Daybreak

Saturday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Gerald; Eleventh Century abbot, appointed choir director of the Cathedral of Toledo, Spain; became bishop of Braga, eradicating abuses which had cropped up; died December 5, 1109 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/5/20 Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:8

Friday of the First Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. John Damascene, 676-749; priest and Doctor of the Church; spent most of his life in the Monastery of St. Sabas, near Jerusalem, and all of his life under Muslim rule–indeed protected by it Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/4/20 Gospel: Matthew 9:27-31

Memorial of St. Francis Xavier, 1506-1552; Jesuit with a missionary spirit; ministered in India for ten years, and then went to Malaysia and Japan; dreamed of going to China, but died before reaching the mainland; co-patron of the missions, with St. Therese of Lisieux Thursday of the First Week of Advent Office of Readings and […]

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Bibiana, virgin and martyr; lived and died in the Fourth Century; her Christian parents and sister were killed in a persecution, and she was tied to a pillar and beaten with scourges until she died Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/2/20 […]

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Edmund Campion, 1540-1581; Oxford Protestant scholar turned Catholic; joined the Jesuits, and was ordained to the priesthood; suffered martyrdom at the hands of Elizabethan authorities Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/1/20 Gospel: Luke 10:21-24

Feast of St. Andrew; one of the Twelve, brother of Simon Peter; legend holds that he was martyred about 60 A.D., crucified on an X-shaped cross Monday of the First Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/30/20 Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22

First Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/29/20 Gospel: Matthew 13:33-37

Saturday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Catherine Laboure, 1806-1876; received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who asked her to have a medal made portraying Mary as she appeared to her–today known as the “Miraculous Medal” Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/28/20 Gospel: Luke 21:34-36

Friday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. James Intercisus; Persian Christian who abandoned his faith during a persecution; later repented, and refused to apostasize again; tortured and martyred, 421 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/27/20 Gospel: Luke 21:29-33

Thursday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time, Thanksgiving Day in the United States Saint of the Day: St. Conrad; Tenth Century bishop of Constance; from a noble family, gave his share of his inheritance to the Church and to the poor; built  and renovated many churches; died 975 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning […]