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Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; hermits lived on Mount Carmel near the Fountain of Elijah in northern Israel in the 12th century; by the 13th century they became known as “Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel”; in 1726 Our Lady of Mount Carmel became a celebration of the universal Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/16/25 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-27

Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bonaventure, 1221-1274; St. Francis is credited with healing him when he was a child; Bonaventure became a Franciscan at the age of 22; he was ultimately elected to serve as General Minister of the order, and his 17 years of service were not easy, since the friars were arguing the definition of "poverty"; Bonaventure structured the order through effective legislation, and offered an organized spirituality based on the vision and insights of St. Francis; shortly before the end of his service as General Minister, Pope Gregory X created him a cardinal and appointed him bishop of Albano; but Bonaventure died suddenly just over a year later Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/15/25 Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24

Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, 1656-1680; born in Auriesville, New York; she lost her family in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half-blind; moved by the words of three Blackrobes--Jesuit missionaries--who lodged with her uncle, she developed the courage to convert at the age of 19; she was baptized on Easter Sunday; but her conversion and holy life created great opposition; one night, Kateri stole away and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village near Montreal; she took a vow of virginity at age 23; she practiced severe fasting for the conversion of her nation; Kateri died the afternoon before Holy Thursday in 1680 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/14/25 Gospel: Matthew 10:34-11:1

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/13/25 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Veronica; she is credited with giving a cloth to Jesus so that he could wipe his face on his way to his crucifixion; she is not mentioned in the Bible, but is known to us by Catholic tradition, and by the Sixth Station of the Cross, "Veronica wipes the face of Jesus"; the image of Jesus' face was subsequently imprinted on the cloth Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/12/25 Gospel: Matthew 10:24-33

Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Benedict, 480-547; born to a prosperous family in central Italy; studied at Rome, and was drawn to monastic life; became a hermit, but eventually built what was to become one of the most famous monasteries in the world, Monte Cassino; his rule prescribed a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor, and living together in community under a common abbot Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/11/25 Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23

Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Anthony Perchesky, 983-1073; born in Ukraine, and went to Mount Athos in Greece to become a hermit; returned to Ukraine and founded a monastery in Kiev, which became the "Caves of Kiev," the first Ukrainian monastery founded by Ukrainians; he founded another monastery, but died in the Caves of Kiev; he is regarded as the father of Ukrainian monasticism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/10/25 Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15

Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and companions, the Chinese martyrs; 120 martyrs, beatified in groups at various times, but canonized together in 2000 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/9/25 Gospel: Matthew 10:1-7

Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne-Marie Kerguin, 1864-1900; joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1887; she was assigned first to Paris, then to Carthage in northern Africa, where she encountered health problems, and was sent to Rome to recover; there, she answered the call of her order to be a missionary; she arrived in China in 1899, and was hospitalized for several months with typhus; her career ended during a crackdown on foreign missionaries during the Boxer Rebellion; St. Jeanne-Marie Kerguin was beheaded on July 9, 1900 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/8/25 Gospel: Matthew 9:32-38

Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Palladius; originally of British or Roman descent, possibly a deacon in Rome, or, more likely, Auxerre, France; he convinced Pope Celestine I to send St. Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, to England to end the Pelagian heresy; Palladius was consecrated a bishop, and was sent to Ireland in 430; he founded at least three churches in Leinster, and then went to Scotland to preach to the Picts; he died at Fordun, near Aberdeen, in about 457 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/7/25 Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/6/25 Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, 1502-1539; while working among the poor of his native Cremona in Italy as a medical doctor, he was attracted to the religious apostolate; he laid the foundations of three religious congregations, one for men, one for women, and an association of married couples, with the aim of reforming the decadent society of their day, beginning with the clergy, religious, and lay people; he encouraged frequent Communion, the Forty Hours devotion, and the ringing of church bells at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays; while on a mission of peace, Anthony became seriously ill and was brought home for a visit to his mother; he died at Cremona at the age of 36 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/5/25 Gospel: Matthew 9:14-17

Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Independence Day in the United States Saint of the Day: Blessed Girgio Frassatti, 1901-1925; born in Turin; dedicated to works of social action, charity, prayer, and community; he was also a Third Order Dominican; died of poliomyelitis; thousands of mourners filled the streets of Turin as his cortege passed by; he will be canonized on September 7, 2025, along with Blessed Carlo Acutis Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/4/25 Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13

Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle; provided one of the most profound statements of faith, "My Lord and my God"; died  72 A.D. Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/3/25 Gospel: John 20:24-29

Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Otto of Bamberg, 1060-1139; born in Swabia; served under Emperor Henry IV, but disagreed with Henry's policies toward the Holy See; thus, when Otto was appointed bishop of Bamberg in 1103, he refused to be consecrated until receiving approval from Pope Paschal II who consecrated him in 1106; Otto headed a missionary effort to Pomerania where he found considerable success in making converts among the local inhabitants; he is thus known as the Apostle of Pomerania Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/2/25 Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34

Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Junipero Serra, 1713-1784; for 18 years he worked in Mexico and the Baja Peninsula; traveled with Jose de Galvez to present-day Monterey, California; the first mission founded was San Diego; other missions followed--Monterey/Carmel (1770), San Antonio and San Gabriel (1771), San Luís Obispo (1772), San Francisco and San Juan Capistrano (1776), Santa Clara (1777), San Buenaventura (1782); ywelve more were founded after Serra’s death; he baptized over 6,000 people, and confirmed 5,000; he brought the Native Americans not only the gift of faith, but also a decent standard of living Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/1/25 Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27

Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome, 64 A.D.; Nero blamed Christians for the burning of Rome and executed many of them, likely including Peter and Paul Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/30/25 Gospel: Matthew 8:18-22

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul\ 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/29/25 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19

Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Irenaeus, 130-202; as bishop of Lyons, he was especially concerned with the "Gnostics," who claimed "secret knowlege" which Jesus had imparted to only a few disciples; Irenaeus compared their "secret" with Holy Scripture, and showed a system of theology of great importance to subsequent times; his work gradually ended the influence of the Gnostics Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/28/25 Gospel: Matthew 8:5-17

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/27/25 Gospel: Luke 15:3-7