Daybreak

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony, the Abbot, 251-356; born in Egypt, and felt called to give away all his possessions, follow Christ, and become a hermit; his spirituality attracted many followers; during the Arian controversy, St. Anthony supported the Nicene party and became friends with St. Athanasius, who would later write The Way of St. Antony Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/17/26 Gospel: Mark 2:13-17

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Sulpicius, 576-646; the son of wealthy parents; he renounced the idea of marriage and devoted himself to good works, especially caring for the poor; when he became Bishop of Bourges in 624, he fought for the rights of his people against King Dagobert's minister, Lullo; known for austerity and holliness; he is reported to have converted all the inhabitants of Bourges to Christianity with his holiness and charity; resigned his bishopric late in life to devote himself to the poor Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/16/26 Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Arnold Jansen, 1837-1909; born in Germany, ordained in 1861, and served as a parish priest; in 1875 he founded the Society of the Divine Word, to provide priests and lay brothers for the missions; he also founded the Servant Sisters of the Holy Ghost for the missions in 1889 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/15/26 Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: Grandmother of Sts. Basil and Gregory of Nyssa; she was trained in the faith by St. Gregory Thaumaturgis; during the persecution instituted by Emperor Diocletian, Macrina and her husband had to flee Neocaesarea, in Pontus; they lived on the shores of the Black Sea, and Macrina died in about 340 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/14/26 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Hilary of Poitiers, 315-368; as bishop of Poitiers, France, he battled Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ; the emperor ordered all bishops of the west to sign a condemnation of Athanasius--the great defender of the faith in the east--but Hilary refused, and was exiled to Phrygia; he attempted a debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, but he was, instead, sent home, where his people welcomed him Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/13/26 Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John of Ravenna, 477-494; Bishop of Ravenna, Italy, who saved his people from the fury of Attila the Hun; served as bishop from 452 to 494; also faced the Ostrogoths, under King Theodoric the Great, who invaded the region and became the chief political power in the years following the final deposition of the Roman emperors in the West in 476 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/12/26 Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord - Final Day of the Christmas Season Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/11/26 Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

Saturday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-394; part of a family which gave many years of service and five saints to the Church; he became bishop of Nyssa in 371; during a trip to Jerusalem, he was forced to defend his Christology, although he was then and is now well-known for his Trinitarian theology; in 394, he attended a synod in Constantinople and is thought to have died shortly after that when mention of him in church records ceases Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/10/26 Gospel: John 3:22-30

Friday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Marciana of Mauretania; virgin martyr of Mauretania, was ac­cused of vandalizing a statue of the goddess Diana; after torments, Marciana was gored by a bull and mauled by a leopard in the amphitheater of Caesarea, also in Mauretania, in 303 A.D.; she is invoked to cure wounds Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/26 Gospel: Luke 5:12-16

Thursday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Severinus of Noricum; Fifth Century monk, hermit, and founder; evangelized the region of Noricum (part of modern day Austria), establishing a number of monasteries along the Danube River; he gave aid and comfort to the many refugees and victims of the invasion of the region by Attila and the Huns; he was known for his preaching and prophecies; Severinus died in 482 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/8/26 Gospel: Luke 4:14-22

Wednesday after Epiphany Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Penafort, 1175-1275; born in Spain, a relative of the king of Aragon; co-founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom, dedicated to saving poor Christians captured by the Moors; went with King James to Majorca; he ordered King James to cease his scandalous behavior, but he did not; Raymond left Majorca by spreading his cloak upon the water, tying up one corner of it to a stick for a sail, standing on the cloak and sailing for six hours to Barcelona; King James repented; Raymond was 100 years old at his death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/7/26 Gospel: Mark 6:45-52

