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Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Marianne Cope; as provincial of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse, New York, she led a team to Hawaii to run the receiving station for those suspected of having leprosy; opened a hospital and school for girls on the island of Maui; opened a home for "unprotected women and girls" on Molokai, where she also took charge of the home that St. Damien de Veuster had established for boys Day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/23/23 Gospel: Mark 3:22-30

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/23 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agnes; lived in the Third Century; legend has it that she was a beautiful young woman, desired by many men; one whom she refused reported to authorities as a Christian; she was arrested and confined to a house of prostitution; one man who looked at her lustfully was blinded, but regained his sight as a result of her prayer; she was condemned and executed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/21/23 Gospel: Mark 3:20-21

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Fabian, 200-250; a Roman layman who came into the city as the next pope was about to be elected, when a dove rested on his head, and he was selected unanimously; led the Church for 14 years, and died a martyr's death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/20/23 Gospel: Mark 3:13-19

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Henry of Sweden; Englishman residing at Rom; named bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in 1152; journey with King Eric to Finland, where a battle erupted, and was won by the Swedes; Henry remained to baptize and evangelize; slain by a convicted murderer whom he had excommunicated Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/19/23 Gospel: Mark 3:7-12

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Margaret of Hungary, 1242-1272; a princess, entered the Dominican novitiate at the age of 12; objected to any special treatment, and went out of her way to perform the most menial tasks, and serve the poor and sick Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/18/23 Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Egypt, 251-356; gave his large inheritance to the poor at the age of 20, and spent most of his life in solitude; at 54, he founded a sort of monastery with scattered cells; at 60, he hoped to be a martyr in the Roman persecution; at 88, he fought the Arian heresy; died in solitude at age 105 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/17/23 Gospel: Mark 2:23-28

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Fursey; 7th Century Irish monastic founder; founded Rathmat Abbey; in 630, he went to East Anglia, where he founded a monastery near Ugremouth; later, he went to France to build a monastery near Paris; St. Bede and other wrote about his intense ecstasies; died 650 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/16/23 Gospel: Mark 2:18-22

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/15/23 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Felix of Nola; third century heir to an estate in Italy, who donated it to the poor; ordained by Bishop St. Maximus; Maximus fled a persecution, and Felix was seized, but reputedly released by an angel, and brought Maximus back to Nola; Felix spent the rest of his life on a small piece of land, sharing with the poor; died 255 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/14/23 Gospel: Mark 2:13-17

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Hilary, 315-368; raised a pagan, met the God of nature in scriptures, and converted; fought the Arian heresy, and was banished from France by the Emperor; some semi-Arians invited him to a council to countereact the Council of Nicea, but he defended the Church; the Arians pleaded with the emperor to "send this troublemaker back home"; Hilary was welcome by his people Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/13/23 Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Benedict Biscop, 628-690; served King Oswui of Northumbria as a warrior until his first of numerous visits to Rome; appointed abbot of Saints Peter and Paul monastery (now St. Augustine's) in Canterbury; assured Pope Agatho of the orthodoxy of the English church; and brought back many additions to th elibraries at Wearmouth and Jarrow Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/12/23 Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch, 423-529; born in Cappadocia (modern Turkey); entered a monastery, and was later named head of a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem; departed to live as a hermit; attracted many followers, and built a monastery; appointed visitor to all of the cenobitical communities of Palestine; opposed the spread of the heretical doctrines of Eutychianism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/11/23 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-395; brother of St. Basil the great, who raised him, along with their sister Macrina; became bishop of Nyssa in 372, a period of tension over the Arian heresy; Gregory wrote with great effectiveness against Ariansim and other heresies; he is seen as a great contributor to the mystical tradition in Christian spiritiuality, and to monasticism itself Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/10/23 Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/23 Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Saturday of the Second Week of Christmas Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Pennafort, 1175-1275; became a famous teacher, and gave it up to join the Dominicans; with King James of Aragon and St. Peter Nolasco he founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom; went with King James to Majorca, where the king set a poor example; Raymond told him to send the woman away, but the king did not; Raymond left the island miraculously, and the king repented; St. Raymond is the patron of canonists Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/7/23 Gospel: John 2:1-11

Friday of the Second Week of Christmas Saint of the Day: St. André Bessette, 1845-1937; entered the Congregation of Holy Cross, and served as doorkeeper; spent most nights on his knees; visited and prayed with the sick; volunteered to nurse when an epidemic broke out at a nearby college; helped to build the Oratory of St. Joseph on Mount Royal in Montreal Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/6/23 Gospel: Mark 1:7-11

12th Day of Christmas Memorial of St. John Neumann, 1811-1860; born in what is now the Czech Republic, came to New York at the age of 25, and was ordained a priest; joined the Redemptorists, and became bishop of Philadelphia; organized the parochial school system in a diocesan one, increasing the number of pupils twentyfold; first American bishop to be beatified Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/5/23 Gospel: John 1:43-51

11th Day of Christmas Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821; founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity; opened the first American parish school; established the first American Catholic orphanage; first American-born citizen to be canonized Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/4/23