Daybreak

Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; patroness of the Carmelite order; it was on Mount Carmel that God publicly answered the prophet Elijah’s prayer, consumed the offering, and confirmed He was a living God; centuries later, in the 12th century after Christ, a group of hermits gathered on the mountain and committed their lives to prayer and penance, forming the Carmelite Order Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/16/26 Gospel; Matthew 11:28-30

Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bonaventure, 1221-1274; entered the Franciscan Order in his early twenties, and studied in Paris, where, in 1248, he received a doctorate in theology; in 1257, he was elected Minister General of the Order' in 1273, he became Cardinal of Albano and played a prominent role at the Council of Lyons, which aimed to unite the Latin and Greek Churches; he died in 1274, was canonized in 1482 and proclaimed a doctor of the Church in 1588 by Sixtus V Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/15/26 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-27

Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, 1656-1680; Indian virgin of the Mohawk tribe; orphaned, due to smallpox, and raised by her village; when Jesuit missionaries arrived, she asked to be baptized; many in her clan could not accept this, so she was forced to retreat to a town north on the St. Lawrence River; when she died, it is said that the smallpox scars on her face disappeared; she is the first Native American to be canonized a saint Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/14/26 Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24

Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Henry, 972-1024; King of Germany and Italy and crowned Holy Roman Emperor, the last in the Ottonian (Saxon) dynasty; Henry and his wife were very generous to the poor and to monasteries; he founded a cathedral and monastery in Bamberg he is the only German king to be elevated to sainthood Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/13/26 Gospel: Matthew 10:34-11:1

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/12/26 Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Benedict, 480-547; born in Italy, educated in Rome, but he was disillusioned by the behavior of other students; so, he retreated to a cave deep in the mountains for spiritual seclusion; he relocated to Monte Cassino, and wrote a rule for his monks which became so popular that it helped shape the civilization and culture of Europe; Benedict is the patron saint of Europe Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/11/26 Gospel: Matthew 10:24-33

Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Anthony Pechersky, 983-1073; born in Ukraine, and went to Mount Athos in Greece to become a hermit; after several years, he returned to Ukraine and built a hermitage in Kiev, which was to become known as the "Caves of Kiev," the first Ukrainian monastery founded by Ukrainians; Anthony founded another monastery, but died in the Caves of Kiev Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/10/26 Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23

Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and 119 companions, the martyrs of China; they were holy men and women who gave their lives for Christ between 1648 and 1930; they included 87 native Chinese and 33 foreign missionaries; Augustine Zhao Rong, the first martyred Chinese priest, had earlier witnessed the persecution of Monsignor Dufresse and became ordained because of it Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/9/26 Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15

Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne-Marie Kerguin, 1864-1900; born in France to a peasant family; joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1887; she was assigned first to Paris, then to Carthage in Northern Africa; she encountered health problems and was sent to Rome to recover; there she answered the call of her Order to work as a missionary; she arrived in China in 1899, and was hospitalized with typhus; she was arrested during the Boxer Rebellion, and was beheaded in China Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/8/26 Gospel: Matthew 10:1-7

Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Palladius; early Fifth Century Irish missionary, the first bishop of Ireland, and the immediate predecessor to St. Patrick; in about 430, Pope Celestine I sent Palladius to preach among the Irish; his mission apparently made little impact upon the native population; Palladius departed Ireland and sailed for Scotland, where he preached among the Picts; he died at Fordun, near Aberdeen Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/7/26 Gospel: Matthew 9:32-38

Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, 1890-1902; after her father’s passing, Saint Maria’s mother had to return to work while Maria looked after her five brothers and sisters; sadly, a malicious neighbor took advantage of the situation and little Maria was killed in 1902; Saint Maria, at age 11, declared she’d rather die than be abused; she was canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII and is one of the Church’s youngest saints Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/6/26 Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/5/26 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Independence Day in the U.S. Optional Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, 1271-1336; given in marriage at the age of 12 to Denis, king of Portugal; she helped pilgrims, strangers, the sick, the poor—in a word, all those whose need came to her notice; Elizabeth of Portugal long sought peace for her husband with God, and was finally rewarded when he gave up his life of sin; after the death of her husband, Elizabeth retired as a Franciscan tertiary to the monastery of the Poor Clares in Coimbra; from there, she brought about a lasting peace between her son Alfonso, now king of Portugal, and his son-in-law, the king of Castile Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/4/26 Gospel: Matthew 9:14-17

Feast of St. Thomas, apostle Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/3/26 Gospel: John 20:24-29

Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Monegundis; Sixth Century hermitess, born in Chartres, France, and married; when her daughters died, she received her husband's permission to become a hermitess; she started a hermitage at Chartres but then moved to a site near the tomb of St. Martin at Tours; disciples who joined her forced her to establish a rule that led to the founding of a  convent; she died in 570, and many miracles took place at her tomb Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/2/26 Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8

Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Junipero Serra, 1713-1784; Spanish priest and Franciscan missionary; an explorer and colonist of California, and founder of the missions of California; his missionary efforts earned him the title of “Apostle of California” and “The Father of the California Missions” Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/1/26 Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34

Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome; they were put to death under the emperor Nero's reign, in 64 A.D.; the burning of the city of Rome was suspected to be Nero's fault, and he laid it on the Christians; their conviction and martyrdom led to many others to follow Christ Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/30/26 Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/29/26 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/28/26 Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42

Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Cyril of Alexandria, 376-444; in 412, he succeeded his uncle Theopholus as archbishop of Alexandria; in 431, he convened the Council of Ephesus which vindicated Mary’s title as Mother of God; he was a prolific author, writing commentaries on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Isaiah, and the Gospels of John and Luke Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/27/26 Gospel: Matthew 8:5-17