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.

Monday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 1207-1231; at age 14, she married Louis of Thuringia; she led a life of prayer, sacrifice, and service to the poor and sick; her husband died in the Crusades, and his family believed that Elizabeth was squandering the royal purse, and kicked her out of the palace; but she was reinstated when her husband's allies returned home, since her son was the legal heir to the throne; in 1228, Elizabeth joined the Secular Franciscan Order, spending the remaining few years of her life caring for the poor in a hospital which she founded in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi; Elizabeth’s health declined, and she died before her 24th birthday in 1231 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/17/25 Gospel: Luke 18:35-43

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/16/25 Gospel: Luke 21:5-19

Saturday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Albert the Great, 1206-1280; German Dominican who decisively influenced the Church’s stance toward Aristotelian philosophy brought to Europe by the spread of Islam; master of St. Thomas Aquinas; over 20 years, he wrote a compendium of all knowledge-- natural science, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy, ethics, economics, politics, and metaphysics; he is the patron of scientists and philosophers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/15/25 Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

Friday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Lawrence O'Toole, 1128-1180; born at Leinster; he was taken hostage in a raid, and was surrendered to the bishop of Glendalough; he became a monk, and was named Archbishop of Dublin in 1161; he helped negotiate with the English following their invasion of Ireland, and in 1172 convened a synod at Cashel; he also attended the General Lateran Council in Rome in 1179, and was named papal legate to Ireland; he died in Normandy, France, while on a mission to King Henry II of England Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/14/25 Gospel: Luke 17:26-37

Thursday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, 1850-1917; made her vows and took the religious habit at the House of Providence Orphanage in Cadogno, Italy; when the orphanage was shut down, she and six nuns went to New York City to serve the Italian immigrants; in 35 years, Frances Xavier Cabrini founded 67 institutions dedicated to caring for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated and the sick; she died of malaria in her own Columbus Hospital in Chicago in 1917 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/13/25 Gospel: Luke 17:20-25

Wednesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Josaphat, 1580-1623; born in what is now Ukraine, he became a Basilian monk, then a priest, and soon was well known as a preacher and an ascetic; he became bishop of Vitebsk and archbishop of Polotsk; most monks, fearing interference in liturgy and customs, did not want union with Rome; Josaphat went to Vitebsk, where he was martyred, and his body thrown into the river; it was recovered, and is now buried at St. Peter's in Rome; Josaphat is the first saint of the Eastern Church to be canonized by Rome Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/12/25 Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

Tuesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, 316-397; after discharge from the army, he went to be a disciple of Hilary of Poitiers; Martin became a monk, first living in Milan, and then on an island; he returned to France and established what may have been the first French monastery near Poitiers; the people of Tours wanted Martin to be their bishop; so they invited him on a ruse, to visit a sick person; he was taken to the church and reluctantly allowed himself to be consecrated bishop; as death approached, Martin’s followers begged him not to leave them; he prayed, “Lord, if your people still need me, I do not refuse the work; Your will be done” Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/11/25 Gospel: Luke 17:7-10

Monday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great; elected pope in 440; known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church; it is said of Leo the Great that his true significance rests in his doctrinal insistence on the mysteries of Christ and the Church and in the supernatural charisms of the spiritual life given to humanity in Christ and in his Body, the Church; he died in 461 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/10/25 Gospel: Luke 17:1-6

Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rom 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/9/25 Gospel: John 2:13-22

Friday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Engelbert; son of the count of Berg and became the possessor of many benefices; Engelbert was excommunicated but was restored into union with the Church; he became the archbishop of Cologne in 1217, at the age of thirty; he became tutor to the son of Emperor Frederick II; in 1222 he crowned Henry King of the Romans; Engelbert was slain by his cousin Frederick, whom he had thwarted in an attempt to steal from the nuns of Essen; Engelbert was ambushed at Gevelsberg and murdered on November 7 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/7/25 Gospel: Luke 16:1-8

Thursday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Leonard of Noblac; Sixth Century Hermit-abbot, a convert of St. Remigius; he was a French courtier offered a bishopric, but became a recluse at Micy, France; he then lived at Limoges, France, and he was given land by the royal court on which he founded Noblac Abbey, later called Saint-Leonard; he died in 559 A.D.; he is a patron of Women in labor and prisoners of war Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/6/25 Gospel: Luke 15:1-10

Wednesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Elizabeth; cousin to the Virgin Mary; her husband, Zechariah, desiring a child, went to pray in the temple, and his prayer was answered; Elizabeth became pregnant shortly after; Mary visited Elizabeth, and the baby leaped in Elizabeth's womb; although Elizabeth's neighbors assumed the child would be named Zechariah, her husband insisted that John be his name, as the angel Gabriel had instructed him; he was, of course, later known as John the Baptist Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/5/25 Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Tuesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, 1538-1584; ordained a priest at age 25, and was then consecrated archbishop of Milan; he deserves the credit for keeping the Council of Trent in session when at several points it was on the verge of breaking up; when he was finally able to spend time on his diocese, St. Charles found it in much need of reform, accomplished through a provincial council of all bishops under him; during the plague and famine of 1576, St. Charles attempted to feed 60,000 to 70,000 per day; St. Charles Borromeo died in 1584 at the age of 46 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/4/25 Gospel: Luke 14:15-24

