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Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus; Timothy was a convert of St. Paul, around the year 47, and later joined him in his apostolic work; Titus was a close friend and disciple of Paul, and a fellow missionary; known as a peacemaker, administrator, and great friend; both died around 95 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/26/23 Gospel: Mark 4:2...

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/25/23 Gospel: Mark 16:15-18

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; studied law at Padua, and later was ordained and elected provost of the Diocese of Geneva, then a center for the Calvinists, whom he worked to convert; became bishop of Geneva at 35; wrote "Introduction to the Devout Life" and "A Treatise on the Love of God"; worked with St. Jane Frances de Chantal to establish...

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Marianne Cope; as provincial of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse, New York, she led a team to Hawaii to run the receiving station for those suspected of having leprosy; opened a hospital and school for girls on the island of Maui; opened a home for "unprotected women and girls" on Molokai, where she also took...

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/23 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agnes; lived in the Third Century; legend has it that she was a beautiful young woman, desired by many men; one whom she refused reported to authorities as a Christian; she was arrested and confined to a house of prostitution; one man who looked at her lustfully was blinded, but regained his sight as a result of her prayer; she was conde...

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Fabian, 200-250; a Roman layman who came into the city as the next pope was about to be elected, when a dove rested on his head, and he was selected unanimously; led the Church for 14 years, and died a martyr's death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/20/23 Gospel: Mark 3:13-19

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Henry of Sweden; Englishman residing at Rom; named bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in 1152; journey with King Eric to Finland, where a battle erupted, and was won by the Swedes; Henry remained to baptize and evangelize; slain by a convicted murderer whom he had excommunicated Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/19/23 Gospel: Mar...

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Margaret of Hungary, 1242-1272; a princess, entered the Dominican novitiate at the age of 12; objected to any special treatment, and went out of her way to perform the most menial tasks, and serve the poor and sick Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/18/23 Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Egypt, 251-356; gave his large inheritance to the poor at the age of 20, and spent most of his life in solitude; at 54, he founded a sort of monastery with scattered cells; at 60, he hoped to be a martyr in the Roman persecution; at 88, he fought the Arian heresy; died in solitude at age 105 Office of Readings and Morning Praye...

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Fursey; 7th Century Irish monastic founder; founded Rathmat Abbey; in 630, he went to East Anglia, where he founded a monastery near Ugremouth; later, he went to France to build a monastery near Paris; St. Bede and other wrote about his intense ecstasies; died 650 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/16/23 Gospel: Mark 2:...

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/15/23 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Felix of Nola; third century heir to an estate in Italy, who donated it to the poor; ordained by Bishop St. Maximus; Maximus fled a persecution, and Felix was seized, but reputedly released by an angel, and brought Maximus back to Nola; Felix spent the rest of his life on a small piece of land, sharing with the poor; died 255 A.D. O...

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Hilary, 315-368; raised a pagan, met the God of nature in scriptures, and converted; fought the Arian heresy, and was banished from France by the Emperor; some semi-Arians invited him to a council to countereact the Council of Nicea, but he defended the Church; the Arians pleaded with the emperor to "send this troublemaker back hom...

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Benedict Biscop, 628-690; served King Oswui of Northumbria as a warrior until his first of numerous visits to Rome; appointed abbot of Saints Peter and Paul monastery (now St. Augustine's) in Canterbury; assured Pope Agatho of the orthodoxy of the English church; and brought back many additions to th elibraries at Wearmouth and Jarr...

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch, 423-529; born in Cappadocia (modern Turkey); entered a monastery, and was later named head of a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem; departed to live as a hermit; attracted many followers, and built a monastery; appointed visitor to all of the cenobitical communities of Palestine; opposed the spread of...

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-395; brother of St. Basil the great, who raised him, along with their sister Macrina; became bishop of Nyssa in 372, a period of tension over the Arian heresy; Gregory wrote with great effectiveness against Ariansim and other heresies; he is seen as a great contributor to the mystical tradition in Christian spir...

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/23 Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Saturday of the Second Week of Christmas Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Pennafort, 1175-1275; became a famous teacher, and gave it up to join the Dominicans; with King James of Aragon and St. Peter Nolasco he founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom; went with King James to Majorca, where the king set a poor example; Raymond told him to send the woman away, but the king did not; Raymond left t...

Friday of the Second Week of Christmas Saint of the Day: St. André Bessette, 1845-1937; entered the Congregation of Holy Cross, and served as doorkeeper; spent most nights on his knees; visited and prayed with the sick; volunteered to nurse when an epidemic broke out at a nearby college; helped to build the Oratory of St. Joseph on Mount Royal in Montreal Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for...

12th Day of Christmas Memorial of St. John Neumann, 1811-1860; born in what is now the Czech Republic, came to New York at the age of 25, and was ordained a priest; joined the Redemptorists, and became bishop of Philadelphia; organized the parochial school system in a diocesan one, increasing the number of pupils twentyfold; first American bishop to be beatified Office of Readings and Morning Pray...

11th Day of Christmas Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821; founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity; opened the first American parish school; established the first American Catholic orphanage; first American-born citizen to be canonized Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/4/23

10th Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/3/23 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Ninth Day of Christmas Memorial of Saints Basil the Great (330-379) and Gregory Nazianzen (329-390); childhood friends; Basil founded monasteries, and wrote a rule which became important in the guidance of religious communities in the east; ordained bishop of Caesarea in 370; Gregory followed a similar path, ordained a priest, though he longed for the life of a monk; ordained a bishop by Basil; th...