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Thursday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Adelaide, 932-999; when her husband Lothair died, his successor tried to force her to marry his son; she escaped and sought help from Otto of Germany, who conquered Italy and married her in 951; the two were crowned rulers of the Holy Roman Empire; established many monasteries and churches; died at the convent at Seltz, which she founded O...

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Maria Crocifissa Di Rosa, 1813-1855; left school at 17 to manage her widowed father's household; cared for the spiritual needs of young girls working in her father's mills; worked in the Brescia hospital during the 1836 cholera epidemic; founded a home for girls, and a school for deaf mutes; in 1840, she became the Superior of the Handmai...

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church, 1542-1591; ordained at the age of 25; with Teresa of Avila–and in his own right–worked at reform of the Carmelite order, and experienced opposition, misunderstand, persecution, and imprisonment; it was in prison where he wrote his greatest works, “Spiritual Canticle” and...

Monday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, 283-304; a disappointed suitor accused Lucy of being a Christian, and she was executed in Syracuse, Sicily; Lucy is the patroness of eyesight Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/13/21 Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27

Third Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/12/21 Gospel: Luke 3:10-18

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, 304-384; began his papacy contending with the existence of an antipope; as pope, his lifestyle was simple; he was a fierce opponent of Arianism, and other heresies; his encouragement of St. Jerome’s biblical studies led to the Vulgate Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/11/21 Gospel: Matthew 17:9-13

Friday of the Second Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Eulalia of Merida, 290-304; born in Spain; it is believed that, as a twelve-year-old girl, she tried to remonstrate with a judge for forcing Christians to worship pagan gods; the judge was amused, but eventually ordered that she be tortured and killed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/10/21 Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Juan Diego, 1474-1548; Our Lady of Guadalupe first appeared to him on Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531; when he opened his tilma for the bishop to see the out-of-season roses which Our Lady had provided, her image appeared on the tilma; Juan later lived near the shrine constructed at Tepeyac, and was revered as a holy, unselfish, and c...

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/8/21 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent Memorial of St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church, 337-397; an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day; responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/7/21 Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14

Monday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Nicholas, 270-343; Fourth Century bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, province of Asia Minor; legend has it that he tossed bags of gold through a poor man’s window so that his daughters could be dowried, and married; in the English-speaking world, St. Nicholas has become known as Santa Claus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1...

Second Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/5/21 Gospel: Luke 3:1-6

Saturday of the First Week of Advent Optional Memoral of St. John Damascene, 676-749; followed his father in a government position under the Arabs; resigned, and went to the monastery of St. Sabas; known for his writings against the iconoclasts, for his treatise, “Exposition of the Orthodox Faith,” and as a poet Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/4/21 Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:...

Friday of the First Week of Advent Memorial of St. Francis Xavier, 1506-1552; Ignatius of Loyola brought him to Christ, and Francis joined the Jesuits; Francis went to Lisbon, and on to the East Indies, landing at Goa, on the west coast of India, where he stayed for ten years; he lived with the poorest people, sharing their food and rough accomodations; he ministered to the sick and poor, especial...

Thursday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Bibiana; Fourth Century virgin and martyr; her parents were killed in a persecution; she and her sister spent their time in fasting and prayer in their house; her sister confessed her faith the governor, and then fell dead at his feet; Bibiana was placed in the hands of a wicked woman who tried, unsuccessfully, to seduce her; Bibiana was e...

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Edmund Campion, 1540-1581; English convert who became a Jesuit priest; preached up to three times per day, traveling on horseback across the English countryside; captured by authorities in 1581, tortured, and sentenced to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/1/21 Gospel: Matthew 15:29-37

Feast of St. Andrew, apostle, brother of Simon Peter Tuesday of the First Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/30/21 Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22

Monday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Radbod of Utrecht, 850-917; great-grandson of the last pagan King of Friesland; educated by his uncle, the bishop of Cologne; became bishop of Utrecht in 900; known for his aid to the poor, and for his poetry; died in France, where he was forced to move after an invasion by the Danes Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/29/21 Gospel:...

First Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/28/21 Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Saturday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. James Intercisus, 380-421; Christian servant of Persian royalty who apostasized when a persecution was launched; he later repented, and declared himself to be a Christian to the king; he was executed by having his body cut apart, thus his name, “Intercisus” Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/27/21 Gospel: Luke 2...

Friday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John Berchmans, 1599-1621; Jesuit known for dilegence, piety, holiness, and his stress on perfection in little things; died in Rome, and many miracles were attributed to his intercession after his death; patron of altar servers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/26/21 Gospel: Luke 21:29-33

Thursday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time, Thanksgiving Day in the United States Optional Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria; reputed to have converted after receiving a vision; at 18, she debated 50 pagan philosophers, who, in turn, converted, along with 200 soldiers and members of the emperor’s family–all were martyred; Catherine was also sentenced to death in about 310 A.D. Of...

Wednesday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and companions; St. Andrew was one of 117 people martyred in Vietnam from 1820 to 1862; others gave their lives in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. All were canonized during the papacy of St. John Paul II Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/24/21 Gospel: Luke 21:12-19

Tuesday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, 1891-1926; born to a devout family Mexico, ordained in Belgium; returned to Mexico to serve a church which was operating underground, due to religious persecution; arrested on trumped-up charges of attempting assassinate the president of Mexico, and sentenced to firing squad Office of Readings and Morning Pr...

Monday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Cecilia; legend holds that she was a young Christian of high rank, betrothed to Valerian, whom she converted; both were martyred for their faith; the legend of Cecilia’s death is that she was struck three times on the neck with a sword, and lived for three days, asking the pope to convert her home into a church; died about 230 A.D.; pa...