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Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of St. John of the Cross, 1542-1591; Carmelite priest who, with St. Teresa of Avila, set about reforming the Carmelite order; he experienced opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, and imprisonment; known especially for the "Spiritual Canticle" and "Ascent of Mount Carmel" Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/14/22 Gospel: Luke 7:18-23

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent Memorial of St. Lucy, 283-304; a disappointed suitor accused her--accurately--of being a Christian, and she was executed in Syracuse, Sicily; Lucy is the patroness of eyesight Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/13/22 Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Monday of the Third Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/12/22 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Third Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/11/22 Gospel: Matthew 12:2-11

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, referring to the house in which Mary was born and raised, and in which the angel Gabriel visited her; tradiiton holds that angels miraculous transported the house from Palestine to Loreto, Italy, in the 13th Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/10/22 Gospel: Matthew 17:9-13

Friday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Juan Diego, 1474-1548; forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe, for it was to him that she appeared; he later lived near the shrine constructed at Mount Tepeyac, revered as a holy, unselfish, compassionate catechist Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/9/22 Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854 that the Blessed Virgin was preserved from the stain of original sin from the moment of her conception Thursday of the Second Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/8/22 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent Memorial of St. Ambrose, 337-397; bishop and doctor of the Church; widely admired and disliked; responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo; an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/7/22 Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent Optional Memorial of St. Nicholas, 270-343; bishop of Myra, in Lycia, a province of Asia Minor; reputed to have secretly delivered gold to a poor man so that his daughters would have dowries, and be able to marry; the basis of the modern day Santa Claus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/6/22 Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14

Monday of the Second Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Gerald; appointed choir director of the Cathedral of Toledo, Spain, in the 11th Century; later selected as bishop of Braga, where he eradicated abuses; died December 5, 1109 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/5/22 Gospel: Luke 5:17-26

Second Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/4/22 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12

Saturday of the First Week of Advent Memorial of St. Francis Xavier, 1506-1552; brought to Christ by Ignatius of Loyola, and joined the Jesuits; spent 10 years at Goa, India, bringing the faith to Hindus, Malayans, and Japanese; wanted to go to China, but died before reaching the mainland Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/3/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5-8

Friday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Bibiana; Fourth Century virgin and martyr of the persecution of Apronianus; she and her sister were stripped of possessions and left to suffer poverty, but they spent their time in prayer and fasting; Apronianus summoned them, and Bibiana's sister Demetria confessed her faith and fell dead; Bibiana was sentenced to scourging until she died Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/2/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:27-31

Thursday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Edmund Campion, 1540-1581; Protestant convert to the Catholic faith; became a Jesuit, and was ordained a priest; preached up to three times per day in England, traveling by horseback; captured in 1581, tortured, and executed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/1/22 Gospel: Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Feast of St. Andrew, apostle; brother of Simon Peter; legend says the he preached in what is now modern Greece and Turkey, and was crucified at Patras on an X-shaped cross, about 60 A.D. Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/30/22 Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Radbod of Utrecht, 850-917; great grandson of the last paga King of Friesland, Holland; became bishop of Utrecht in 900; know for his aid to the poor, and for his poetry; forced to move his see to France, due to invasion by the Danes, and died there Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/29/22 Gospel: Luke 10:21-24

Monday of the First Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. James of the Marche, 1394-1476; joined the Friars Minor, and studied with St. John of Capistrano; preached all over Italy and through 13 central and eastern European countries; established nonprofit credit organizations which lent money on pawned objects at low rates, making him one of the fathers of the modern pawnshop Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/28/22 Gospel: Matthew 8:5-11

First Sunday of Advent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/27/22 Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44

Saturday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John Berchmans, 1599-1621; born in what is now the Netherlands; entered the Jesuit college in 1615; in 1618, he was sent to Rome to continue his studies; he was known for his diligence and piety; John died in Rome in 1621; patron saint of altar servers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/26/22 Gospel: Luke 21:34-36

Friday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria; at the age of 18, she debated 50 pagan philosophers, who all became Christians, along with 200 soldiers and members of the emperor's family--all were martyred; Catherine was to be executed on a spiked wheel which she touched, and it shattered, so she was beheaded in 310 A.D.; patroness of students, teachers, librarians, and lawyers; one of the 14 Holy Helpers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/25/22 Gospel: Luke 21:29-33