Daybreak

Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. John of Kanty, 1390-1473; born in Poland, ordained a priest and became professor of theology; eventually, he was sent to be a parish priest, where he won his people's hearts; returned to Krakow, and taught scripture for the remainder of his life; a serious man and humble, but known to all of the poor of Krakow for his kindness Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/23/22 Gospel: Luke 1:57-66

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Zeno; martyred soldier at Nicomedia (modern-day Turkey); he laughed while Diocletian sacrificed to a pagan god. Zeno had his jaws shattered, and then was beheaded in 303 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/22/22 Gospel: Luke 1:46-56

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Peter Canisius, 1521-1597; received a master's degree at the age of 19, and joined the Jesuits; following ordination, he became known for his editions of the writings of St. Cyril of Alexandria and St. Leo the Great; attended the Council of Trent; sent on a mission to Germany, where he taught in several universities, and helped establish many colleges and seminaries Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/21/22 Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Dominic of Silos, 1000-1073; became a Benedictine, and then abbot of the monastery; exiled by King Gacia III of Navarre for refusing to surrender Benedictine lands to the crown; assisted by King Ferdinand I of Castile and Leon, who made him abbot of St. Sebasitan Abbey at Silos, now called St. Dominic's; he reformed the abbey, and rescued Christian slaves from the Moors; noted for miracles of healing Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/20/22 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Anastasius I, 340-401; one of the first to condemn the works of Origen; also urged the Church in North Afriday to continue its struggle against Donatism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/19/22 Gospel: Luke 1:5-25

Fourth Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/18/22 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. John of Martha, 1160-1213; founded the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, to ransom Christian captives from the Moslems; the order spread to France, Spain, Italy, and England, sent many of its members to North Africa, and redeemed many prisoners; John died in Rome Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/17/22 Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17

Friday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Adelaide, 932-999; born in Burgundy, married at 15 or 16, widowed, and imprisoned by her husband's usurper; escaped to Canossa, where she was helped by Otto of Germany, who married her; she established many monasteries and churches Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/16/22 Gospel: John 5:33-36

Thursday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Maria Crocifissa Di Rosa, 1813-1855; left school at 17 to manager her widowed father's household; she was attracted to the convent, and took care of spiritual needs of young girls working in her father's mills; worked in a Brescia hospital during the 1836 cholera epidemic; founded a home for girls and a school for deaf-mutes; became superior of the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/15/22 Gospel: Luke 7:24-30

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of St. John of the Cross, 1542-1591; Carmelite priest who, with St. Teresa of Avila, set about reforming the Carmelite order; he experienced opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, and imprisonment; known especially for the "Spiritual Canticle" and "Ascent of Mount Carmel" Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/14/22 Gospel: Luke 7:18-23

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of St. Lucy, 283-304; a disappointed suitor accused her--accurately--of being a Christian, and she was executed in Syracuse, Sicily; Lucy is the patroness of eyesight Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/13/22 Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Monday of the Third Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/12/22 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Third Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/11/22 Gospel: Matthew 12:2-11

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, referring to the house in which Mary was born and raised, and in which the angel Gabriel visited her; tradiiton holds that angels miraculous transported the house from Palestine to Loreto, Italy, in the 13th Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/10/22 Gospel: Matthew 17:9-13

Friday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Juan Diego, 1474-1548; forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe, for it was to him that she appeared; he later lived near the shrine constructed at Mount Tepeyac, revered as a holy, unselfish, compassionate catechist Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/9/22 Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854 that the Blessed Virgin was preserved from the stain of original sin from the moment of her conception Thursday of the Second Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/8/22 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent Memorial of St. Ambrose, 337-397; bishop and doctor of the Church; widely admired and disliked; responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo; an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/7/22 Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Nicholas, 270-343; bishop of Myra, in Lycia, a province of Asia Minor; reputed to have secretly delivered gold to a poor man so that his daughters would have dowries, and be able to marry; the basis of the modern day Santa Claus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/6/22 Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14

Monday of the Second Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Gerald; appointed choir director of the Cathedral of Toledo, Spain, in the 11th Century; later selected as bishop of Braga, where he eradicated abuses; died December 5, 1109 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/5/22 Gospel: Luke 5:17-26

Second Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/4/22 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12