Daybreak

Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787; founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer--the Redemptorists--in 1732; appointed bishop of St. Agatha in 1756, where he served until his health was failing; died in his convent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/1/22 Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/31/22 Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, 380-450; became bishop of Ravenna in 433; got rid of the last vestiges of paganism and other abuses among his people; counseled the heretic Eutyches, who had asked for his support Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/30/22 Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12

Friday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus; siblings who were close friends of Jesus; Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus; Martha's great glory is in her statement of faith, "Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the who is coming into the world." Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/29/22 Gospel: John 11...

Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: Pope St. Innocent I, 378-417; emphasized papal supremacy, encouraged clerical celibacy, and fought the unjust removal of St. John Chrysostom Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/28/22 Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53

Wednesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: Saints Natalie and Aurelius; Aurelius, orphaned as a child, was secretly raised a Christian by his aunt during Moorish persecution; Aurelius married Natalie, who converted to Christianity; they were martyred for practicing their faith openly in 852 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/27/22 Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46

Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/18/22 Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42

Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Joachim and Anne represent an entire quite series of generations who faithfully perform their duties, practice their faith, and establish an atmosphere for the coming of the Messiah Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/26/22 Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43

Feast of St. James, apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of St. John; martyred about 44 A.D. Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/25/22 Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/24/22 Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

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...