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Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary, 975-1038; born a pagan, baptized at 10; when he became chief of the Magyars, he adopted a policy of Christianization for both political and religious reasons; he established a system of tithes to support churches and pastors and to relieve the poor; he abolished pagan customs, and was easily accessible to all, especially the poor; his son Emeric died in 1031; he and his son were canonized in 1083 Office of Reading and Morning Prayer for 8/16/23 Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven; declared a dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950 Tuesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/15/23 Gospel: Luke 11:27-28

Monday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, 1894-1941; Franciscan priest from a portion of Poland which is now part of Ukraine; founded the Militia of the Immaculata, and the magazine, "Knight of the Immaculata"; arrested by Nazis in 1939, and then released; arrested again in 1941, and was sent to a starvation bunker; a prisoner had escaped, and ten men were to die as punishment; St. Maximilian offered to replace one of those, who had a wife and family; St. Maximilian died by lethal injection Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/14/23 Gospel: Matthew 17:22-27

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/13/23 Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, 1572-1641; after being widowed, she fell into depression at her family home; at the age of 32, she met St. Francis de Sales, who became her spiritual director; with him, she helped to found an order which would exemplify the virtues of Mary at the Visition--hence, their name, the Visitation Nuns; Jane Frances underwent great spiritual trials, and died while on a visit to convents of the community Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/12/23 Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20

Friday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Clare of Assisi, 1194-1253; moved by the preaching of St. Francis, who placed her in a convent; sixteen days later, her sister Agnes joined her, and others followed; they lived a simple life of great poverty, austerity, and complete seclusion from the world; Clare came from prayer, it was said, with her face so shining it dazzled those about her. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/11/23 Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28

Feast of St. Lawrence, 225-258; Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II, martyred just days before Lawrence; when the Roman prefect demanded that Lawrence present him with "the treasures of the Church," Lawrence assembled a group of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned, and widowed persons, and said, "These are the treasures of the Church"; Lawrence was martyred on a gridiron over hot coals, and was known to remark, "It is well done. Turn me over!”" Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/10/23 Gospel: John 12:24-26

Wednesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, 1891-1942; brilliant philosopher from a Jewish family; she stopped believing in God at age 14; but she was so captivated by the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, that she was eventually baptized, and later became a Carmelite; she lived for four years in the Cologne Carmel, and then moved to the Carmel in Echt, Netherlands; Nazis were arresting all Jews who had become Christians, and Teresa Benedicta and her sister Rosa--also a Catholic--died in the gas chamber at Auschwitz Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/9/23 Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28

Tuesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Dominic, 1170-1221; born in Old Castile, Spain, and was prepared for priesthood by a priest-uncle; on a journey through France with his bishop, he came face-to-face with the Albigensian heresy, which held that all matter was evil, thus denying the Incarnation and the sacraments; Dominic led a preaching crusade against Albigensianism; he and his fellow preachers eventually formed a community, and the Order of Preachers--the Dominicans--began in 1215 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 14:22-36

Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Sixtus II; became pope in 257, and helped to heal the rift between Rome and Carthage over baptism; forbidden to hold services, he was martyred while preaching in the cemetery chapel in 258 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/7/23 Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/6/23 Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9

Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome; first raised in the mid-4th Century, it has survived many restorations; one of the four "patriarchal churches" in memory of the first centers of the Church; the feast is also known as Our Lady of the Snows Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/5/23 Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12

Friday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Vianney, the Curé d'Ars, 1786-1859; a poor student, but he was determined to be a priest; his work as a confessor is his most remarkable accomplishment, spending up to 16 hours per day in the confessional; patron of parish priests worldwide Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/4/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:54-58

Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gamaliel; First Century rabbinical teacher, mentor of St. Paul; advised the Sanhedrin to release Peter and other apostles; reportedly became a Christian himself; mentioned in Chapter 5 of the Acts of the Apostles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/3/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:37-53

Wednesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, 300-371; first recorded bishop of Vercelli in Piedmont, in northwest Italy; reluctantly participated in a council to settle Catholic-Arian troubles, and refused to go along with the condemnation of Saint Athanasius; exiled by the emperor, until a new emperor allowed him to return to Vercelli Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/2/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46

Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787; born near Naples, and graduated in law at the age of 16; against much opposition, he was ordained a priest in 1726; in 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists; appointed bishop of St. Agatha in 1756; retired, and died in his convent in 1787 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/1/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43

Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556; during his recovery from war wounds, he read a life of Christ and lives of the saints, and was deeply touched; during his conversion, he began to write what would become "The Spiritual Exercises"; in 1534, Ignatius and six others began the Society of Jesus; Ignatius' spirituality is expressed in the Jesuit motto, Ad majorem Dei gloriam—“for the greater glory of God” Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/31/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/30/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:44-52

Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus; siblings, close friends of Jesus, who stayed with them when he was in Bethany; when Jesus told Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life," she responded, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world’"; legends abound about Lazarus, including one which holds that he wrote an account of what he witnessed in the next world before being brought back to life Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/29/23 Gospel: John 11:19-27

Friday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St, Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, 1920-1946; Franciscan religious sister; the first native of India to be canonized a saint, and the first saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church of the Saint Thomas Christian community Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/28/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23