Daybreak™ is a fresh, upbeat approach to morning devotions and prayer. Host Paul Sadek leads you in spiritual reflections and meditations from the daily Mass readings, Morning Prayer, the Holy Father’s teachings, writing of the saints, and more.

Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Barnabas; a Levite; not one of the Twelve, but referred to as an "apostle" by St. Luke; he was a friend to St. Paul, and brought him before the apostles, when he was seeking to redeem his reputation; Barnabas and Paul went to Antioch, where they taught Christians for a year; afterwards, Barnabas traveled through Asia Minor and was a respected missionary and advisor Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/11/26 Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26

Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Landericus; bishop of Paris from 650 to 661; he labored zealously to improve the lot of the poor and lowly; when the proceeds from the sale of all his possessions did not suffice to relieve their hungry during a famine, he went so far as to sell some of the Church vessels and furniture; he erected the city's first real hospital, dedicated to St. Christopher, which eventually became the Hotel Dieu; he welcomed the Benedictines into his diocese, and encouraged them to set up the Abbey of Denis. he died about 661 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/10/26 Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Ephrem, 306-373; poet, teacher, orator, and defender of the faith, Saint Ephrem is the only Syriac Christian recognized as a doctor of the Church; he had a prolific pen; although he was not a man of great scholarship, his works reflect deep insight and knowledge of the Scriptures; he wrote hymns against the heretics of his day; he would take the popular songs of the heretical groups and using their melodies, compose beautiful hymns embodying orthodox doctrine; he lived in a small cave overlooking the city of Edessa; it was here that he died around 373 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/9/26 Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16

Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Maximinus of Aix; first bishop of Aix, in Provence, France, reportedly one of Christ’s seventy-two disciples and a companion of Saints Mary Magdalen, Mary Cleopas, Martha, and Lazarus; in one account, he is called "the man who had been blind from birth"; Maximinus died in the First Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/8/26 Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/7/26 Gospel: John 6:51-58

Saturday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Norbert, 1080-1134; in an effort to reform and revitalize his fellow priests,he founded the Norbertine order in 1121; following the rule of St. Augustine, St. Norbert recognized that meaningful clerical reform could only flow from a monastic life -- priests living under a common roof, offering common prayer, and sharing a common table Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/6/26 Gospel: Mark 12:38-44

Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Boniface, 680-754; sent by Pope Gregory to consolidate the missions in Germany; he became a bishop, and later papal legate. at almost 80, he resigned his positions and retired to Frisia as a missionary, where he was martyred while reading a book Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/5/26 Gospel: Mark 12:35-37

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Petroc; Sixth Century son of a Welsh king; he became a monk, and went with some friends to Ireland to study; they went to Cornwall, in England, and spent thirty years there; Petroc then made a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem, at which time he is also reputed to have reached the Indian ocean where he lived for some time as a hermit on an island; he returned to Cornwall, established a community of his followers, and then became a hermit; he was known for his miracles, and died in 564 while visiting some of his disciples Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/4/26 Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and companions; Charles was born in 1860, and he became a page in the royal court of Mwanga, the king of the Baganda in the south of what is now Uganda; the king was hostile to Christians, and when Joseph Mkasa, master of the pages and a Catholic, tried to protect the young pages, he was beheaded; Charles was appointed to succeed him; the king demanded that all remaining pages renounce their Christian faith, and when they refused, they were burned to death in 1886 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/3/26 Gospel: Mark 12:18-27

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter; martyrs under Diocletian's persecution in the early Fourth Century; holding to their faith, they converted the prison keeper, Artemius, and his wife and daughter to Christianity; they were martyred, and later honored by Constantine the Great, who built a basilica in their honor; they are mentioned in the Canon of the Mass Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/2/26 Gospel: Mark 12:1-12

Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Justin; Second Century martyr and apologist; he came to believe God’s message was embodied in Christian teachings and his conversion account describes that Christian moral beauty and truth brought him to Christ; his writings are well-respected to this day and include such works as A Discourse to the Greeks, On the Soul, and The First and Second Apology, addressed to the Roman Senate Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/1/26 Gospel: Mark 12:1-12