Monday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Martin de Porres, 1579-1639; son of a black or indiginous freed woman of Peru and a Spanish Grandee; his parents never married, and Martin bore the appearance of his mother; his father abandoned the family, and Martin grew up in poverty; he became a lay helper for the Dominicans, who eventually asked him to make full religious profession; many of his nights were spent in prayer and penitential practices; his days were filled with nursing the sick and caring for the poor; he was instrumental in founding an orphanage, took care of slaves brought from Africa, and managed the daily alms of the priory; many of his fellow religious took Martin as their spiritual director, but he continued to call himself a “poor slave”; he was a good friend of another Dominican saint of Peru, Rose of Lima Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/3/25 Gospel: Luke 14:12-14

Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed - All Souls Day 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/2/25 Gospel: John 6:37-40

Solemnity of All Saints Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/1/25 Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a

Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Wolfgang; born in Swabia, Germany; became a Benedictine, and was appointed head of the monastery school; in 972, he was named bishop of Regensburg; he brought the clergy of the diocese into his reforms, restored monasteries, promoted education, preached enthusiastically, and was renowned for his charity and aid to the poor; he also served as tutor to Emperor Henry II while he was still king; St. Wolfgang died near Linz, Austria, in 994 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/31/25 Gospel: Luke 14:1-6

Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Serapion of Antioch; much praised by St. Jerome and Eusebius of Caesarea for his theological writings, and he was considered one of the chief theologians of his era; he became bishop of Antioch, Syria, in 190, and. was revered as a theologian; only fragments of his work have survived; among the extant writings are a letter to the Church of Rhossus forbidding the reading of the non-canonical Gospel of St. Peter and a letter against the heresy of Montanism—which held that its leaders were not just messengers of God, but “possessed” by God; St. Serapion died in 211 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/30/25 Gospel: Luke 13:31-35

Wednesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Abraham of Rostov; born in Galicia, Russia, and practiced the local pagan religion; when struck with a serious illness, he called on Christ, and was miraculously cured; he became a Christian, was baptized, and became a monk; he went to the city of Rostov, where he began his ministry among the pagan peoples; he built two parish churches as well as a monastery, and many institutions for the poor and suffering; he died in the 11th Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/29/25 Gospel: Luke 13:22-30

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, two of the Twelve Apostles Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/28/25 Gospel: Luke 6:12-16

Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Abraham the Poor; sometimes referred to as "the Child," alluding to his purity and simplicity; born in Egypt, he became a disciple of St. Pachomius, the founder of cenobitic monasticism; he spent almost two decades in a cave near Pachomius' foundations; he died in 372 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/27/25 Gospel: Luke 13:10-17

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/26/25 Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Saturday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John Houghton, 1486-1535; protomartyr of the English Reformation; a Carthusian, and an opponent of King Henry VIII’s Acts of Succession and Supremacy; he was arrested with other Carthusians, but released temporarily; he refused to swear to the Oath of Supremacy, the first man to make this refusal; he was executed at Tyburn with four companions Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/25/25 Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Friday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, 1807-1870; missionary, religious founder, social reformer, queen’s chaplain, writer and publisher, archbishop, and refugee; he was a Spaniard whose work took him to the Canary Islands, Cuba, Madrid, Paris, and to the First Vatican Council; at age 42, he founded the Claretians; he was appointed to the archdiocese of Santiago, Cuba; he was later recalled to Spain as the queen's chaplain; in the revolution of 1868, he fled to Paris with the queen’s party, where he preached to the Spanish colony; at the age of 63, he died in exile near the Spanish border Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/24/25 Gospel: Luke 12:54-59

Thursday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John of Capistrano, 1386-1456; entered the Franciscan novitiate at the age of 30, and was ordained a priest four years later; his preaching attracted great throngs at a time of religious apathy and confusion; he helped bring about a brief reunion with the Greek and Armenian Churches; John preached a crusade against the Turks, for the protection of Europe; he led the army to Belgrade, where they gained an overwhelming victory; worn out by his efforts after the battle, he was an easy prey for infection, and died in 1456 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/23/25 Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

Wednesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John Paul II, 1920-2005; born in Wadowice, Poland; he was elected pope in 1978, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years; in his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/22/25 Gospel: Luke 12:39-48

Tuesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Hilarion, 291-371; abbot and disciple of St. Anthony the Great; born in Tabatha, Palestine, and educated in Alexandria, Egypt; stayed with St. Anthony in the desert before becoming a hermit at Majuma, near Gaza, Israel; in 356, Hilarion returned to the desert, but found that his fame had spread there; he fled to Sicily to escape notice, but Hesychius traced him there; the two went to Dalmatia, Croatia, and then to Cyprus; Hilarion performed so many miracles that crowds flocked to him when it was discovered he was in any region; he died on Cyprus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/21/25 Gospel: Luke 12:35-38

Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross, 1694-1775; born in northern Italy; he developed a devotion to Christ's passion; he was known as one of the most popular preachers of his day; in 1720, he founded the Congregation of the Passion--the Passionists--whose members combined devotion to Christ’s passion with preaching to the poor, and rigorous penances; Paul was elected superior general of the congregation in 1747, and spent the remainder of his life in Rom Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/20/25 Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/19/25 Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

Feast of St. Luke; he wrote a major portion of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles; tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch; he became a companion to St. Paul; he died about 84 A.D. Saturday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/18/25 Gospel: Luke 10:1-9

Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch; born in Syria, converted to Christianity, and became bishop of Antioch; in 107 A.D., the Emperor forced the Christians to choose between apostasy and death; Ignatius was condemned to be put to death in Rome; he is known for the seven letters that he sent during the long journey from Antioch to Rome--five to the churches in Asia Minor, one to Polycarp, and one to the Christians of Rome asking them not to try to prevent his martyrdom; Ignatius bravely met the lions in the Circus Maximus in about 107 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/17/25 Gospel: Luke 12:1-7

Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, 1647-1690; became a Visitation Nun at age 24; in 1674, she received the first of her revelations; she felt "invested" with the presence of God; during the next 13 months, Christ appeared to her at intervals, and told her that his human heart was to be the symbol of his divine-human love; some of Margaret Mary's own sisters were hostile, but Jesuit Claude de la Colombière recognized her genuineness and supported her; Christ called her to be a sacrificial victim for the shortcomings of her own sisters; she served as novice mistress and assistant superior, and died at the age of 43 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/16/25 Gospel: Luke 11:47-54

Wednesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582; she was a woman of prayer, discipline, and compassion; her ongoing conversion was an arduous lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering; she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule; she founded over a half-dozen new monasteries; her writings, especially the Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, have helped generations of believers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/15/25 Gospel: Luke 11:42-46

Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I; lived in the first part of the Third Century; he was a slave, with money entrusted to him; he lost the money, and fled Rome; his master caught him as he was about to jump into the sea, and released him under the assumption that he could recover some of the money; later, he was arrested for fighting in a synagogue, for which he was arrested, denounced as a Christian, and forced to work in the mines of Sardinia; he was rescued by Pope Victor, who sent him to Antrium; Pope Zephyrinus put Callistus in charge of the burial chambers along the Appian Way, still known as the Catacombs of San Callisto; he was pope from 217 to 222 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/14/25 Gospel: Luke 11:37-41

Monday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Theophilus of Antioch; bishop of Antioch, and an early Christian apologist; a philosopher in the eastern Roman Empire, he began to study the Scriptures with the intention of attacking the Christian faith but was soon converted; he wrote an apology in three books addressed to Autolycus which demonstrated the superiority of Christianity over the immoral myths of pagan religion; it also developed the doctrine of the Logos (Word), and used the word "Triad" for the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; died in 181 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/13/25 Gospel: Luke 11:29-32

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/12/25 Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

Saturday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John XXIII, 1881-1963; in 1958, he was elected pope, and took the name John XXIII; it was originally expected that Pope John XXIII would only serve a short time before passing away and that he would make no significant changes to Church practice; but his most influential decision was the call for an ecumenical council which would be known as Vatican II; Pope John XXIII generally maintained a good reputation among those who remembered him and he was often titled "the Good" Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/11/25 Gospel: Luke 11:27-28

Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Francis Borgia, 1510-1572; a member of the Spanish nobility, but when his wife died, he became a Jesuit priest; he had to help the cook, gathering wood for the fire and sweeping the floor, but never complained; the only time he became angry was when anyone treated him with respect as if he was still a Duke; he preached everywhere, and spread the Society of Jesus all over Spain and Portugal; under his guidance, the Jesuits grew to be a very great help to the Church in many lands Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/10/25 Gospel: Luke 11:15-26

Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorials of St. Denis and Companions, first bishop of Paris, died about 258 A.D.; and St. John Henry Newman, 1801-1890, Anglican converted to Catholicism, canonized 2019 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/9/25 Gospel: Luke 11:5-13

Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Keyne; a Fifth Century holy woman, one of the 24 children of King Brychan of Brecknock, Wales; after refusing several offers of marriage, she became a hermitess on the banks of the Severn River in Somersetshire, England; she lived there for several years and traveled much, and was then persuaded by her nephew, St. Cadoc, to return to Wales; she founded numerous churches in South Wales, Cornwall, and perhaps Somerset Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/8/25 Gospel: Luke 11:1-4

Tuesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary; originally, "Our Lady of Victory," in honor of the victory in the Battle of Lepanto, attributed to the praying of the rosary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/7/25 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

Monday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Blessed Marie Rose DuRocher, 1811-1849; born at St. Antoine, Quebec, Canada; she helped her brother, a parish priest, and in the process established the first Canadian parish Sodality for young women; in 1843, she was invited by Bishop Bourget to found a new congregation of women dedicated to Christian education; she founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary; in spite of many obstacles, her community flourished, and she remained unswerving in her concern for the poor; worn out by her many labors, Marie Rose DuRocher died at the age of 38 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/6/25 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37