Daybreak

Friday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John Houghton, 1486-1535; a native of Essex, he graduated from Cambridge and became a parish priest; he then joined the Carthusians; he opposed Henry VIII's Acts of Succession and Supremacy, and was arrested, but later released; he was then the first to refuse to sign the Oath of Supremacy; he was dragged through the streets and executed at Tyburn, along with four companions Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/25/24 Gospel: Luke 12:54-59

Thursday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, 1807-1870; as a weaver in Barcelona, he learned Latin and printing; ordained at 28, and became a popular preacher; at age 42, he founded a religious institute of missionaries beginning with five young priests, known today as the Claretians; appointed to head the archdiocese of Santiago, Cuba, where he preached and heard confessions ceaselessly; he was recalled to Spain to be the queen's chaplain; in the revolution of 1868, he fled with the queen's party to Paris; died in exile at the age of 63, near the border of Spain Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/24/24 Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

Wednesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John of Capistrano, 1386-1456; became governor of Perugia at age 26; he soon decided to take his life in a different direction--he joined the Franciscan novitiate, and was ordained a priest at age 34; his preaching drew large crowds in an age of religious apathy and confusion; commissioned to preach a crusade for the defense of Europe; died of an infection after the battle Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/23/24 Gospel: Luke 12:39-48

Tuesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, 1920-2005; born in Poland, ordained in 1946, became auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958, archbishop of Krakow in 1964, and a cardinal three years later; elected pope in 1978, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years; promoted ecumenical and interfaith relations; encouraged the growth of the Solidarity movement in Poland, and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe; suffered from Parkinson's disease in the last years of his life Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/22/24 Gospel: Luke 12:35-38

Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Hilarion, 291-371; disciple of St. Anthony and companion of St. Hesychius; after spending time with St. Anthony, he became a hermit in 356; he returned to St. Anthony, and found that his fame had spread there; he tried to escape notice, but crowds flocked to see him whenever he was in there area; he performed many miracles; died on Cyprus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/21/24 Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/20/24 Gospel: Mark 10:35-45

Saturday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Isaac Jogues and Jean de Brébeuf and companions, martyrs; Jesuits from France, they came to the New World in the 17th Century to serve the Native Americans; they eventually died martyrs' deaths Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/19/24 Gospel: Luke 12:8-12

Feast of St. Luke; writer of the Third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles; traditionally held to be a native of Antioch; referred to by Paul as "our beloved physician"; died about 84 A.D. Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/18/24 Gospel: Luke 10:1-9

Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch; became bishop of Antioch in 307, when the emperor forced Christians to choose between apostacy and death; Ignatius chose the latter, and was sentenced to death in Rome; he is famous for the seven letters he wrote during the journey from Antioch to Rome; five were to the churches in Asia Minor, whom he urged to remain faithful and obey their superiors; one was to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who was later martyred for the faith; and one was to the people of Rome, asking them not to try to prevent his martyrdom; St. Ignatius faced the lions in the Circus Maximus in about 107 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/17/24 Gospel: Luke 11:47-54

Wednesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, 1647-1690; entered the order of the Visitation Nuns at the age of 24; characterized by a fellow novice as simple, and frank, but above all, kind and patient under sharp criticism and correction; received the first of her revelations in 1674 when Christ requested that his love for humankind be made evident through her; Christ appeared to her at intervals over 13 months; his human heart was to be the symbol of His divine-human love; Christ called her to be a sacrificial victim for the shortcomings of her own sisters, and to make this known; died at the age of 43 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/16/24 Gospel: Luke 11:42-46

Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582; a woman, a contemplative, and an active reformer; she was a woman of prayer, discipline, and compassion; she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule; her writings, especially the Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, have helped generations of believers; although she died before it officially came into being, Teresa, along with St. John of the Cross, is considered a co-founder of the Discalced Carmelite order Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/15/24 Gospel: Luke 11:37-41

Monday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I; a slave of Rome, and later ordained deacon by Pope St. Zephyrinus, whom he succeeded as pope in the year 217; as a deacon, he was guardian of the Christian cemetery on the Appian way, which still bears his name; he vigorously opposed heresy, but his charitable attitude toward repentant sinners incurred the wrath of contemporary rigorists; martyred in the persecutions of Alexander Severus in the year 223 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/14/24 Gospel: Luke 11:29-32

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/13/24 Gospel: Mark 10:17-30

Saturday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint (Blessed) of the Day: Blessed Carlo Acutis, 1991-2006; from the age of 3, showed great interest in Catholic churches; prayed before the tabernacle and went to confession weekly; taught himself how to code and build websites while still in primary school; created websites for Catholic organizations; when he developed leukemia, he offered up his suffering for Pope Benedict XVI and the Church; died at the age of 15 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/12/24 Gospel: Luke 11:27-28

Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, 1881-1963; firstborn of a farming family in northern Italy; as a stretcher-bearer in World War I, he had a firsthand knowledge of war; in 1925, he became a papal diplomat; named a cardinal and patriarch of Venice in 1953; a month short of his 78th year, he was elected pope; his most famous encyclicals were "Mother and Teacher" and "Peace on Earth" Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/11/24 Gospel: Luke 11:15-26

Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Francis Borgia, 1510-1572; Spanish nobleman; when widowed, he became a Jesuit priest; he only complained when someone attempted to treat as if he were still a nobleman; ultimately, he preached everywhere, and advised many important people; he helped to spread the Society of Jesus across Spain and Portugal Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/10/24 Gospel: Luke 11:5-13

Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Denis and companions; regarded as the first bishop of Paris; Denis was sent to Gaul from Rome in the third century and beheaded in the persecution under Emperor Valerius in 258; one legend says that he was martyred on Montmartre in Paris, and then carried his head to a village northeast of the city; St. Genevieve built a basilica over his tomb in the Sixth Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/9/24 Gospel: Luke 11:1-4

Tuesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Keyne; she lived in the Fifth Century, one of the 24 children of King Brychan of Brecknock, Wales; refused several offers of marriage, and became a hermitess; after living for several years on the banks of the Severn River in Somersetshire, England--during which she traveled widely--her nephew persuaded her to return to Wales; she founded numerous churches in in South Wales, Cornwall, and, perhaps, Somerset Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/8/24 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

Monday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary; originally named, "Our Lady of Victory," in honor of the Christian defeat of the Turks at the battle of LePanto Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/7/24 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/6/24 Gospel: Mark 10:2-16