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Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/2/26 Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/1/26 Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a

Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Bosco, 1815-1888; studied theology at Turin; after ordination, he served the dislocated people from the countryside who found themselves in the midst of urbanization; in 1854, he founded the Salesian order, focused on creating solutions for displaced youth; he developed vocational training programs and schools; he also collaborated in the founding of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/31/26 Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Bathildis, 626-680; born in England; she was enslaved, and taken to Neustria, a part of the Frankish kingdom; in time, she became a trusted member of the court of King Clovis II, and married him in 649; she bore him three sons, all of whom became kings; when Clovis died in 657, Bathildis served as regent for 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 1/30/26 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Dallan; Dallan Forgaill was a Sixth Century kinsman of St. Edan of Ferns, born in Connaught, and a great scholar; through his application to study, he became blind; he wrote a poem in honor of St. Columba, which was only published after Columba's death; legend has it that, upon its publication, Dallan's sight was restored to him; Dallan was murdered by pirates in 598, and his head thrown into the sea; it was recovered, and miraculously reunited with his body Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/29/26 Gospel: Mark 4:21-25

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274; the "Angelic Doctor"; born in Aquino, Italy, became a Dominican, and studied under St. Albert the Great; he wrote the Summa theologiae and much of the liturgy for the feast of Corpus Christi; he is considered one of the greatest minds of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/28/26 Gospel: Mark 4:1-20

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici, 1474-1540; born in Italy, orphaned in her teens; as a young woman, she joined the Third Order of St. Francis; at age 60, Angela and 12 other women began the Company of St. Ursula; this was a new way of life--single women consecrated to Christ and living in the world rather than in a monastery, what is today known as a "Secular Institute"; Angela died in Brescia, Italy; 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 1/27/26 Gospel: Mark 3:31-35

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus; great men of the First Century, companions and disciples of St. Paul; Timothy accompanied St. Paul on his second missionary journey and was entrusted to aid the Thessalonians, Corinthians and Ephesians; Titus is addressed as St. Paul’s ‘true child after a common faith’ and was called to missionary work in Crete Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/26/26 Gospel: Mark 3:22-30

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/25/26 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; born in Savoy, France, and as bishop devoted his work to implementing the decrees of the Council of Trent; also co-founded the Visitandines, with St. Jane Francis de Chantal; among his most read and revered writings are Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/24/26 Gospel: Mark 3:20-21

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Marianne Cope, 1838-1918; born in Germany, emigrated to Utica, New York, and joined the the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse, New York; she was twice elected provincial; in 1835, along with six other sisters, she went to Hawaii to take charge of the receiving station outside of Honolulu for people suspected of having leprosy; in 1888, Mother Marianne and two sisters went to Molokai to open a home for “unprotected women and girls” there; she took charge of the home that Saint Damien de Veuster had established for men and boys; her sisters have attracted vocations among the Hawaiian people and still work on Molokai Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/23/26 Gospel: Mark 3:13-19

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/26 Gospel: Mark 3:7-12

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, 291-304; venerated since the Fourth Century in Rome; various early legends make it difficult to discern details of her martyrdom, but she was young and heroic; after her death, Constantine's daughter erected a basilica over her grave; she is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the mass, and early Church Fathers praised her virtue Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/21/26 Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, 200-250; a Roman layman who came to the city as a new pope was about to be elected; a dove landed on his head, it was taken as a sign, and Fabian was elected unanimously; he led the Church for 14 years and died a martyr’s death during the persecution of Decius Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/20/26 Gospel: Mark 2:23-28

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Henry of Uppsala, 1100-1156; an Englishman who accompanied Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear to Sweden and Norway in 1151; there he was made the bishop of Uppsala, Sweden; he accompanied King St. Eric of Sweden on a military campaign to Finland, never leaving that land again; Henry was murdered in Finland in 1156 by an excommunicate named Lalli Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/19/26 Gospel: Mark 2:18-22

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/18/26 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony, the Abbot, 251-356; born in Egypt, and felt called to give away all his possessions, follow Christ, and become a hermit; his spirituality attracted many followers; during the Arian controversy, St. Anthony supported the Nicene party and became friends with St. Athanasius, who would later write The Way of St. Antony Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/17/26 Gospel: Mark 2:13-17

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Sulpicius, 576-646; the son of wealthy parents; he renounced the idea of marriage and devoted himself to good works, especially caring for the poor; when he became Bishop of Bourges in 624, he fought for the rights of his people against King Dagobert's minister, Lullo; known for austerity and holliness; he is reported to have converted all the inhabitants of Bourges to Christianity with his holiness and charity; resigned his bishopric late in life to devote himself to the poor Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/16/26 Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Arnold Jansen, 1837-1909; born in Germany, ordained in 1861, and served as a parish priest; in 1875 he founded the Society of the Divine Word, to provide priests and lay brothers for the missions; he also founded the Servant Sisters of the Holy Ghost for the missions in 1889 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/15/26 Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: Grandmother of Sts. Basil and Gregory of Nyssa; she was trained in the faith by St. Gregory Thaumaturgis; during the persecution instituted by Emperor Diocletian, Macrina and her husband had to flee Neocaesarea, in Pontus; they lived on the shores of the Black Sea, and Macrina died in about 340 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/14/26 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39