of serious illness...

Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Apollinaris; appointed bishop of Ravenna, Italy, by St. Peter; exiled from the city three times by pagans; when he returned a fourth time, he was beaten so badly that he died from his wounds, about 79 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/20/22 Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9

Tuesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Macrina the Younger; engaged to be married at 12, but her fiance died; she and her mother formed a community dedicated to prayer and contemplation at the family estate; wheh her mother died, Macrina served as head of the group until her death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/19/22 Gospel: Matthew 12:46-50

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/17/22 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

Saturday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/16/22 Gospel: Matthew 12:14-21

Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bonaventure, 1221-1274; served as General Minister of the Franciscan Order for 17 years; structured the Order through effective legislation; offered the friars and organized spirituality based on the vision and insights of St. Francis, combining practical aspects of life with doctrines of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for...

Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, 1656-1680; born in New York; suffered a smallpox epidemic which left her disfigured and half-blind; moved by the words of the Jesuit missionaries, and converted, baptized on Easter Sunday; traveled to a Christian Indian village near Montreal; took a vow of virginity and fasted for the conversion of her nation Office of R...

Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Henry, 972-1024; German king and Holy Roman Emperor; a practical man of affairs; helped Pope Benedict VIII quell disturbances in Rome Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/13/22 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-27

Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Veronica; the woman who offered a cloth to Jesus so he could wipe his face on the way to His crucifixion; the image of His face was imprinted on the cloth; Veronica is not mentioned in scripture, but is known through tradition, and in the Sixth Station of the Cross Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/12/22 Gospel: Matthew 11:2...

Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Benedict, 480-547; became a hermit, and lived in a cave for three years; some monks wanted him to be their leader, but they disliked his strictness; he eventually built the monastery of Monte Cassino, and developed a rule of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor, and living together under a common abbot Office of Readings and Morning Prayer...

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/10/22 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, the Chinese martyrs; The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/9/22 Gospel: `Matthew 10:24-33

Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne-Marie Kerguin, 1864-1900; born in France to a poor peasant family; joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1867; assigned first to Parish, then to Carthage in Northern Africa; went to China in 1899, and was executed in a crackdown on foreign missionaries during the Boxer Rebellion Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for...

Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Palladius, 408-450; first bishop of Ireland, immediate predecessor to St. Patrick; sent by Pope Celestine I to preach to the Irish, but made little impact; sailed for Scotland to preach among the Picts, and died shortly after his arrival Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/7/22 Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15

Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, 1890-1902; at nearly 12 years of age, she was attacked by a young man, Alessandro, who tried to violate her; in the struggle, he stabbed her; her last hours were marked by concern for her mother, forgiveness of her murderer, and reception of Viaticum; while in prison, Alessandro had a vision of Maria offering him f...

Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, 1271-1336; married to Denis, king of Portugal; practiced piety, and helped pilgrims, strangers, the sick, and the poor; after the death of her husband, she retired as a Franciscan tertiary to a monastery of Poor Clares Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/5/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:32-38

Independence Day in the United States (Optional Memorial) Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/4/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/3/22 Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Otto of Bamberg, 1060-1139; appointed bishop of Bamberg in 1103, consecrated by Pope Paschal II in 1108; Otto was instrumental in the reconciliation between the Pope and Emperor Henry V; headed a missionary effort to Pomerania, and is known as the Apostle of Pomerania Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/2/22 Gospel: Matthew 9...

Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Junipero Serra, 1713-1784; born in Majorca, became a Franciscan, and landed in Mexico in 1750; spent the rest of life working for the conversion of the peoples of the New World Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/1/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13

Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome; when Rome burned in 64 A.D., Nero used the Christians as scapegoats, and executed many Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/30/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/29/22 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19

Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Irenaeus, 130-202; bishop of Lyons, opposed the heretic Gnostics, contrasting their teachings with those of the apostles and the texts of Holy Scripture; through his work, the influence of the Gnostics gradually ended Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/28/22 Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27