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/31/26 Gospel: John 3:16-18

Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joan of Arc, 1412-1431; successfully lifted the siege of Orléans — a victory military historians still puzzle over — and led Prince Charles VII to his coronation; she was captured by the Burgundians in 1430, sold to the English, and was convicted of heresy; she was burned at the stake; 25 years later, at a re-trial, she was declared innocent on every count Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/30/26 Gospel: Mark 11:27-33

Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Maximinus of Trier; bishop of Trier, Germany, from 332, and a miracle worker; he gave refuge to Athansius in 332, and later to St. Paul, patriarch of Constantinople; he was an ardent enemy of the Arian heretics; he was called “one of the most courageous bishops of his time” by St. Jerome; he died in 347 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/29/26 Gospel: Mark 11:11-26

Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Bernard of Montjoux, 923-1008; he became a priest, was made Vicar General of Aosta, and spent more than four decades doing missionary work in the Alps; he is especially remembered for two Alpine hospices he built to aid lost travelers in the mountain passes named Great and Little Bernard, after him; he was proclaimed the patron saint of Alpinists and mountain climbers by Pope Pius XI in 1923 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/28/26 Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury; in 596 he set out with his monks to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons of England; he heard stories of the ferocity of the Anglo-Saxons, and the stormy waters of the English Channel, but was reassured by Pope Gregory the Great; King Ethelebert set up a residence for them in Canterbury, and was himself baptized a year later; Augustine was consecrated a bishop in France, and returned to found his see; he died in 605, and is known as the Apostle of England Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/27/26 Gospel: Mark 10:32-45

Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Philip Neri, 1515-1595; the saint with the sense of humor; established large-scale social programs in Rome; co-founded the Congregation of the Oratory whose mission was to minister to the thousands of pilgrims flocking to Rome and to the convalesced; remembered for his polished social graces, cheery disposition, and his ability to lead others into a life a service Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/26/26 Gospel: Mark 10:28-31

Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church; instituted by Pope Francis in 2018 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/25/26 Gospel: John 19:25-34

Solemnity of Pentecost - The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/24/26 Gospel: John 20:19-23

Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Crispin of Viterbo, 1668-1750; he studied at the Jesuit college and became a shoemaker; at 25, he entered the Capuchins, and served as a gardener and cook; during an epidemic, Crispin effected many miraculous cures; he was also venerated for his prophecies and spiritual wisdom Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/23/26 Gospel: John 21:20-25

Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, 1377-1457; after the death of her husband and two sons, she sought to become an Augustinian nun; after six years of petitioning, she was accepted in 1413; she was greatly devoted to the passion of Christ and to serving the sick nuns in her community; she is invoked as a patron of difficult cases, especially those involving marriage Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for5/22/26 Gospel: John 21:15-19

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, 1869-1927, and companions; as a parish priest in Jalisco, Mexico, he opened schools, trade shops, and helped organize the town's water supply; in 1917 the Mexican constitution was edited to include anti-clerical language; the uprising resulted in the Cristero war; Christopher remained faithful, and he, along with 21 other priests and three laymen, was killed in 1927 for continuing to minister in the rural communities Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/21/26 Gospel: John 17:20-26

Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena, 1380-1444; the greatest preacher of his time; at age 20, when the plague hit, he volunteered to run the hospital in Siena; at 22, he entered the Franciscan order, and was ordained two years later; he lived in solitude and prayer for almost a dozen years, but was ultimately called to preach; he strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law; he returned to preaching the last two years of his life, and died while traveling Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/20/26 Gospel: John 17:11b-19

Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Maria Bernarda Butler, 1848-1924; Swiss saint who founded the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary, Help of Christians and was a missionary in Ecuador; eventually, her congregation had houses in Colombia, Austria, and Brazil Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/19/26 Gospel: John 17:1-11a

Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. John I, 470-526; elected to the papacy in 523; Theodoric the Great to travel to the Byzantine Empire, led by Justin I; the pope obliged, but neither Justin nor the pope changed their views of the heresy of Arianism; when Pope St. John I returned, he was arrested for conspiracy and died a martyr in prison from poor treatment and neglect Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/18/26 Gospel: John 16:29-33

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/17/26 Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Isidore the Farmer, 1070-1130; spent most of his life working in the fields of a farm outside of Madrid; he was favored with celestial visions and, it is said, the angels sometimes helped him in his work in the fields; he is the patron of farmers, and in 1947, he was declared the patron of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference in the United States Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/15/26 Gospel: John 16:20-23

