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Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/25/23 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Aldemar; 11th Century abbot and miracle worker; monk at Monte Cassino, then became director of the religious in the new convent at Capua, built by Pricess Aloara; reassigned by his abbot to Monte Cassino, which angered the princess; one former companion tried to kill him; he fled the region and founded several more religious houses; died 1080 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/24/23 Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Turibius de Mongrovejo, 1538-1606; lawyer who was eventually appointed archbishop of Lima, Peru, in 1580; reformed the archdiocese, aided the poor, and defended the rights of Indians who were suffering under the occupation of Spain; founded schools, churches, hospitals, and the first seminary in the New World; also mastered several Indian dialects Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/23/23 Gospel: John 5:31-47

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas Owen, 1550-1608; born at Oxford, England, and worked as a carpenter, building hiding places for Jesuit priests; became a Jesuit lay brother in 1580; arrested in 1594, and released on the payment of a ransom by a wealthy Catholic; arrested again 1606, imprisoned in the Tower of London, and tortured to his death; one for the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/22/23 Gospel: John 5:17-30

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas of Flue, 1417-1487; became a hermit at the age of 50; survived 19 years on nothing but the Eucharist; known for his holiness and wisdom, he was regularly visited by civic leader, powerful people, and simple men and women with a variety of needs; affectionately known as "Bruder Klaus"; patron saint of Switzerland Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/21/23 Gospel: John 5:1-16

Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/20/23 Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

Fourth Sunday of Lent - Laetare Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/19/23 Gospel: John 9:1-41

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-386; as bishop of Jerusalem, he spent about half of his episcopate in exile, following a dispute with the nearby Arian bishop; vindicated, the Council of Constantinople called him a champion of orthodoxy against the Arians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/18/23 Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Friday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Patrick, 415-493; captured by Irish raiders and sold into slavery; after his escape, he spent years at Auxerre, France, and was consecrated bishop at age 43; dreamed of bringing the faith to the Irish, and he was sent to carry out the task; ordained many priests, divided the country into dioceses, held Church councils, founded several monasteries, and urged his people to holiness Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/17/23 Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Finian Lobhar; Sixth Century Irish abbot and disciple of St. Columba; founded a church and monastery at Innisfallen; later became abbot of Swords Abbey near Dublin; acquired the name Lobhar--"the leper"--when he contracted leprosy from a young boy whom he had cured of the disease; died 560 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/16/23 Gospel: Luke 11:14-23

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Louise de Marillac, 1591-1660; wanted to become a nun, but married Antony Legras, an official in the Queen's service; after his death, St. Vincent de Paul became her spiritual adviser; she helped to found the Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul; traveled all over France, establishing her sisters in hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions; her congregation is now spread around the world Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/15/23 Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Mathilda, 895-968; daughter of a Saxon count, married to Henry "the fowler," who became King of Germany in 919; Queen Mathilda visited and comforted the sick and afflicted, instructed the ignorant, succored prisoners, and worked to convert sinners; when King Henry died, she renounced all worldly pomp; of her three sons, Otho became Emperor and then King of Germany, Henry was Duke of Bavaria, and St. Bruno became the archbishop of Cologne Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/14/23 Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Monday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Agnellus of Pisa, 1135-1236; received by St. Francis himself into his order; sent to Paris, then to England to start the Franciscan English Province; worked with King Henry III to avert a civil war, but contracted a serious illness in the process, and died in Oxford Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/13/23 Gospel: Luke 4:24-30

Third Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/12/23 Gospel: John 4:5-42

Saturday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Eulogius of Cordoba; priest and noted scripture scholar of Cordoba, Spain; arrested in 850, and wrote "Exhortation to Martyrdom" for two young virgin martyrs; released, and named archbishop of Cordoba or Toledo; aided Leocritia, a young Moorish woman who had converted to Christianity; both were caught and beheaded in 859 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/11/23 Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Friday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John Ogilvie, 1579-1615; Scottish noble, a convert from Calvinism, who became a Jesuit; brought many in Scotland back to the faith, but was betrayed; he was tortured and convicted of high treason for converting Protestants to the Catholic faith, denying the king's spiritual jurisdiction, and condemning the oaths of supremacy and allegiance; hanged in Glasgow at the age of 36 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/10/23 Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Frances of Rome, 1384-1440; born of wealthy parents, married, and joined with an in-law to serve the poor; after losing two children, Frances opened a section of her house as a hospital and founded a society of women bound by no vows, to serve the poorest of the poor; after the death of her husband, Frances lived the remainder of her life with the society Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/9/23 Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent Commemoration of St. John of God, 1495-1550; abandoned the faith until age 40, then went to Africa hoping to free captive Christians; returned to Spain, and ran a religious goods store; moved by a sermon of St. John of Avila, he publicly beat himself, begging mercy and repenting--for which he was committed to a mental hospital; St. John of Avila advised him to tend to the needs of others; he established a house to tend to the sick poor. his helpers, 20 years after his death, formed the Brothers Hospitallers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 20:17-28

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent Commemoration of Saints Perpetua and Felicity; Perpetua was a noblewoman of Carthage in North Africa, and Felicity--an expectant mother--was her slave; despite threats of persecution and death they and three companions refused to renounce their Christian faith; Perpetual and Felicity were beheaded, the others killed by beasts, in 203 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/7/23 Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12

Monday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: st. Colette, 1380-1447; became a Franciscan tertiary and lived at Corby Abbey in Picardy, France, as a solitary; but she left her cell in response to a dream which instructed her to reform the Poor Clares; she founded seventeen convents with the reformed rule, and reformed several older ones; known for sanctity, ecstasies', and visions of the Passion; prophesied her own death in her convent at Ghent, Belgium Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/6/23 Gospel: Luke 6:36-38