Daybreak

Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John of Capistrano, 1386-1456; born in Capistrano, Italy; after serving as governor of Perugia, he entered the Franciscans; began his preaching apostolate in 1420, and traveled throughout Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia preaching penance and establishing numerous communities of Franciscan renewal; at the age of 70, he successfully led a crusade against invading Turks, and died shortly thereafter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/23/23 Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/22/23 Gospel: Matthew 22:15-21

Saturday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Hilarion, 291-371; disciple of St. Anthony, and companion of St. Hesychius; performed so many miracles that crowds flocked to him when it was discovered he was in any region; died on Cyprus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/21/23 Gospel: Luke 12:8-12

Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross, 1694-1775; born in northern Italy, and became known as one of the most popular preachers of his day, both for his words and for his generous acts of mercy; in 1720, he founded the Congregation of the Passion--the Passionists--and he was elected superior general Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/20/23 Gospel: Luke 12:1-7

Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Isaac Jogue and Jean de Brébeuf and companions, the North American martyrs; Isaac Jogues and Jean de Brébeuf arrived in Quebed in 1636 to work among the Huron Indians; Jogues was captured by the Iroquois and escaped, but returned; in 1646 he was tomahawked and beheaded by a Mohawk war party; Jean de Brébeuf worked among the Hurons for 24 years, composing a catechism and a dictionary, and seeing 7,000 converted; he died after four hours of extreme torture by the Iroquois Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/19/23 Gospel: Luke 11:47-54

Feast of St. Luke; traditionally held to be a native of Antioch; wrote the Third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles; accompanied Paul on some of his journeys; Paul calls him "our beloved physician"; died about 84 A.D. Wednesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/18/23 Gospel: Luke 10:1-9

Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch; born in Syria, converted to Christianity, and became bishop of Antioch; refused to apostasize under persecution of Emperor Trajan, and was sentenced to death in Rome; wrote seven letters during his journey to Rome, the final one to the Christians of Rome asking that they not try to prevent his martyrdom; died in Circus Maximus in 107 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/17/23 Gospel: Luke 11:37-41

Monday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, 1647-1690; joined the Visitation nuns at age 24; in 1674, she received the first revelation from Christ; Christ appeared to her at intervals for the next 13, months, asking that his love for humankind be made evident through her; His human heart was to be the symbol of his divine-human love; Margaret Mary died at the age of 43, while being anointed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/16/23 Gospel: Luke 11:29-32

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/15/23 Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

Saturday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I; born in the Second Century; under Pope Zephyrinus, he administered church property and arranged for burial of martyrs in what is still called "St. Callistus Cemetery"; he became the 16th pope in 217; he regulated the sacrament of penance and battled heresies; he was thrown into prison and tortured, eventually being martyred in 223 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/14/23 Gospel: Luke 11:27-28

Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Theophilus of Antioch; Second Century Eastern Roman Empire philosopher who studied the scriptures intending to refute Christianity, but ended up converting; he became bishop of Antioch, in modern-day Turkey, and was a gifted apologist; died 181 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/13/23 Gospel: Luke 11:15-26

Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Edwin of Northumbria, 586-633; pagan king of Northumbria, who converted on the urging of his wife, St. Ethelburga, her chaplain, St. Paulinus of York, and Pope Boniface V; reigned for six years as a devout Catholic monarch; slain in battle, and revered as a martyr Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/12/23 Gospel: Luke 11:5-13

Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, 1881-1963; first born son of an Italian farming family; ordained in 1904; served as a stretcher-bearer in World War I; became a papal diplomat in 1925; named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice in 1953; elected pope just a month shy of the age of 78; called the Second Vatican Council; most famous encyclicals were "Mother and Teacher" and "Peace on Earth" Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/11/23 Gospel: Luke 11:1-4

Tuesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Francis Borgia, 1510-1572; Spanish nobleman; upon being widowed, he gave up his dukedom and became a Jesuit priest; performed menial tasks for his community, but never complained; he preached everywhere, and advised many important people; as superior general, he was responsible for a great expansion of the Society of Jesus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/10/23 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

Monday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Denis and companions, martyrs; sent to Gaul from Rome, and was beheaded in the persecution of Emperor Valerius in 258; Denis is regarded as the first bishop of Paris; one legend has him carrying his own head--after his martyrdom--to a village northeast of Paris; he is the patron saint of France Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/9/23 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43

Saturday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary - originally, "Our Lady of Victory," celebrating the Christian defeat of the Turks at Lepanto in 1571 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/7/23 Gospel: Luke 10:17-24

Friday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Blessed Marie Rose Durocher, 1811-1849; born in St. Antoine, Quebec, Canada; established the first Canadian parish Sodality for young women; founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, dedicated to Christian education; the community flourished, in spite of great obstacles; Marie Rose remained unswerving in her concern for the poor; she died at the age of 38 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/6/23 Gospel: Luke 10:13-16

Thursday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, 1819-1867; born in Germany, joined the Redemptorists, and came to America; served in Pittsburgh with St. John Neumann, then returned to Baltimore, later being transferred to Cumberland and then Annapolis; he was an expert confessor, a watchful and prudent spiritual director and a pastor always joyfully available and attentive to the needs of the poor and the abandoned; he was a full-time itinerary missionary preacher from 1863 to 1869; he was then assigned to New Orleans, where he died of the yellow fever epidemic Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/5/23 Gospel: Luke 10:1-12

Wednesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226; following an illness, prayer led Francis to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road; he gave up all of his possessions; he had no intention of founding an order, but once it began, he protected it and accepted all legal structures needed to support it; during his last years, blind and seriously ill, he received the stigmata; on his deathbed, he repeated the last addition to his "Canticle of the Sun," "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death.”  Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/4/23 Gospel: Luke 9:57-62