Daybreak

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Benedict Biscop, 628-690; served King Oswui of Northumbria as a warrior until his first of numerous visits to Rome; appointed abbot of Saints Peter and Paul monastery (now St. Augustine's) in Canterbury; assured Pope Agatho of the orthodoxy of the English church; and brought back many additions to th elibraries at Wearmouth and Jarrow Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/12/23 Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch, 423-529; born in Cappadocia (modern Turkey); entered a monastery, and was later named head of a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem; departed to live as a hermit; attracted many followers, and built a monastery; appointed visitor to all of the cenobitical communities of Palestine; opposed the spread of the heretical doctrines of Eutychianism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/11/23 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-395; brother of St. Basil the great, who raised him, along with their sister Macrina; became bishop of Nyssa in 372, a period of tension over the Arian heresy; Gregory wrote with great effectiveness against Ariansim and other heresies; he is seen as a great contributor to the mystical tradition in Christian spiritiuality, and to monasticism itself Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/10/23 Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/23 Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Saturday of the Second Week of Christmas Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Pennafort, 1175-1275; became a famous teacher, and gave it up to join the Dominicans; with King James of Aragon and St. Peter Nolasco he founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom; went with King James to Majorca, where the king set a poor example; Raymond told him to send the woman away, but the king did not; Raymond left the island miraculously, and the king repented; St. Raymond is the patron of canonists Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/7/23 Gospel: John 2:1-11

Friday of the Second Week of Christmas Saint of the Day: St. André Bessette, 1845-1937; entered the Congregation of Holy Cross, and served as doorkeeper; spent most nights on his knees; visited and prayed with the sick; volunteered to nurse when an epidemic broke out at a nearby college; helped to build the Oratory of St. Joseph on Mount Royal in Montreal Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/6/23 Gospel: Mark 1:7-11

12th Day of Christmas Memorial of St. John Neumann, 1811-1860; born in what is now the Czech Republic, came to New York at the age of 25, and was ordained a priest; joined the Redemptorists, and became bishop of Philadelphia; organized the parochial school system in a diocesan one, increasing the number of pupils twentyfold; first American bishop to be beatified Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/5/23 Gospel: John 1:43-51

11th Day of Christmas Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821; founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity; opened the first American parish school; established the first American Catholic orphanage; first American-born citizen to be canonized Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/4/23

10th Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/3/23 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Ninth Day of Christmas Memorial of Saints Basil the Great (330-379) and Gregory Nazianzen (329-390); childhood friends; Basil founded monasteries, and wrote a rule which became important in the guidance of religious communities in the east; ordained bishop of Caesarea in 370; Gregory followed a similar path, ordained a priest, though he longed for the life of a monk; ordained a bishop by Basil; the two were defining figures as the early Church sought to describe Jesus as fully human and fully divine Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/2/23 Gospel: John 1:19-28

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Eighth Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/1/23 Gospel: Luke 2:16-21

Seventh Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of Pope St. Sylvester I, 285-335; saw the triumph of Constantine in 312, and two years later became pope; sent four legates to represent him at the great Council of the Western Church at Aries; also sent legates to the Council of Nice in 325, but was unable to attend himself, due to his age; pope for 24 years and 11 months Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/31/22 Gospel: John 1:1-18

Feast of the Holy Family; primarily instituted and promoted by the Church to present the Holy Family as the model and exemplar of all Christian families Sixth Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/30/22 Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Fifth Day of Christmas Optional Memorial of St. Thomas Becket, 1118-1170; friend of King Henry II; became chancellor of England at the age of 36, then archbishop of Canterbury; but Henry insisted on usurping Church rights; Thomas fled to France for safety and remained in exile for seven years; he returned, and refused to remit censures on bishops favored by the king; Henry cried out, "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?"; four knights took Henry's words as his wish, and killed Thomas in the Canterbury cathedral Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/29/22 Gospel: Luke 2:22-35

Feast of the Holy Innocents; Herod became troubled when the Magi inquired about "the newborn king of the Jews"; he ordered the massacre of all boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under Fourth Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/28/22 Gospel: Matthew 2:13-18

Feast of St. John, 6-100; apostle and evangelist; "the disciple whom Jesus loved"; author of the fourth Gospel, and considered the author of three New Testament letters and the Book of Revelation; his Gospel is the Gospel of Jesus' glory Third Day in the Octave of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/27/22 Gospel: John 20:1-8

Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr; a man "filled with grace and power"; one of the first deacons; some Jews debated with him, but were no match; he was charged with blasphemy, and was stoned to death in about 36 A.D. Second Day of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/25/22 Gospel: Matthew 10:17-22

Solemnity of Christmas Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/25/22 Gospel: Luke 2:1-14

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Emiliana; one of three aunts of St. Gregory the Great; received a vision from her sister Tarsilla--who had died on Christmas Eve--to join her in heaven for the Epiphany Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/24/22 Gospel: Luke 1:67-79