Daybreak

Saturday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, 1850-1917; traveled from Italy to New York City at the urging of Pope Leo XIII; founded 67 institutions dedicated to caring for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated, and the sick; the first United States citizen to be canonized Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/13/21 Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

Friday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Josaphat, 1580-1623; as bishop of Vtebsk, he promoted the union of the Eastern and Western Churches; a dissident hierarchy spread the accusation that Josaphat had “gone Latin”; in Vtebsk, he was mobbed, struck with a halberd, and shot, and his body thrown into the river; first saint of the Eastern Church canonized by Rome Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/12/21 Gospel: Luke 17:26-37

Thursday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, 316-397; forced to serve in the army at 15; became a Christian, was discharged, and became a disciple of Hilary of Poitiers; Martin established what may have been the first French monastery near Poitiers; he was reluctantly consecrated bishop of Tours; he rejected the principle of putting heretics to death; and at his own death, 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 11/11/21 Gospel: Luke 17:20-25

Wednesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great; elected pope in 440; one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church; he dealt with heresies, doctrinal controversy, and barbarian attack against Rome; died in 461 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/10/21 Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome Tuesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/9/21 Gospel: John 2:13-22

Monday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: The Four Crowned Martyrs; two groups bear this title–one was a group of carvers who refused to carve a pagan statue, and were martyred by Diocletian in Pannonia; the second group was martyred in Albano, Italy Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/8/21 Gospel: Luke 17:1-6

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/7/21 Gospel: Mark 12:38-44

Friday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Elizabeth; daughter of the line of Aaron, wife of Zechariah, cousin to the Virgin Mary, mother of St. John the Baptist Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/5/21 Gospel: Luke 16:1-8

Thursday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, 1538-1584; bishop of Milan; kept the Council of Trent in session several times when it was about to break up; reformed Catholic life for laity and clergy in his diocese; allotted most of his income to charity Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/4/21 Gospel: Luke 15:1-10

Wednesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Martin de Porres, 1579-1639; son of a mixed-race couple who never married; joined the Dominicans as a “lay helper,” but after nine years was asked to make full religious profession; a formidable fundraiser, he collected thousands of dollars for dowries for poor girls so that they marry or enter a convent; friend of St. Rose of Lima Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/3/21 Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Commemoration of All of the Faithful Departed, also known as All Souls Day Tuesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/2/21 Gospel: John 6:37-40

Solemnity of All Saints Monday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/1/21 Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/31/21 Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, 1533-1617; after the deaths of his family members, he sold the family textile business, and became a Jesuit; served as doorkeeper at the Jesuits’ college in Majorca, Spain, for 45 years; when not at his post, he was almost always at prayer Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/30/21 Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-11

Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Abraham of Rostov; apostle to the Russian people; during an illness he called upon Christ, and was miraculously healed; he converted, and became a monk; began his apostolate among the pagans in the city of Rostov; built two parish churches, a monastery, and institutions for the poor and suffering; died in the 11th Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/29/21 Gospel: Luke 14:1-6

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, two of the Twelve Apostles Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/28/21 Gospel: Luke 6:12-16

Wednesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Abraham the Poor; 4th Century hermit; born in Egypt, and became a disciple of St. Pachomius, the founder of cenobitic monasticism; spend almost two decades in a cave near Pachomius’ foundations; died 372 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/27/21 Gospel: Luke 13:22-30

Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John Houghton1486-1535; protomartyr of the English Reformation; served as a parish priest, then became a Carthusian; arrested for opposing King Henry VIII’s Acts of Succession and Supremacy; first man to refuse to swear to the Oath of Supremacy; executed at Tyburn Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/25/21 Gospel: Luke 13:10-17

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/24/21 Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

Saturday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John of Capistrano, 1386-1456; practiced as a lawyer in the courts of Naples; became governor of Perugia; entered the Franciscans, and was a student under St. Berardine of Siena; after ordination, he traveled through Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, and Poland, preaching penance and establishing Franciscan communities; successfully led a crusade against invading Turks, and died three months later in Hungary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/23/21 Gospel: Luke 13:1-9