Daybreak

Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Lydwine, 1380-1433; broke a rib in in ice skating accident and never recovered; she experienced visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, apparitions of Christ, and the stigmate; patron of the chronically ill, and of ice skaters Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/14/23 Gospel: John 21:1-14

Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Martin I; elected pope in 649, when a heresy which held that Christ had no human will was popular in the East; the emperor sent troops to Rome to seize Martin and bring him to Constantinople; Martin was tortured, but saved from execution by the pleas of the patriarch of Constantinople; Martin died shortly thereafter, in 655 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/13/23 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Sabas the Goth, 334-372; a Goth who converted to Christianity; survived several persecutions, but was seized by Gothic soldiers who ordered him to eat meat sacrificed to idols; Sabas was drowned in the Mussovo River Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/12/23 Gospel: Luke 24-13-35

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stanislaus of Krakow, 1030-1079; born of noble parents near Krakow, Poland; ordained at Gnesen, and became known for his preaching and spiritual advice; denounced the cruelties of King Boleslaus the Bold, and excommunicated him; the king killed him while he was celebrating mass Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/11/23 Gospel: John 20:11-18

Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: st. Michael de Sanctis, 1591-1625; joined the Trinitarian Friars at Barcelona in 1603; later joined the reformed group of Trinitarians; ordained, and served as superior of the house in Valladolid; known for his sanctity and ecstacies during mass; many miracles were attributed to him after his death, at the age of 35; patron of cancer patients Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/10/23 Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15

Easter Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/9/23 Gospel: John 20:1-9

Holy Saturday Saint of the Day: St. Julie Billiard, 1751-1816; paralyzed over the trauma of seeing her father's life threatened, but taught catechism from her bed; smuggled away at the start of the French Revolution; in 1803, along with Francoise Blin de Bourdon, began the Institute of Notre Dame; the first Sisters of Notre Dame made their vows the following year; Julie recovered, and was able to walk again; the motherhouse was eventually moved to Belgium Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10

Good Friday: The Commemoration of the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus at Calvary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/7/23 Gospel: John 18:1-19:42

Holy Thursday Saint of the Day: St. Celestine I, 376-432; elected pope in 422; confiscated the property of the Novationite churches and restored a basilican in St. Mary Travestere; confirmed the appointment of Nestorius to the see of Constantinope, but opposed his teachings; also combatted Pelagianism in Gaul and England; believed to have sent Palladius to evangelize Ireland in 431; founder of the papal diplomatic service Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/6/23 Gospel: John 13:1-15

Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Vincent Ferrer, 1357-1419; Dominican who evangelized nearly every province of Spain, and preached in France, Italy, Germany, Flanders, England, Scotland, and Ireland; patron of builders because of his fame for "building up" and strengthening the Church through preaching missionary work, teachings, and as confessor and advisor Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/5/23 Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

Tuesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Isidore of Seville, 560-636; succeeded his brother as bishop of Seville; he required seminaries to be built, wrote a rule for religious orders, and founded schools that taught every branch of learning; wrote a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the world, beginning with creation; some have suggested him as the patron of the internet Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/4/23 Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Monday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Agape; Christian of Thessalonica; martyred, along with her two sisters, for the crime of possessing texts of the Scriptures during the persecution of Diocletian; died 304 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/3/23 Gospel: John 12:1-11

Palm Sunday; the beginning of Holy Week Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/2/23 Gospel: Matthew 26:14-27:66

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1053-1132; born in the Dauphine region; named bishop of Grenoble in 1080; attempted to reform the diocese, but, discouraged, retired to Chaise Dieu Abbey; ordered back to Grenoble by Pope St. Gregory VII; Hugh gave St. Bruno the land on which the Grande Chartreuse was founded, starting the Carthusians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/1/23 Gospel: John 11:45-56

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Benjamin, 329-424; deacon, imprisoned in the Persian persecution; released on the condition that he would never speak to any of the courtiers about religion; he continued to preach Christ, and was again apprehended, tortured, and executed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/31/23 Gospel: John 10:31-42

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John Climacus, 525-606; called "Climacus," because of his famous book, "The Climax," or, "The Ladder of Perfection"; lived as a hermit on Mount Sinai, then went to Thale; elected abbot of the monks of Mount Sinair at the age of 70 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/30/23 Gospel: John 8:51-59

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Berthold; believed to be the founder of the Carmelite order; born in Limoges, France; after ordination, he joined his brother Aymeric, the Latin Patriarch of Antioch, in Turkey, on the Crusades; on Mount Carmel, he found a group of hermits, joined them and established a rule; headed the Carmelites for 45 years; died in 1195 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/29/23 Gospel: John 8:31-42

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Venturino of Bergamo, 1304-1346; native of Bergamo, Italy; joined the Dominicans in 1319; planned to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but was suspected of trying to crown himself pope, so he was forbidden by Pope Benedict XII and by the Dominicans; unaware of the ban, he went to Rome, then to Avignon, where he was arrested and imprisoned until 1343; helped to organize a crusade at the behest of Pope Clement VI Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/28/23 Gospel: John 8:21-30

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Rupert, 660-717; appointed bishop of Worms, Germany; took over the deserted town of Iuvavum in 697, which was renamed Salzburg, Austria; founded a church, a monastery, and a school, brought in missionaries, and established a nunnery; revered as the Apostle of Bavaria and Austria Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/27/23 Gospel: John 8:1-11

Fifth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/23 Gospel: John 11:1-45