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Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. John Payne, 1532-1582; born in England, and was ordaine in Douai in 1576; he went back to England, and was arrested within a year; after release, he left England, but returned in 1579, and was again arrested after having been betrayed; he was imprisoned and tortured in the Tower of London, and finally condemned to death; one of the Martyrs of England and Wales Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/4/23 Gospel: John 13:16-20

Feast of Saints Philip and James, apostles; little is known of James, the Son of Alphaeus, also known as "James the Lesser"; Philip came from Bethsaida, and took a long time to realize who Jesus was, as evidenced by his request, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/3/23 Gospel: John 14:6-14

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Memorial of St. Athanasius, 296-373; became bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, and continued the fight against Arianism, fought by his predecessor; he was exiled five times for his defense of the doctrine of Christ's divinity; almost all of his dogmatic and historical writings are polemic, directed against every aspect of Arianism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/2/23 Gospel: John 10:22-30

Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker; instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to foster devotion to St. Joseph, and as a response to the "May Day" celebrations of the Communists Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/1/23 Gospel: John 10:11-18

Fourth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/30/23 Gospel: John 10:1-10

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380; entered the Dominican Third Order at 18; became very influential, publicly; worked for the crusade against the Turks, and for Church unity during the Great Schism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/29/23 Gospel: John 6:60-69

Friday of the Third Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, 1803-1841; born in France, and joined the Marists after ordination; went as a missionary to Futuna Island, northeast of Fiji, where he learned the language and maintained a serene and gentle spirit, plus endless patience; when the chieftain's son asked to baptized, the chieftain ordered Fr. Peter to be clubbed to death; but within two years after Peter Chanel's death, the entire island became Catholic, and has remained so Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/28/23 Gospel: John 6:52-59

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Zita, 1212-1278; became a housekeeper for a rich weaver in Lucca, Italy, at the age of 12, and remained with the family for the rest of her life; found time every day to attend mass and recite prayers, as well as carry out her household duties; her employers eventually gave Zita free reign over her working schedule, and she busied herself with viists to the sick and imprisoned; sought out by important people; patroness of domestic workers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/27/23 Gospel: John 6:44-51

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Cletus; third Bishop of Rome, succeeding St. Linus; reigned from 76 to his death in 89 A.D.; styled by authoritative sources as a martyr; buried near St. Linus on the Vatican Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/26/23 Gospel: John 6:35-40

Feast of St. Mark, evangelist, died circa 68 A.D. Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/25/23 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20

Monday of the Third Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, 1577-1622; lawyer-turned-Franciscan Capuchin monk; as a missionary to Switzerland, he was so successful that local Protestants claimed that he was a spy for the Austrian emperor; also served as head of the Congregation for the Spreading of the Faith; stabbed to death in a church in 1622 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/24/23 Gospel: John 6:22-29

Third Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/23/23 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Tarbula; sister of bishop and martyr St. Simeon the Persian; she was accused of practicing witchcraft and causing the wife of the anti-Christian Persian king, Shapur, to become ill; she was condemned and executed in 345 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/22/23 Gospel: John 6:16-21

Friday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Anselm, 1033-1109; joined the monastery of Bec in Normandy, was elected prior, and eventually abbot; his theological works are compared to those of St. Augustine, best-known being "Why God Became Man"; appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1093, but went into exile over disagreements with King William Rufus; returned to England at the request of Henry I, but disagreed with him over the king's insistence on investing England's bishops; spent another three years in exile in Rome; his care and concern extended to the very poorest people, and he opposed the slave trade Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/21/23 Gospel: John 6:1-15

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Montepulciano, 1268-1317; entered the monastery of Montepulciano at age 9; commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV to assis in the foundation of a new convent in Procena; returned to Montepulciano, where she governed until her death; noted for visions and miracles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/20/23 Gospel: John 3:31-36

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Alphege of Canterbury, 954-1012; abbot, then bishop of Winchester, and finally archbishop of Canterbury; martyred by Danish invaders Office of Readings and Mornng Prayer for 4/19/23 Gospel: John 3:16-21

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Apollonius the Apologist; Roman senator, denounced as a Christian by one of his slaves; he was arrested, and ended up in a debate in the senate; despite his eloquent defense, Apollonius was condemned and beheaded in 185 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/18/23 Gospel: John 3:7-15

Monday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stephen Harding, 1059-1134; born in Dorset, England, and became a traveling scholar, settling at the abbey of Molesme in Burgundy; later worked with St. Robert of Molesme and St. Alberic to found a new monastery at Citeaux; Stephen guided the community over a period of great growth, and wrote the Carta Caritatis, an important Cistercian document Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/17/23 Gospel: John 3:1-8

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/16/23 Gospel: John 20:19-31

Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hunna; a Seventh Century noblewoman who devoted herself to the poor of Strasbourg, France, even washing the poor; known as the "holy washerwoman"; died 679 A.D.; patron of laundresses; Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/15/23 Gospel: Mark 16:9-15