Daybreak

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Andrew Corsini, 1302-1374; wild as a youth, he was converted and became a Carmelite monk; known as the Apostle of Florence, a prophet, and a miracle worker; named bishop of Fiesole in 1349 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/4/22 Gospel: Mark 6:14-29

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Blaise; a good bishop, but as persecution continued in Armenia, he fled to the back country and lived as a hermit; as hunters took him to prison, he was approached by a mother with a young son who had a fish bone stuck in his throat--which was remedied by St. Blaise; Blaise was tortured and executed in 316 A.D. Office of Reading...

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/2/22 Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Brigid of Ireland, 451-525; born into slavery; unable to keep from feeding the poor and healing them; patroness of Ireland, dairymaids, cattle, midwives, Irish nuns, and newborn babies Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/1/22 Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Bosco, 1815-1888; known for his work with young boys; founded the Salesians in 1859 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/31/22 Gospel: Mark 5:1-20

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/30/22 Gospel: Luke 4:21-30

Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Dallan; kinsman of St. Edan of Ferns; became blind, theoretically, because of his hard work studying; wrote a poem in honor of St. Columba, and when it was published after Columba's death, Dallan's sight was restored; Dallan was murdered by pirates in 598 A.D.

Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274; preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation; the unity harmony, and continuity of faith and reason, of revealed and natural human knowledge, pervades his writings Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/28/22 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici, 1474-1540; founded the first teaching congregation of women, and founded the first of what are now called "secular institutes" in the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/27/22 Gospel: Mark 4:21-25

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus; both companions of St. Paul; Timothy was with Paul at the founding of the Church in Corinth; Titus was the administrator of the Christian community on the island of Crete; both died about 95 A.D. Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/26/22 Gospel: Mark 4:1-20

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/25/22 Gospel: Mark 16:15-18

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; became provost and the bishop of Geneva, a center for Calvinists, whom Francis sought to convert, with much success; for his writings, he was named patron of the Catholic press; worked with St. Jane Frances de Chantal to establish the Sisters of the Visitation Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/24/22 Go...

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/23/22 Gospel: Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/22 Gospel: Mark 3:20-21

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr; legend holds that she was a beautiful young girl, and was reported by a would-be suitor for being a Christian; she was arrested and confined to a house of prostitution; she was condemned, executed, and buried near Rome Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/21/22 Gospel: Mark 3:13-19

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Fabian; Eusebius relates that Fabian visited Rome during a papal election, and a dove rested on him, which was seen as a sign, and he was elected pope; he built up the structure of the Church of Rome, appointed seven deacons, and helped to collect the acts of the martyrs; died 250 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1...

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Wulfstan, 1008-1095; bishop of Worcester, England; after the Norman conquest, he was the lone bishop to be kept in his post by William the Conqueror; struggled to alleviate the harsh decrees of the Normans upon the defeated Saxons Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/19/22 Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Margaret of Hungary, 1242-1271; joined the Dominicans in a royal convent on an island in the Danube; as a princess among nuns of noble heritage, she refused special treatment, and performed the most menial tasks Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/18/22 Gospel: Mark 2:23-28

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Egypt, 251-356; gave up his inheritance, and spent most of his life in solitude; attracted many people for spiritual healing and guidance; founded a monastery of "scattered cells"; hoped to be a martyr in the Roman persecution of 311; fought the Arian heresy; died at 105 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer forr 1/17/22 Gospel:...

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/16/22 Gospel: John 2:1-11

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Arnold Jansen, 1837-1909; born in Germany; founded the Society of the Divine Word in 1875, to provide priests and lay brothers for the missions; founded the Servant Sisters of the Holy Ghost for the missions in 1889 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/15/22 Gospel: Mark 2:13-17

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Felix of Nola, Third Century; ordained by Bishop St. Maximus, and became his assistant; imprisoned during Decius' persecution; chosen bishop on Maximus' death, but declined, and lived on a small piece of land, sharing what he had with the poor; miracles were reported at his tomb Office of Readings and Morning Prayer forr 1/14/22 Gospe...

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Hilary of Poitiers, 315-368; battled the heresy of Arianism, and was exiled for his defense of the faith; when he sought public debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians pleaded with the emperor to "send this troublemaker back home," to Poitiers, where he was welcomed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer fo...

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Aelred of Rievaulx, 1110-1167; Cestercian abbot of Rievaulx; wrote "The Mirror of Charity" at the request of Bernard of Clairvaux Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/12/22 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Paulinus of Aquileia, 726-804; with the intervention of Charlemagne, he was chosen archbishop of Aquilieia in 787; he was a zealous defender of the faith, refuting the heresy of Adoptionism; he reiterated the Church's Trinitarian teaching of the procession of the Holy Spirit from both the Father and the Son; and he stressed the need...