Daybreak

Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. John I, 470-526; pope and martyr; inherited the problem of the Arian heresy; imprisoned on suspicion of being a spy; died in prison Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/18/21 Gospel: John 17:1-11

Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Paschal Baylon, 1540-1592; Franciscan lay brother who spent most of his life as a humble doorkeeper; had a deep love for the Blessed Sacrament, and is the patron of all eucharistic confraternities and congresses Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/17/21 Gospel: John 16:29-33

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (in many locales) Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/16/21 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20

Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Isidore the Farmer, 1070-1130; spent most of his life as a laborer on a farm near Madrid, Spain; favored with celestial visions, and it was said that angels sometimes helped with his farm work; patron of farmers, and of Catholic Rural Life Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/15/21 Gospel: John 16:23-28

Feast of St. Matthias, apostle; chosen after the Ascension to replace Judas Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/14/21 Gospel: John 15:9-17

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (in some locales) Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/13/21 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Saints Nereus and Achilleus; First Century martyrs; soldiers in the Roman army who converted, escaped, and were ultimately captured and martyred Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/12/21 Gospel: John 16:12-15

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Ignatius of Laconi, 1701-1781; Capuchin friar, known for self-denial and charity; served as the official beggar for the friars in Cagliari for 40 years, though blind for the last two; instructed children, visited the sick and urged sinners to repent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/11/21 Gospel: John 16:5-11

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Damien de Veuster, aka Damien of Molokai, 1840-1889; ordained for the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; assigned to the leper colony on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, and volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people’s physical, medical, and spiritual needs; contracted leprosy–now known as Hansen’s disease–himself, and died of complications Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/10/21 Gospel: John 15:26-16:4

Sixth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/9/21 Gospel: John 15:9-17

Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Rose Venerini, 1656-1728; opened a free school for girls in 1865; oversaw training of teachers and administration of schools in the Diocese of Montefiscone; she was eventually called upon to organize schools in many parts of Italy, including Rome Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/7/21 Gospel: John 15:12-17

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Petronax, 670-747; asked by Pope St. Gregory to examine the ruins of Monte Cassino, damaged by the Lombards; restored Monte Cassino and served as its abbot for three decades Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/6/21 Gospel: John 15:9-11

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hilary of Arles, 401-449; became bishop of Arles at the age of 29; assisted the poor, ransomed captives, and became a great orator; a man of talent and piety Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/5/21 Gospel: John 15:1-8

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. John Payne, 1532-1582; born in England, ordained in Douai, France, in 1576; returned to England, and was arrested; after release, he departed, but returned, and was arrested again; imprisoned and tortured in the Tower of London, and then executed; one of the Martyrs of England and Wales canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/4/21 Gospel: John 14:27-31

Feast of Saints Philip and James, two of the Twelve; Philip invited Nathaneal to meet Jesus; James is sometimes called “James the Less,” to distinguish him from the son of Zebedee Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/3/21 Gospel: John 14:6-14

Fifth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/2/21 Gospel: John 15:1-8

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker; instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955, to emphasize the relationship between St. Joseph and the dignity of human work Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/1/21 Gospel: John 14:7-14

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, 1504-1572; charged with implementing the reforms of the Council of Trent; continued wearing his Dominican habit which led to the custom of the pope wearing a white cassock Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/30/21 Gospel: John 14:1-6

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380; entered the Dominican Third Order at the age of 18; when the Great Schism began in 1378, Catherine prayed on behalf of the cause of Pope Urban VI and the unity of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/29/21 Gospel: John 13:16-20

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, 1803-1841; achieved limited success evangelizing natives of Futuna Island, northeast of Fiji; within two years after his martyrdom, the entire island had become Catholic; first martyr of Oceania and its patron Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/28/21 Gospel: John 12:44-50