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Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Margaret of Hungary, 1242-1272; a princess, entered the Dominican novitiate at the age of 12; objected to any special treatment, and went out of her way to perform the most menial tasks, and serve the poor and sick Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/18/23 Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Egypt, 251-356; gave his large inheritance to the poor at the age of 20, and spent most of his life in solitude; at 54, he founded a sort of monastery with scattered cells; at 60, he hoped to be a martyr in the Roman persecution; at 88, he fought the Arian heresy; died in solitude at age 105 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/17/23 Gospel: Mark 2:23-28

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Fursey; 7th Century Irish monastic founder; founded Rathmat Abbey; in 630, he went to East Anglia, where he founded a monastery near Ugremouth; later, he went to France to build a monastery near Paris; St. Bede and other wrote about his intense ecstasies; died 650 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/16/23 Gospel: Mark 2:18-22

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/15/23 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Felix of Nola; third century heir to an estate in Italy, who donated it to the poor; ordained by Bishop St. Maximus; Maximus fled a persecution, and Felix was seized, but reputedly released by an angel, and brought Maximus back to Nola; Felix spent the rest of his life on a small piece of land, sharing with the poor; died 255 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/14/23 Gospel: Mark 2:13-17

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Hilary, 315-368; raised a pagan, met the God of nature in scriptures, and converted; fought the Arian heresy, and was banished from France by the Emperor; some semi-Arians invited him to a council to countereact the Council of Nicea, but he defended the Church; the Arians pleaded with the emperor to "send this troublemaker back home"; Hilary was welcome by his people Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/13/23 Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Benedict Biscop, 628-690; served King Oswui of Northumbria as a warrior until his first of numerous visits to Rome; appointed abbot of Saints Peter and Paul monastery (now St. Augustine's) in Canterbury; assured Pope Agatho of the orthodoxy of the English church; and brought back many additions to th elibraries at Wearmouth and Jarrow Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/12/23 Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch, 423-529; born in Cappadocia (modern Turkey); entered a monastery, and was later named head of a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem; departed to live as a hermit; attracted many followers, and built a monastery; appointed visitor to all of the cenobitical communities of Palestine; opposed the spread of the heretical doctrines of Eutychianism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/11/23 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-395; brother of St. Basil the great, who raised him, along with their sister Macrina; became bishop of Nyssa in 372, a period of tension over the Arian heresy; Gregory wrote with great effectiveness against Ariansim and other heresies; he is seen as a great contributor to the mystical tradition in Christian spiritiuality, and to monasticism itself Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/10/23 Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/23 Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Saturday of the Second Week of Christmas Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Pennafort, 1175-1275; became a famous teacher, and gave it up to join the Dominicans; with King James of Aragon and St. Peter Nolasco he founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom; went with King James to Majorca, where the king set a poor example; Raymond told him to send the woman away, but the king did not; Raymond left the island miraculously, and the king repented; St. Raymond is the patron of canonists Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/7/23 Gospel: John 2:1-11

Friday of the Second Week of Christmas Saint of the Day: St. André Bessette, 1845-1937; entered the Congregation of Holy Cross, and served as doorkeeper; spent most nights on his knees; visited and prayed with the sick; volunteered to nurse when an epidemic broke out at a nearby college; helped to build the Oratory of St. Joseph on Mount Royal in Montreal Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/6/23 Gospel: Mark 1:7-11

12th Day of Christmas Memorial of St. John Neumann, 1811-1860; born in what is now the Czech Republic, came to New York at the age of 25, and was ordained a priest; joined the Redemptorists, and became bishop of Philadelphia; organized the parochial school system in a diocesan one, increasing the number of pupils twentyfold; first American bishop to be beatified Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/5/23 Gospel: John 1:43-51

11th Day of Christmas Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821; founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity; opened the first American parish school; established the first American Catholic orphanage; first American-born citizen to be canonized Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/4/23

10th Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/3/23 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Ninth Day of Christmas Memorial of Saints Basil the Great (330-379) and Gregory Nazianzen (329-390); childhood friends; Basil founded monasteries, and wrote a rule which became important in the guidance of religious communities in the east; ordained bishop of Caesarea in 370; Gregory followed a similar path, ordained a priest, though he longed for the life of a monk; ordained a bishop by Basil; the two were defining figures as the early Church sought to describe Jesus as fully human and fully divine Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/2/23 Gospel: John 1:19-28

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Eighth Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/1/23 Gospel: Luke 2:16-21

Seventh Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of Pope St. Sylvester I, 285-335; saw the triumph of Constantine in 312, and two years later became pope; sent four legates to represent him at the great Council of the Western Church at Aries; also sent legates to the Council of Nice in 325, but was unable to attend himself, due to his age; pope for 24 years and 11 months Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/31/22 Gospel: John 1:1-18

Feast of the Holy Family; primarily instituted and promoted by the Church to present the Holy Family as the model and exemplar of all Christian families Sixth Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/30/22 Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23