Daybreak

Monday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Alphege of Canterbury, 954-1012; as bishop of Winchester, England, he was so generous to the poor that no beggars were to be found in his diocese; as archbishop of Canterbury, he offered himself to invading Danes in the place of his own people, and he was placed in a dungeon; freed after an epidemic among the Danes, he was later stoned and axed to death in Greenwich Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/19/21 Gospel: John 6:22-29

Third Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/18/21 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Robert of Chaise Dieu, 1000-1067; settled near Brioude, Auvergne, with a former hermit, attracted followers, and built the abbey of Casa Dei Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/17/21 Gospel: John 6:16-21

Friday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Bernadette Soubirous, 1844-1879; child of a poor miller in Lourdes, France; received 18 appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a cave above the banks of Gave River; eventually entered the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers; died at the age of 35 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/16/21 Gospel: John 6:1-15

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hunna; Seventh Century noblewoman of Strasbourg who was so caring of the poor that she helped with the washing for her neighbors in need, earning her the title of “The Holy Washerwoman”; she also donated to monasteries and financed construction of churches; died 679 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/15/21 Gospel: John 3:31-36

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Peter Gonzalez, 1190-1246; Dominican priest who served as chaplain of the Spanish court; after retiring from the court, he devoted the remainder of his life to preaching in northwest Spain Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/14/21 Gospel: John 3:16-21

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Martin I; 7th Century pope who fought the heresy which taught that Christ had no human will; captured and taken to Constantinople, where he was tortured; in ill health, St. Martin died in 655, and is considered a martyr Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/13/21 Gospel: John 3:7-15

Monday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Sabas the Goth, 334-372; Goth in the area of modern Romania who converted in his youth; after surviving several persecutions, he was seized by a group of Gothic soldiers, tortured, and executed by drowning Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/12/21 Gospel: John 3:1-8

Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning prayer for 4/11/21 Gospel: John 20:19-31

Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Michael de Sanctis, 1591-1625; member of the Trinitarians; considered by his confreres to be a saint, because of his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and his ecstacies during mass; known for his innocence of life Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/10/21 Gospel: Mark 16:9-15

Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Waldetrudis, 612-688; daughter of Saints Walbert and Bertilia; married St. Vincent Madelgarius and bore him four children; he became a monk in 643, and she founded a convent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/9/21 Gospel: John 21:1-14

Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Julie Billiart, 1751-1816; founded, along with Francoise Blin de Bourdon, the Institute of Notre Dame, dedicated to the education of poor, young Christian girls, and the training of catechists; St. Julie opened a variety of schools in France and Belgium Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/8/21 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. John Baptist de la Salle, 1651-1719; founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools; established teacher colleges; one of the first to emphasize classroom over individual instruction; also known for his work with the poor; patron of teachers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/7/21 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: Pope St. Celestine I, 376-432; founder of the papal diplomatic service; fought the heresies of Novationism and Pelagianism; believed to have sent Palladius to evangelize Ireland in 431 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/6/21 Gospel: John 20:11-18

Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Vincent Ferrer, 1357-1419; Dominican who served the pope at Avignon during the great schism; evangelized Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Flanders, England, Scotland, and Ireland; lived to see the end of the great schism and the election of Pope Martin V Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/5/21 Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15

Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/4/21 Gospel: John 20:1-9

Holy Saturday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/3/21 Gospel: Mark 16:1-7

Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/2/21 Gospel: John 18:1-19:42

Holy Thursday, celebrating the institution of the Eucharist, and of the sacramental priesthood Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/1/21 Gospel: John 13:1-15

Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Benjamin, 329-424; deacon who suffered for the faith during a general persecution in Persia; tortured and martyred Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/31/21 Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25