• Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
• Memorial of St. Pius X, 1835-1914; he encouraged Italian Catholics to become more politically involved; one of his first papal acts was to end the supposed right of governments to interfere by veto in papal elections; he denounced the ill treatment of indigenous peoples on the plantations of Peru, sent a relief commission to Messina after an earthquake, and sheltered refugees at his own expense; Pius X foresaw World War I, but it killed him; he said, "This is the last affliction the Lord will visit on me. I would gladly give my life to save my poor children from this ghastly scourge”; he died a few weeks after the beginning of the war, in 1914
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/21/25
• Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

• Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
• Memorial of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153; joined the monastic community of Citeaux at age 20; within four years, they established a new house in the nearby valley of Wormwoods, with Bernard as abbot; he became known as an arbitrator and counselor; he intervened in a full-blown schism and settled it in favor of the Roman pontiff against the antipope; he was called upon to preach the Second Crusade across Europe; but the military had different ideals from those of Abbot Bernard, and the project ended as a complete military and moral disaster; this burden likely hastened Bernard's death, which came in 1153
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/20/2025
• Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

• Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
• Optional Memorial of St. John Eudes, 1601-1680; founded the Eudists--the Congregation of Jesus and Mary--devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries; in his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the condition of prostitutes seeking to get out of that life; shelters were found, but it was insufficient; thus the birth of another religious community, the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge; John Eudes is probably best known for the central theme of his writings--Jesus as the source of holiness; Mary as the model of the Christian life
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/19/25
• Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30

• Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
• Saint of the Day: St. Helena; mother of Emperor Constantine the Great; between 326 and 328 A.D., Helena visited the Holy Places in the Middle East; she had many churches constructed, and ordered a pagan temple built over the site of the Crucifixion to be destroyed; in the ruins, she found three crosses; tradition holds that Helena brought a woman who was near death, and had her touch the three crosses, and she fully recovered when touching the third one; Helena declared it to be the "True Cross"; she died around 330 A.D.
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/18/25
• Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22

• 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/17/25
• Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

• Saturday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
• Optional Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary, 975-1038; son of the Chief of the Magyars; baptized at the age of 10, along with his father; when he succeeded his father, he adopted a policy of Christianization of the country for political and religious reasons; under Stephen, one of every ten towns was required to build a church and support a priest; he abolished pagan customs, and was easily accessible to all, especially the poor; he died in 1038
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/16/25
• Gospel: Matthew 19:13-15

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven

Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/15/25

Gospel: Luke 1:39:56

• Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
• Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, 1894-1941; Conventual Franciscan priest arrested twice by the Nazis; took the place of a man sentenced to death, and was, himself, executed
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/14/25
• Gospel: Matthew 18:21-19:1

• Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
• Optional Memorial of Saints Pontian and Hippolytus; Pontian was Roman by birth, and was elected pope in 230, a time when a synod condemned Origen as a priest and teacher; in 235, Pontian was arrested and exiled in Sardinia; Hippolytus was the first antipope, and he was also exiled to Sardina in 235; they reconciled in the mines; both died in 235 A.D., and share the same feast day
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/13/25
• Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20

• Tuesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
• Optional Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, 1572-1641; widowed after seven years of marriage, St. Francis de Sales became her spiritual director; she wanted to become a nun, but St. Francis persuaded her to defer this decision; Francis told Jane of his plan to found an institute of women who would exemplify the virtues of Mary at the visitation--thus, their name, the Visitation Nuns; the congregation began when Jane was 45; she underwent numerous sufferings--St. Francis de Sales died, her son was killed, a plague ravaged France, and her daughter-in-law and son-in-law died; Jane Frances died while on a visitation of convents of the community
• Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/12/25
• Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5. 10, 12-14