Daybreak

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

Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Titus Brandsma, 1881-1942; Dutch Carmelite priest, known for his intellect and scholarship; he was singled out as an enemy of the Nazis, because he fought the spread of Nazism in Europe; he was sent to various concentration camps, where he demonstrated charity and concern; he was martyred at Dachau Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/27/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:10-17

Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; no "hard facts" are available about them; even their names come from a legendary source written more than a century after the Passion; but much can be inferred about their heroism and holiness simply by looking at the Blessed Virgin herself Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/26/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9

Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhlouf, 1828-1898; raised by an uncle; at 23, he joined the Monastery of St. Maron at Annaya, Lebanon; Sharbel lived as a hermit from 1875 until his death; his reputation for holiness prompted people to seek him to receive a blessing and to be remembered in his prayers; assisted in administering sacraments at neighboring parishes, as needed; died the afternoon of Christmas Eve Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/24/23 Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/23/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:24-43

Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, the "apostle to the apostles" Saturday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/22/23 Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18

Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559-1619; born in Brindisi, in the kingdom of Naples; joined the Capuchins at 16, and became definitor general for the order in 1596; helped raise an army among the Germans to fight against the Turks, and served as chaplain; elected vicar general of the Capuchins in 1602, but refused re-election; as papal nuncio in Bavaria, he resolved several royal disputes; retired, but was recalled to go to Spain to intercede with King Philip; the trip exhausted him, and he died a few days after his meeting with the king Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/21/23 Gospel: Matthew 12:1-8

Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Apollinaris; sent by St. Peter to be the first bishop of Ravenna; pagans beat him and drove him from the city; he returned, and was exiled, three more times; on his fourth return, he died from wounds received in a savage beating at Classis, a suburb of Ravenna, about 79 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/20/23 Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30