Tuesday after Epiphany Optional Memorial of St. Andre Bessette, 1845-1937; entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross, and was given the humble job of doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, along with duties as sacristan, laundry worker and messenger; when he heard someone was ill, he visited to bring cheer and to pray with the sick person; when an epidemic broke out at a nearby college, André volunteered to nurse, and not one person died; after Holy Cross authorities bought property on Mount Royal, Andre raised $200 to build a small chapel and welcome visitors; by 1931, there were gleaming walls, but money ran out; “Put a statue of Saint Joseph in the middle. If he wants a roof over his head, he’ll get it”; The magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal took 50 years to build; the sickly boy who could not hold a job died at 92 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/6/26 Gospel: Mark 6:34-44

Monday after Epiphany Memorial of St. John Neumann, 1811-1860; came to America and joined the Redemptorists, and faithfully served the poor in Buffalo, New York; became bishop of Philadelphia in 1852, and established over 50 churches, 100 schools and began the building of a cathedral; he is the first American bishop to be canonized Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/5/26 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Eleventh Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/4/26 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Tenth Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/3/26 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Ninth Day of Christmas Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen; Fourth Century Doctors of the Church; they studied in Athens, and began to follow a monastic way of life; as Bishop of Caesarea, St. Basil wrote rules for monks and integrated social programs into monasteries; St. Gregory, Bishop of Constantinople, defended the Church against the Arian conspiracies, clarified the divinity of the Holy Spirit, and presided in the Council of Constantinople; they preached fervently, wrote extensively, and are beloved as the Cappadocian Fathers, along with St. Gregory of Nyssa Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/2/26 Gospel: John 1:19-28

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Eighth Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/1/26 Gospel: Luke 2:16-21

Seventh Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of Pope St. Sylvester I; only a very strong and wise man could have preserved the essential independence of the Church in the face of the overpowering figure of the Emperor Constantine; in general, the bishops remained loyal to the Holy See, and at times expressed apologies to Sylvester I for undertaking important ecclesiastical projects at the urging of Constantine; Sylvester reigned as pope from 314 to his death in 335 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/31/25 Gospel: John 1:1-18

Sixth Day of Christmas Saint of the Day: St. Egwin of Evesham; a Seventh- and Eighth-Century English noble who became the bishop of Worcester, England, in 692; his clergy found him too strict, so he went to Rome; when he returned, he founded Evesham Monastery, at the prompting of a vision of Mary; . in 709, Egwin returned to Rome, accompanied by King Cenred of Mercia and King Offa of the East Saxons; St. Egwin died in 717 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/30/25 Gospel: Luke 2:36-40

Fifth Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of St. Thomas Becket, 1118-1170; chancellor of England, then archbishop of Canterbury, thanks to his friend, King Henry II; Thomas warned Henry that he might not agree with his intrusions into Church affairs; Henry insisted upon usurping Church rights; Thomas fled to France for safety, for seven years; upon his return to England, he refused to remit the censures of bishops favored by the king; in a rage, Henry cried out, "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?"; four knights, taking this as his wish, slew Thomas in the Canterbury cathedral Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/29/25 Gospel: Luke 2:22-35

Feast of the Holy Family Fourth Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/28/25 Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Feast of St. John, apostle and evangelist Third Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/27/25 Gospel: John 20:1-8

Feast of St. Stephen, First Christian Martyr Second Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/26/25 Gospel: Matthew 10:17-22

Solemnity of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/25/25 Gospel: Luke 2:1-14

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Adela; Eighth Century disciple of St. Boniface; she was a Frankish princess, the daughter of King Dagobert II and sister of St Irmina; after the death of her husband, she became the foundress of a monastery in France, and died in 735 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/24/25 Gospel: Luke 1:67-79

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. John of Kanty, 1390-1473; he was ordained a priest and became a professor of theology at the University of Krakow, Poland; he was sent to be a parish priest, but later returned to Krakow to teach scripture for the rest of his life; he was a serious, humble man, known to all of the poor of Krakow for his kindness; he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, hoping to be martyred by the Turks; he made four subsequent pilgrimages to Rome, carrying his luggage on his back; when warned to watch over his health, he remarked that, for all of their austerity, the fathers of the desert lived long lives Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/23/25 Gospel: Luke 1:57-66

Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Zeno; martyred soldier at Nicomedia (modern-day Turkey); he was seized and condemned to death for laughing while Emperor Diocletian offered a sacrifice to the Roman god Ceres; Zeno had his jaws shattered and was then beheaded Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/22/25 Gospel: Luke 1:46-56

Fourth Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/21/25 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Dominic of Silos, 1000-1073; born in Navarre, Spain; when, as Benedictine abbot, he refused to surrender lands to the crown, he was exiled; he went to King Ferdinand I of Castile and Leon, who made him abbot of St. Sebastian Abbey at Silos, now called St. Dominic’s; one of the most beloved saints in Spain, Dominic also rescued Christian slaves from the Moors; the mother of St. Dominic of Guzman--founder of the Order of Preachers--visited Dominic's shrine, begging for a child; he was also noted for miracles of healing Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/20/25 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Friday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Nemesius; martyred in Alexandria under the persecution of Decius; Nemesius was arrested, scourged, and burned alive; like Christ, he was killed between two criminals Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/19/25 Gospel: Luke 1:5-25

Thursday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Auxentius; soldier in the Roman army, but refused to take part in sacrifices to pagan gods, and was persecuted for the faith; after his release from military service, he was ordained a priest and became the bishop of Mopsuestia, in Cilicia; he died in 321 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/18/25 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Wivina, 1103-1170; she was a native of Oisy, Flanders, Belgium; she refused all offers of marriage until the age of 23, when she became a hermitess at GrandBigard, near Brussels; she gathered disciples, and accepted the offer of land from Count Godfrey of Brabant and built a convent over which she served as first abbess Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/17/25 Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Adelaide, 931-999; married Lothair of Italy, and when he died, his successor and usurper, Berengar of Ivrea, tried to force her to marry his son; she escaped to Canossa, and sought the help of Otto of Germany; Otto conquered Italy, married Adelaide, and Pope John XII proclaimed the couple rulers of the Holy Roman Empire; she established many monasteries, and became interested in evangelism; she became regent for her grandson, Otto III, and died at the convent at Seltz, which she had founded Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/16/25 Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32

Monday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Maria Crocifissa Di Rosa, 1813-1855; left school at the age of 17 to manage her widowed father's household; she took care of the spiritual needs of young girls working in her father's mills, and she volunteered to work in the Brescia hospital during the 1836 cholera epidemic; later, she founded a home for girls and a school for deaf mutes; in 1840, her spiritual director made her Superior of a group of religious who cared for the sick, the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/15/25 Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27

Third Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/14/25 Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent Memorial of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, 283-304. lived a Christian life; but she rejected the advances of a Roman soldier, and was arrested, and martyred; Lucy is the patron saint of eye ailments Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/13/25 Gospel: Matthew 17:9-13

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Friday of the Second Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/12/25 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, 304-384; when Damasus was elected pope, a minority elected and consecrated another deacon, Ursinus, as pope; supporters of the antipope even managed to get Damasus accused of a grave crime—probably sexual—as late as A.D. 378; he had to clear himself before both a civil court and a Church synod; as pope, his lifestyle was simple in contrast to other ecclesiastics of Rome, and he was fierce in his denunciation of Arianism and other heresies; during his pontificate, Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman state, and Latin became the principal liturgical language as part of the pope’s reforms Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/11/25 Gospel: Matthew 11:11-15

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Mennas; an Athenian from Greece, sent to Alexandria on an imperial commission by Emperor Galerius; successful, he proclaimed himself a Christian; before Hermogenes, a judge, Mennas sang a four-hour musical defense of Christianity; his eyes were gouged out and his tongue cut off; according to legend, his eyes and tongue were miraculously restored, which led to the conversion of Hermogenes; Mennas was beheaded in 312 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/10/25 Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Juan Diego, 1474-1548; it was to Juan Diego that Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared at Tepeyac Hill in 1531; Juan Diego later lived near the shrine constructed at Tepeyac, revered as a holy, unselfish, and compassionate catechist, who taught by word and especially by example Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/09/25 Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Monday of the Second Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/8/25 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Second Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/7/25 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12