Daybreak

Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Isabel of France, 1225-1270; sister of St. Louis, daughter of King Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile; refused marriage to live a life of virginity consecrated to God; founded the Franciscan Monastery of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Paris Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/26/22 Gospel: Mark 10:13-16

Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Walburga, 710-779; sister of St. Willibald and Winebald; became a nun, and was sent to Germany to assist St. Boniface; later became abbess of the double monastery at Heidenheim founded by her brother Winebald; after Winebald's death, she served as superior of both the men and women until her death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/25/22 Gospel: Mark 10:1-12

Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Adela, 1067-1137; youngest daughter of William the Conqueror; famed for endowing churches and monastic institutions Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/24/22 Gospel: Mark 9:41-50

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Polycarp, 69-155, bishop and martyr; disciple of St. John the Apostle, friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch; martyred in the Smyrna stadium at the age of 86 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/23/22 Gospel: Mark 9:38-40

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, commemorating Christ's choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/22/22 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Peter Damian, 988-1072; bishop and doctor of the Church; left his teaching duties to devote his life to prayer with the Benedictines; as abbot, he founded five additional hermitages; as cardinal-bishop of Ostia, he fought simony--the buying of church offices--and encouraged priests to live holy lives Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/21/22 Gospel: Mark 9:14-29

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/20/22 Gospel: Luke 6:27-38

Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Barbatus of Benevento, 610-682; ordained in Marcona, and sent to Benevento; when the seige of the city by the Byzantine emperor ceased, he was named bishop of Benevento; attended the Council of Constantinople in 680 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/19/22 Gospel: Mark 9:2-13

Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Flavian of Constantinople; patriarch of Constantinople beginning in about 446; started the condemnation of Eutyches, who began the heresy of Monophysitism; deposed, exiled, and beaten; mortally wounded, and died 449 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/18/22 Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order; began in 1240; members combined monastic life and active ministry; members of the community came to the United States in 1852 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/17/22 Gospel: Mark 8:27-33

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Onesimus; companion of St. Paul; escaped slave who Paul sent back to his master, Philemon, encouraging the latter to treat him as a brother; also mentioned as the companion of Tychicus, who carried Paul's letter to the Colossians; died about 68 A.D.

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Claude de Colombiere, 1641-1682; friend and confessor of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque; served as superior of a small Jesuit residence in Burgundy; he was then sent to England to serve as confessor to the Duchess of York; due to tensions against Catholics, Claude was imprisoned and banished, but his health was ruined Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/15/22 Gospel: Mark 8:14-21

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cyril (827-869) and Methodius (815-884); brothers who evangelized the Slavic peoples; they translated the Gospels, the psalter, Paul's letters, and the liturgical books into Slavonic, and composed a Slavonic liturgy Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/14/22 Gospel: Mark 8:11-13

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/13/22 Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20-26

Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes; the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, with a message of conversion and penance; the apparitions were confirmed by Church authorities in 1862, and the feast became worldwide in 1907 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/22/22 Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Scholastica, 480-542; twin sister of St. Benedict; founded a religious community for women near her brother's monastery; she and her brother visited annually; on their final visit, Benedict refused to stay for the night, so Scholastica prayed to God, who sent a severe thunderstorm Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/10/22 Gospel: Mark 7:24-30

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alto; Eighth Century hermit and missionary; founded an abbey in Bavaria; St. Boniface came in 750 to dedicate the abbey church; Alto died in 760 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/9/22 Gospel: Mark 7:14-23

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, 1486-1537; irreligious soldier who spent time in prison and learned to pray; on his escape, began studying for the priesthood; cared for the sick and hungry during famine in northern Italy; founded the Clerks Regular of Somasca in 1532; died of a disease contracted while tending the sick Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/8/22 Gospel: Mark 7:1-13

Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Luke the Younger; tried to become a religious, but was arrested as an escaped slave; finally became a hermit on Mount Joannitsa, near Corinth; revered for his holiness and miracles; died 946 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/7/22 Gospel: Mark 6:53-56

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/6/22 Gospel: Luke 5:1-11