Daybreak

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/19/21 Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

Saturday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph of Cupertino, 1603-1663; fond of prayer, even as a child; joined the Conventual Franciscans, and studied for priesthood; gained much knowledge from prayer; his tendency to levitate during prayer became a cross for him, and he was transferred several times; reported to and investigated by the Inquisition, and was exonerated Off...

Friday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine, 1542-1621; Italian Jesuit who eventually became a cardinal; defended Rome against anti-clericals, and against political tenets of James I of England; wrote against the prevailing heretics of is day; spiritual father of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and helped St. Francis de Sales get formal approval of the Visitation orde...

Thursday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian; Cornelius, pope, and Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, dealt with the Novatian heresy in the Third Century, which held that apostates could not re-enter the Church, even after repenting; both were arrested in persecutions, and both were martyred Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/16/21 Gospel: Luke 7:36-50

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Wednesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/15/21 Gospel: John 19:25-27

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Tuesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/14/21 Gospel: John 3:13-17

Monday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, 344-407; called “Chrysostom,” or “golden-mouthed,” because of eloquence; lived as an anchorite from 374 to 386; became bishop of Constantinople in 398, but had enemies in high places; he died while on his way to exile in Pythius Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/13/21 Gospel: Luke 7:1-10

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/12/21 Gospel: Mark 8:27-35

Saturday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Paphnutius; student, in the desert, of St. Anthony; became bishop of the Upper Thebaid, and suffered persecution under Emperor Maximinus; upon returning to his flock, he zealously defended the Catholic faith against the Arian heresy, and was an outstandin present at the council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Pra...

Friday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Finian; 6th Century Irish abbot, disciple of Saints Colman and Mochae; became a monk in Strathclyde, ordained in Rome; founded several monasteries, and became abbot of Moville, County Down, Ireland; known for miracles, including moving a river; died 579 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/10/21 Gospel: Luke 6:39-42

Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Peter Claver, 1580-1654; Spanish Jesuit who traveled to Cartagena (modern-day Colombia) to serve the black slaves; through his efforts, 300,000 souls entered the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/9/21 Gospel: Luke 6:27-38

Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/8/21 Gospel: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

Tuesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Cloud, 522-560; heir to a portion of the Frankish kingdom, but escaped an attempt to kill him by his uncle and brother; he made no attempt to recover his kingdom; put himself under the discipline of St. Severinus, near Paris; instructed the people of the neighboring country for the rest of his life Office of Readings and Morning Praye...

Monday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Eleutherius; 6th Century abbot of St. Mark’s near Spoleto, and favored by God with the gift of miracles; reputed to have raised a dead man to life; died in St. Andrew’s monastery in Rome 585 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/6/21 Gospel: Luke 6:6-11

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/5/21 Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

Saturday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Rosalia, 1130-1160; descendant of Charlemagne; spent much of her adult life in a cave, practicing great mortifications, in constant communion with God; died alone in 1160; her body wasn’t discovered until 1625 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/4/21 Gospel: Luke 6:1-5

Friday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, 540-604; elected pope at the age of 50; removed unworthy priests from office, forbade taking money for many services, ransomed prisoners of the Lombards, and cared for persecuted Jews and victims of plague and famine; known for his reformof the liturgy, and for strengthening respect for doctrine; one of the four key doctor...

Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Ingrid of Sweden; first Dominican nun in Sweden; founded the first Dominican cloister in Sweden in 1281; died 1281 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/2/21 Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Giles, 650-710; Athenian of noble birth, so conspicuous by his piety that he sailed for France, and eventually settled in the Diocese of Nimes; spent many years in solitude, conversing only with God; founded a monastery which eventually embraced the rule of St. Benedict Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/1/21 Gospel: Luke 4...

Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Aidan of Lindisfarne; born in Ireland, went to Lindisfarne as bishop; know for his knowledge of the Bible, his learning, his eloquent preaching, his holiness, distaste for pomp, kindness to the poor, and for the miracles attributed to him; founded a monastery at Lindisfarne which became a center of learning and missionary activity for...

Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne Jugan, 1792-1879; born in northern France, during the French Revolution; lived a life of serving the poor, sick and elderly; in 1839, she and her friends brought in their first permanent guest, and formed an association, the Little Sisters of the Poor; by 1853, the association numbered 500 and had houses as far away as England O...

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/29/21 Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Augustine of Hippo, bishop and doctor of the Church, 354-430; sinner-turned-saint; lived a wild youth, but converted through the prayers of his mother and the instruction of St. Ambrose; in his day, he fulfilled the role of prophet Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/28/21 Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30

Friday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Monica, 330-387; mother of St. Augustine; Monica prayed for Augustine–who was living an immoral life–to return to the faith; her prayers were answered when St. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose in 387; shortly afterward, Monica took ill and died, “all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” Office of Readings...

Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Bichier, 1773-1838; Upon the death of her father she devoted herself to teaching and caring for the sick and needy; after her mother died, she joined the Carmelites, and later the Society of Providence; in 1806, she and four assistants formed the Daughter of the Cross Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/26/21 Gospel: Matthew...