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Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Dominic of Silos, 1000-1073; Benedictine abbot and defender of the faith; when he refused to surrender Benedictine lands to King Garcia III of Navarre, Dominic went into exile; King Ferdinand I of Castile and Leon made him abbot of St. Sebastian Abbey, now called St. Dominic's; ransomed Christian slaves, and was noted for miracles of healing Office of Readings and Morning Prayer forr 12/20/21 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Fourth Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/19/21 Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Winebald; born in Wessex, England; brother of Willibald and Walburga; invited by St. Boniface to gather a group of English missionaries and come to Germany; with his brother, founded the monaster of Heidenheim, Germany

Friday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. John of Martha, 1160-1213; worked with St. Felix of Valois to found the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, to ransom Christian prisoners from Moslems; the order flourished, and redeemed many captives Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/17/21 Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17

Thursday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Adelaide, 932-999; when her husband Lothair died, his successor tried to force her to marry his son; she escaped and sought help from Otto of Germany, who conquered Italy and married her in 951; the two were crowned rulers of the Holy Roman Empire; established many monasteries and churches; died at the convent at Seltz, which she founded Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/16/21 Gospel: Luke 7:24-30

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Maria Crocifissa Di Rosa, 1813-1855; left school at 17 to manage her widowed father's household; cared for the spiritual needs of young girls working in her father's mills; worked in the Brescia hospital during the 1836 cholera epidemic; founded a home for girls, and a school for deaf mutes; in 1840, she became the Superior of the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/15/21 Gospel: Luke 7:18-23

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church, 1542-1591; ordained at the age of 25; with Teresa of Avila–and in his own right–worked at reform of the Carmelite order, and experienced opposition, misunderstand, persecution, and imprisonment; it was in prison where he wrote his greatest works, “Spiritual Canticle” and “Ascent of Mount Carmel; unique as a mystic-poet Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/14/21 Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32

Monday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, 283-304; a disappointed suitor accused Lucy of being a Christian, and she was executed in Syracuse, Sicily; Lucy is the patroness of eyesight Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/13/21 Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27

Third Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/12/21 Gospel: Luke 3:10-18

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, 304-384; began his papacy contending with the existence of an antipope; as pope, his lifestyle was simple; he was a fierce opponent of Arianism, and other heresies; his encouragement of St. Jerome’s biblical studies led to the Vulgate Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/11/21 Gospel: Matthew 17:9-13

Friday of the Second Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Eulalia of Merida, 290-304; born in Spain; it is believed that, as a twelve-year-old girl, she tried to remonstrate with a judge for forcing Christians to worship pagan gods; the judge was amused, but eventually ordered that she be tortured and killed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/10/21 Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Juan Diego, 1474-1548; Our Lady of Guadalupe first appeared to him on Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531; when he opened his tilma for the bishop to see the out-of-season roses which Our Lady had provided, her image appeared on the tilma; Juan later lived near the shrine constructed at Tepeyac, and was revered as a holy, unselfish, and compassionate catechist Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/9/21 Gospel: Matthew 11:11-15

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/8/21 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent Memorial of St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church, 337-397; an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day; responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/7/21 Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14

Monday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Nicholas, 270-343; Fourth Century bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, province of Asia Minor; legend has it that he tossed bags of gold through a poor man’s window so that his daughters could be dowried, and married; in the English-speaking world, St. Nicholas has become known as Santa Claus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/6/21 Gospel: Luke 5:17-26

Second Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/5/21 Gospel: Luke 3:1-6

Saturday of the First Week of Advent Optional Memoral of St. John Damascene, 676-749; followed his father in a government position under the Arabs; resigned, and went to the monastery of St. Sabas; known for his writings against the iconoclasts, for his treatise, “Exposition of the Orthodox Faith,” and as a poet Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/4/21 Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5-8

Friday of the First Week of Advent Memorial of St. Francis Xavier, 1506-1552; Ignatius of Loyola brought him to Christ, and Francis joined the Jesuits; Francis went to Lisbon, and on to the East Indies, landing at Goa, on the west coast of India, where he stayed for ten years; he lived with the poorest people, sharing their food and rough accomodations; he ministered to the sick and poor, especially to lepers; he went through the islands of Malaysia, then up to Japan; he had dreams of going to China, but died before reaching the mainland Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/3/21 Gospel: Matthew 9:27-31

Thursday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Bibiana; Fourth Century virgin and martyr; her parents were killed in a persecution; she and her sister spent their time in fasting and prayer in their house; her sister confessed her faith the governor, and then fell dead at his feet; Bibiana was placed in the hands of a wicked woman who tried, unsuccessfully, to seduce her; Bibiana was eventually beaten with scourges until she died Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/2/21 Gospel: Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Edmund Campion, 1540-1581; English convert who became a Jesuit priest; preached up to three times per day, traveling on horseback across the English countryside; captured by authorities in 1581, tortured, and sentenced to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/1/21 Gospel: Matthew 15:29-37