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Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alto; Eighth Century hermit and missionary of Irish or Anglo-Saxon descent, who lived in a simple hut in the wild lands of Germany; King Pepin gave him a parcel of land on which Alto built an abbey; the monastery was ravaged by the Huns, but was restored in 1000 as a Benedictine house; it was taken over by the Brigittines in the Fifteenth Century; Also died in 760 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/9/24 Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, 1486-1537; ill-mannered soldier of the city-state of Venice; arrested, and while in prison, learned to pray; returned to Venice, took charge of the education of his nephews, and began studying for the priesthood; after his ordination, plague and famine swept northern Italy, and Jerome cared for the sick and fed the hungry; he also founded three orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes and a hospital; founded the Clerks Regular of Somasca, dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of youth; died of an illness contracted when caring for the sick Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/8/24 Gospel: Mark 6:30-34

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Luke the Younger; Tenth Century hermit and wonder-worker whose solitary hermitage in Thessaly, Greece, became known as the Soterion, "the place of healing"; became a hermit on Mount Joannitsa. near Corinth; revered for his holiness and miracles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/7/24 Gospel: Mark 7:14-23

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Paul Miki and companions, the Japanese martyrs; in 1597, 26 martyrs of Japan were crucified on a hill overlooking Nagasaki; included was Brother Paul Miki, a Jesuit and native of Japan; from his cross, he forgave his persecutors; when missionaries returned to Japan in the 1860's, they found that thousands of Christians lived around Nagasaki and that they had secretly preserved the faith Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/6/24 Gospel: Mark 7:1-13

Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agatha, 230-251; arrested as a Christian in the persecution of Decius, and sent to a house of prostitution to be mistreated; she was preserved from being violated, and was later put to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/5/24 Gospel: Mark 6:53-56

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/4/24 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Blaise; Fourth Century bishop of Sebastea, in Armenia; persecution raged in Armenia, and Blaise was forced to flee to the back country, where he lived as a hermit, and made friends with the wild animals; a group of hunters stumbled upon his cave, and found him kneeling in prayer surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions and bears; as they hauled him off to prison, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone--thus, the blessing of throats on this day; Blaise was eventually beheaded Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/3/24 Gospel: Mark 6:30-34

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/2/24 Gospel: Luke2:22-40

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Brigid of Ireland, 451-525; Brigid and her mother were slaves on a farm, but Brigid would give milk, eggs, and butter to the poor; eventually, they were given their freedom; Brigid founded the first convent in Ireland, as well as the first double monastery for monks and nuns, and a school of art; she is the patron of scholars, and of Ireland Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/1/24 Gospel: Mark 6:7-13

Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Bosco, 1815-1888; ordained in 1841; served as a chaplain in a hospice for working girls, and then opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys; in 1854, he and his followers informally banded together, inspired by Saint Francis de Sales; in 1859 he and 17 men founded the Salesians; he later organized a group of Salesian sisters to assist girls Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/31/24 Gospel: Mark 6:1-6

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Bathildis, 626-680; born in England, where she was enslaved and taken to the Frankish kingdom; she became a trusted member of King Clovis Il's court and married him in 649; when Clovis died in 657, Bathildis served as regent for their son, Clotaire III; she had founded a Benedictine convent at Chelles, as well as St. Denis Monastery and Corbie; when Clotaire III assumed the throne, Bathildis retired to Chelles, where she died  Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/30/24 Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Dallan; Sixth Century kinsman of St. Edan of Ferns; born in Connaught and a great scholar who, through his application to study, became blind; wrote a poem honoring St. Columba, and when it was published after Columba's death, Dallan regained his sight; Dallan was murdered by pirates at Triscoel in 598 A.D.; his head was thrown into the sea, but was miraculously recovered and reunited with his body Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/29/24 Gospel: Mark 5:1-20

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/28/24 Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici, 1474-1540; born in Italy; in a visionary experience, she felt called to found a "company" of women; at age 60, Angela and 12 other women began the Company of St. Ursula, constituting a new way of life--single women consecrated to Christ and living in the world rather than in a monastery, what today is called a "Secular Institute"; Angela died in Brescia, Italy, in 1540; in the early 1600s, Companies that had expanded into France were re-organized into the religious Order of St. Ursula, to teach girls Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/27/24 Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus; Timothy was a convert of Paul around 47 A.D., and later joined him in his apostolic work; one of Paul's most trusted friends; Titus is seen as a peacemaker, administrator, great friend; Paul’s second letter to Corinth affords an insight into the depth of his friendship with Titus, and the great fellowship they had in preaching the gospel Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/26/24 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, apostle Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/25/24 Gospel: Mark 16:15-18

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; studied for law, but was ordained a priest and elected provost of the Diocese of Geneva, then a center for the Calvinists, whom Francis attempted--with considerable success--to convert; he preached and distributed little pamphlets explaining true Catholic doctrine; he became bishop of Geneva at 35, still preaching, hearing confessions, and catechizing children; wrote "Introduction to the Devout Life" and "A Treatise on the Love of God"; assisted St. Jane Frances de Chantal in establishing the Sisters of the Visitation Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/24/24 Gospel: Mark 4:1-20

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Marianne Cope, 1838-1918; born in Germany, came to the United States two years later with her family, and settled in Utica, New York; she worked in a factory until 1862, and then joined the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse, New York; in 1883, Mother Marianne and six other sisters left for Hawaii where they took charge of the Kakaako Receiving Station outside Honolulu; on the island of Maui they also opened a hospital and a school for girls; in 1888, she and two sisters went to Molokai and opened a home for women and girls; she took charge of the home that Saint Damien de Veuster had established for men and boys; she changed life on Molokai by introducing cleanliness, pride, and fun to the colony Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/23/24 Gospel: Mark 3:31-35

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Day of Prayer for Legal Protection of the Unborn Saint of the Day: St. Vincent Saragossa; protomartyr of Spain, a deacon of the Third Century; Vincent and his bishop, Valerius, were apprehended during a persecution; Valerius was banished, but Vincent was tortured to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/24 Gospel: Mark 3:22-30

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/21/24 Gospel: Mark 1:14-20