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (for some areas)--commemorating Jesus' return to His Father in heaven Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/14/26 Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima; in 1917, Our Lady appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal, promising that Heaven would grant peace to all the world if Her requests for prayer, reparation and consecration were heard and obeyed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/13/26 Gospel: John 16:12-15

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Saints Nereus and Achilleus; First Century soldiers in the Roman army where they helped carry out the persecution of Christians; they were converted by a "miracle of faith," after which they threw down their weapons and escaped from their camp, to begin their new life in Christ; they were eventually martyred Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/12/26 Gospel: John 16:5-11

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Odilo of Cluny, 962-1049; entered the Benedictine monastery of Cluny about 990 and received election as abbot in 994; he was beloved and respected throughout Europe for his deep austerities and his concem for the poor; he was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Incarnation; he died while touring his monasteries Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/11/26 Gospel: John 15:25-16:4a

Sixth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/10/26 Gospel: John 14:15-21

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Beatus of Lungern; a monk and hermit of the First and Second Centuries, earlier designated the apostle of Switzerland; he was baptized in England by St. Barnabas and ordained by St. Peter; Beatus went to Switzerland; he died in 112 A.D. on Mount Beatenburg above Lake Thun; the cave became a popular pilgrim's destination, the famed site of Beatus' fight with a dragon Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/9/26 Gospel: John 15:18-21

Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Maria Magdalen of Canossa, 1774-1835; foundress of the Daughters of Charity at Verona, Italy; she was the daughter of the Marquis of Canossa, who died when Maria Magdalen was three; her mother abandoned the family, and Maria Magdalen managed her father’s estate until she was thirty-three, then founding her institute; when she died in 1835, her Daughters of Charity were widespread Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/8/26 Gospel: John 15:12-17

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. John of Beverly; born at Harpham, Yorkshire, England in the Seventh Century; studied under Adrian, and on his return to his native land, became a monk at Whitby; he was named bishop of Hexham in 687 and then transferred to York as metropolitan in 705; he was known for his holiness, his preference for the contemplative life, and his miracles; in ill health, John resigned the bishopric of York in 717 and retired to Beverly Abbey, which he had founded, and remained there until his death on May 7, 721 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/7/26 Gospel: John 15:9-11

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Petronax, 670-747; regarded as the "second founder of Monte Cassino"; born in Brescia, Italy, and joined the Benedictines; Pope St. Gregory asked him to go to Monte Cassino to examine the ruins of the abbey which had been damaged by the Lombards; Petronax gatthered the hermits of the old abbey, and began rebuilding; he was elected abbot and ruled Monte Cassino for three decades Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/6/26 Gospel: John 15:1-8

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Maximus of Jerusalem; succeeded St. Macanus as bishop of Jerusalem around 335; he was crippled by tortures received during the persecutions of his day; originally opposed St. Athanasius, but repented and became a strong enemy of the Arians; Maximus died in 350 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/5/26 Gospel: John 14:27-31a

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Conleth, 450-519; he became a hermit living along Ireland’s Liffey River, at Old Connell; the renowned Irish abbess Saint Brigid, upon meeting Conleth, was so impressed by him that she subsequently persuaded him to become the governing bishop of her double monastery at Kildare; he was a gifted copyist and illuminator of manuscripts, and was likewise skilled in metalworking; a crosier kept in a museum of the Royal Irish Academy is said to have been made by Conleth Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/4/26 Gospel: John 14:21-26

Fifth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/3/26 Gospel: John 14:1-12

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter Memorial of St. Athanasius; Fourth Century bishop of Alexandria; became a theological advisor at the Council of Nicea when he was still in his late twenties; he opposed Arianism and defended the divinity of the Son of Man; he wrote many works on the Incarnation and the Trinity as well as The Life of Anthony, which helped define and foster both monastic living and the writing of saints’ lives; he died in 373 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/2/26 Gospel: John 14:7-14

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/1/26 Gospel: John 14:1-6

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, 1504-1572; born in Italy, and joined the Dominicans at the age of 14; he held various offices in the Inquisition and at age 62 was elected to the papal chair; he implemented the reforms of the Council of Trent, reinforced treasured traditions such as reciting the Daily Office, and standardized the Mass by issuing a new missal Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/30/26 Gospel: John 13:16-20