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Friday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Petronax, 670-747; joined the Benedictines in 717, and was asked by Pope Gregory to examine the ruins of Monte Cassino, which had been damaged by the Lombards in 580; rebuilt, and he served as abbot for three decades Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/6/22 Gospel: John 6:52-59

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hilary of Arles, 401-449; became bishop of Arles, France, at the age of 29; did manual labor to earn money for the poor, sold sacred vessels to ransom captives, and became a great orator; he traveled everywhere on foot, wearing simple clothing Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/5/22 Gospel: John 6:44-51

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Robert Lawrence; one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales; Carthusian at the time when King Henry VIII broke with Rome and dissolved monasteries; went with St. John Houghton to see Thomas Cromwell, who had them arrested; upon refusing to sign the Oath of Supremacy, they were tortured and killed, in 1535 Office of Readings and Morning...

Feast of Saints Philip and James, apostles Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/3/22 Gospel: John 14:6-14

Monday of the Third Week of Easter Memorial of St. Athanasius, 296-373; the great champion of the faith against the widespread heresy of Arianism, which taught that Jesus was not truly divine; the vigor of his writings earned him the title of doctor of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/2/22 Gospel: John 6:22-29

Third Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/1/22 Gospel: John 21:1-19

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, 1504-1572; tasked with implementing the reforms of the Council of Trent; built hospitals, provided food for the hungry, gave money to poor Roman converts, ordered the founding of seminaries, published a new missal, breaviary, and catechism, and established Confraternity of Christian Doctrine classes for the young Office of...

Friday of the Second Week of Easter Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380; virgin and doctor of the Church; entered the Dominican Third Order at age 18; worked for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope; worked for the unity of the Church during the Great Schism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/29/22 Gospel: John 6:1-15

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, 1803-1841; born in France, with a desire to be a missionary; joined the Marists at age 28, and was sent to Futuna Island, northeast of Fiji; mastered the language, but had little apparent success aside from a few natives who were baptized; when the chieftain's son asked to be baptized, Fr. Chanel was clubbed to death; but...

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Zita, 1212-1272; became a servant at the age of twelve; known for giving away food and clothing to the poor, and for miracles; one tradition holds that the other servants once found an angel taking Zita's place in baking and cleaning; patroness of servants Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/27/22 Gospel: John 3:16-21

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Cletus; third bishop of Rome, serving from 76 to 89 A.D., and succeeding St. Linus; known as a martyr; buried near St. Linus, on the Vatican Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/26/22 Gospel: John 3:7-15

Feast of St. Mark; author of the oldest and shortest of the four Gospels; known as a companion of both St. Peter and St. Paul; said to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt; died 68 A.D.

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/24/22 Gospel: John 20:19-31

Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Adalbert of Prague, 956-997; chosen bishop of Prague at the age of 27; exiled by those resisting his clerical reforms; returned to Prague, but was exiled again; preached near the Baltic Sea, where he was martyred by pagan priests Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/23/22 Gospel: Mark 16:9-15

Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Abdiesus; Fourth Century Persian deacon, victim of the persecutions of King Shapur II; accompanied in his martyrdom by seven other men and one woman; died 342 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/22/22 Gospel: John 21:1-14

Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Anselm, 1033-1109; entered the Bec monaster in Normandy at 27, was elected prior, and eventually abbot; began publishing his theological works; appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1093; his care and concern extended to the very poorest people Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/21/22 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Montepulciano, 1268-1317; governed a new convent at Montepulciano under the Dominican rule until her death; known for her visions and miracles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/20/22 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Alphege of Canterbury, 954-1012; lived as a hermit, then in community, becoming abbot of the Bath monastery; consecrated bishop of Winchester, then archbishop of Canterbury; told Danish invaders to turn their wrath on him, rather than on the innocent people; he was stoned and axed to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/19/22 Gospe...

Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Apollonius the Apologist; Second Century Roman senator who was arrested for being a Christian; debated the Prefect in the Roman senate, but was condemned and beheaded in 185 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/18/22 Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15

Easter Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/17/22 Gospel: John 20:1-9

Holy Saturday Saint of the Day: St. Bernadette Soubirous, 1844-1879; received a total of 18 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858; Lourdes has become one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world, known for miracles and healings; Bernadette suffered much, and died at the age of 35 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/16/22 Gospel: Luke 24:1-12

Good Friday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/15/22 Gospel: John 18:1-19:42

Holy Thursday Saint of the Day: St. Lydwine, 1380-1433; born in Holland; after an injury in her youth, she became bedridden for the rest of her life; she offered up her sufferings for the sins of humanity, and experienced visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, apparitions of Christ, and the stigmata Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/14/22 Gospel: John 13:1-15

Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Martin I, 590-655; became pope in 649; battled the heresy--favored by emperors--which held that Christ had no human will; Martin was captured and brought to Constantinople; saved from execution, he died from torture and ill treatment Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/13/22 Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

Tuesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Sabas the Goth, 334-372; converted to Christianity, and became a lector in Targoviste, Romania; under persecution by the pagan Goths, Sabas was captured and ultimately tortured and drowned, along with fifty others Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/12/22 Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38