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Thursday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine, 1542-1621; born in Tuscany, entered the Society of Jesus at 18, and studied philosophy and theology; in 1597, Clement VIII made him Examiner of Bishops and Consultor of the Holy Office as well as his personal theologian; he was appointed Archbishop of Capua and was involved in the controversy over Galileo’s teaching that the earth was not the center of the universe; he advocated for continuing education for adults, religious and secular Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/17/26 Gospel: Luke 7:36-50

Wednesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian; Cornelius became pope in 251; he fought against the Novatian schismatics and with the help of Cyprian was able to enforce his authority; he was driven into exile by the Emperor Gallus, and died in 253; Cyprian was born of pagan parents in Carthage in 210; he was converted, ordained, and subsequently made bishop of that city in the year 249; he guided the Church through difficult times; in the persecution of Valerian, he was exiled, and then martyred in 258 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/16/26 Gospel: Luke 7:31-35

Tuesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/15/26 Gospel: John 19:25-27

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Monday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/14/26 Gospel: John 3:13-17

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/13/26 Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Saturday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary; a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus; both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/12/26 Gospel: Luke 6:43-49

Friday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Patiens; a Fifth Century bishop of Lyons, Gaul; he was known for his immense efforts at charitable work; he was also a dedicated enemy of Arianism; he died in 491 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/11/26 Gospel: Luke 6:39-42

Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Francis de Morales; Seventeenth Century Dominican martyr of Japan; a native of Madrid, Spain, he served in the Dominican mission in Satsuma, Japan, for two decades; in 1608, he went to Fushima and in 1614 to Nagasaki; he was burned alive in 1622 with Blessed Charles Spinola and companions Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/10/26 Gospel: Luek 6:27-38

Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Peter Claver, 1580-1654; studied arts and letters at the University of Barcelona; followed the call to the missions, and in 1616 he was ordained to the priesthood in the Mission of Colombia; there, he carried on an apostolate among the black slaves, vowing to be “the slave of the blacks for ever”; his strength exhausted, he died at Cartagena in Colombia in 1654 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/9/26 Gospel: Luke 6:20-26

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Tuesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/8/26 Gospel: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

Monday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Cloud, 524-560; a grandson of King Clovis of the Franks and the youngest son of King Clodomir of Orleans; two of his brothers were slain at the ages of ten and nine by their uncle Clotaire, king of the Franks; Cloud survived by being sent to Provence, France; there he became a hermit and a disciple of St. Severinus; he remained at near Paris, Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/7/26 Gospel: Luke 6:6-11

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/6/26 Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20

Saturday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997; founder of the Missionaries of Charity, which grew worldwide, with thousands of nuns and branches caring for the sick, dying, orphaned, and abandoned; she became a global symbol of compassion, receiving honors such as the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979; she died in Calcutta in 1997, was given a state funeral in India, and soon recognized as a saintly figure Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/5/26 Gospel: Luke 6:1-5

Friday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Rosalia, 1130-1170; a descendant of Charlemagne; born in Palermo, Sicily; she left her home and took up her abode in a cave; she remained there entirely hidden from the world; she practiced great mortifications and lived in constant communion with God; afterward she transferred her abode to Mount Pellegrino; she died alone, and her body was discovered several centuries later, in 1625 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/4/26 Gospel: Luke 5:33-39

Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Pope St. Gregory the Great, 540-604; his education was steeped in law, religion, grammar, rhetoric, and affairs of the republic; after the death of Pope Pelagius II, St. Gregory was elected his successor; he leveraged his papal authority, forming relations with the churches in Spain, Gaul, Africa, Britain, as well as the Eastern Churches; he developed a code of life for bishops and began a rigorous preaching routine; his homilies drew massive crowds as they used rich anecdotes and practical metaphors; he wrote extensively on spiritual works, penning thousands of letters, sermons, and commentaries Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/3/26 Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Ingrid of Sweden; born in Sweden in the 13th Century; she was the first Dominican nun in Sweden and in 1281 she founded the first Dominican cloister there, called St. Martin's in Skänninge; she died in 1282 surrounded by an aura of sanctity. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/2/26 Gospel: Luke 4:38-44

Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Simeon the Stylite, 290-459; at thirteen, he heard a Gospel reading of the Beatitudes that greatly affected him; he entered a nearly monastery, and learned all the Psalms by heart; he became a hermit, and in 423, began living atop a pillar only a few feet in diameter and about ten feet high; later a much taller pillar over sixty-five feet high was built for him; the local bishops and abbots tested his virtue by commanding him to come down from the pillar, a command they immediately rescinded after the hermit demonstrated his humble willingness to obey them; he gave exhortations twice daily to those who gathered around the pillar Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/1/26 Gospel: Luke 4:31-37

Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Aidan of Lindisfarne; born in Ireland, went to Lindisfarne as bishop, and became known for his knowledge of the Bible, his learning, his eloquent preaching, his holiness, his distaste for pomp, his kindness to the poor, and the miracles attributed to him; he founded a monastery at Lindisfarne that became known as the English Iona and was a center of learning and missionary activity for all of northern England; he died in 651 at the royal castle at Bamburgh Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/31/26 Gospel: Luke 4:16-30

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/30/26 Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27

Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/29/26 Gospel: Mark 6:17-29

Friday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Augustine of Hippo, bishop and doctor of the Church, 354-430; born in northern Africa to a Christian mother and a pagan father; spent years vascillating through Manicheism and Neoplatonism, and eventually converted to Christianity, baptized by St. Ambrose in Milan; he became a monk, and was ordained a priest in 391; four years later, he became bishop of Hippo Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/28/26 Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13

Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Monica, 331-387; mother of St. Augustine of Hippo; after seventeen years of prayer, her pagan husband and her son converted to Christianity; her faithful spirit is evident in Augustine's "Confessions" Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/27/26 Gospel: Matthew 24:42-51

Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: Pope St. Zephyrinus; pope from 199 to 217; he was a Roman by birth; his reign, as successor to St. Victor I, was dominated by the troubles caused by several heretical groups and the severe persecution of the Church launched by Emperor Septimius Severus around 202; the antipope Hippolytus criticized his vacillation in dealing with the Monarchian heretics; according to tradition, Zephyrinus was martyred in 217 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/26/26 Gospel: Matthew 23:27-32

Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Louis IX, 1214-1270; became king of France at the age of 13; he defended justice and promoted peace; he organized ‘the court of the king;’ bringing regular reviews of feudal cases; he prioritized the poor; founding many hospitals and charitable organizations; he loved architecture; supporting the famous Sorbonne University and the Sainte Chappelle, the ‘Holy Chapel’ known for its architectural complexity with stained glass Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/25/26 Gospel: Matthew 23:23-26

Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/24/26 Gospel: John 1:45-51

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/23/26 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20

Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Pope St. Piux X, 1835-1914; at 23, he was ordained and became a chaplain; in 1875, he became episcopal chancellor of Treviso and spiritual director of the diocesan seminary; in 1884, Bishop of Mantua; and, in 1893, Patriarch of Venice; when elected pope in 1903, he chose as his motto, "To renew all things in Christ"; his papacy achieved a restructuring of the Roman Curia, revised guidelines for priestly formation, work toward a revision of the Code of Canon Law, a catechism, liturgical reforms, encouragement of frequent communion, and the establishment of the Biblical Institute in Rome; he died just before the start of World War I Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/21/26 Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40

Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153; at 23, he entered the monastery of Citeaux, and three years later was sent to found the monastery of Clairvaux; many were attracted to it, and monks were sent from it to Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, England, and Ireland to establish new Cistercian communities; Bernard was a brilliant writer, who knew the Bible extremely well; he had a great devotion to Mary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/20/26 Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John Eudes, 1601-1680; ordained a priest at 24, and became a parish missionary; John founded a new community, ultimately called the Eudists—the Congregation of Jesus and Mary–devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries; in his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life, leading to another new religious community, called the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/19/26 Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Helena; mother of Constantine the Great; traveled to the Holy Places in the Middle East in 326-328, and found three crosses; she had a woman who was near death place her hand on all three crosses; nothing happened with the first two; but when she touched the third one, she immediately recovered; Helena declared this to be the True Cross; Helena died around 330 with her devoted son by her side Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/18/26 Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30

Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Clare of Montefalco, 1268-1308; born in Montefalco, Italy; as a young woman, she joined a convent of Franciscan tertiaries; her sister Joan was the abbess, and when she died, Clare succeeded her; she led an austere life, devoted to the Passion of Christ, and His Cross; when she died, an image of the cross was found imprinted on her heart, and her body remained incorrupt Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/17/26 Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/16/26 Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven Saturday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/15/26 Gospel: Luke 11:27-28

Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, 1894-1941; he was ordained at the age of 24; in 1917, he formed an association called the Militia Immaculata, which started producing faith periodicals; it grew into a publishing house of 650 friars; in 1941, St. Maximilian was arrested and placed in a Nazi death camp; shortly after, he died at Auschwitz, from a lethal injection, when he bartered his own life for a man’s who had a family Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/14/26 Gospel: Matthew 19:3-12

Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints Pontian and Hippolytus; Pontian was Bishop of Rome from 230 – 236 A.D.; St. Hippolytus, a prominent theologian, was a theological opponent and rival of several of Pontian’s predecessors and of Pontian himself; when Maximinus I became emperor in 235, . he banished both men to the island of Sardinia; St. Hippolytus reconciled with Rome, and both men suffered inhumane treatment and death in the mines of Sardinia and they are celebrated together as holy martyrs in the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/13/26 Gospel: Matthew 18:21-19:1

Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, 1572-1641; when she became a widow, she took a vow of chastity, and in 1604 began seeking spiritual direction from St. Francis de Sales; in 1610, they formed the Congregation of the Visitation, unique in that it admitted women deemed physically unsuitable by other orders; the members went outside their convents to serve the needy; by the time Jane was canonized, there were 164 communities of the order Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/12/26 Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20

Tuesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Clare, 1194-1253; Clare heard Saint Francis of Assisi preach and it ignited in her a desire to follow Christ in a similar way; Saint Francis took Saint Clare to San Paolo and placed her in the care of Benedictine nuns; her sister joined her in holy vows within a month; Saint Francis established a community for them, and other women, at San Damiano and the Second Order of Saint Francis was born; later called the Poor Clares; as abbess, Saint Clare nurtured women in Christ and sent daughters planting convents all throughout Europe. Saint Clare was canonized two years after her death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/11/26 Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

Feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr, 225-258 Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/10/26 Gospel: John 12:24-26

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/9/26 Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Dominic, 1170-1221; Dominic studied arts and theology at the University of Palencia; he was appointed a canon regular of the Cathedral of Osma, ordained, and made prior in 1201; in diplomatic service to his bishop, he traveled across the Pyrenees to southern France several times, and encountered heretical communities, specifically, the Albigensians; Dominic and others attempted to bring the heretics back to the Catholic faith; he organized his followers, and the Order of Preachers--the Dominicans--grew to be a large family of friars, nuns, and third order laity Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/8/26 Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20

Friday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II and companions, martyrs; Sixtus II was elected Supreme Pontiff in 257 AD.; in his reign, he mediated between Rome and the Asiatic and African churches over re-baptizing heretics; also, during this time, Emperor Valerian issued a decree persecuting Christians and forbidding them to assemble;Saint Sixtus II held to the Faith and, with a group of 6 deacons, was martyred during a gathering honoring the Lord in 258 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/7/26 Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Thursday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/6/26 Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9