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Tuesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, 1538-1584; ordained a priest at age 25, and was then consecrated archbishop of Milan; he deserves the credit for keeping the Council of Trent in session when at several points it was on the verge of breaking up; when he was finally able to spend time on his diocese, St. Charles found it in much need of reform, accomplished through a provincial council of all bishops under him; during the plague and famine of 1576, St. Charles attempted to feed 60,000 to 70,000 per day; St. Charles Borromeo died in 1584 at the age of 46 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/4/25 Gospel: Luke 14:15-24

Monday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Martin de Porres, 1579-1639; son of a black or indiginous freed woman of Peru and a Spanish Grandee; his parents never married, and Martin bore the appearance of his mother; his father abandoned the family, and Martin grew up in poverty; he became a lay helper for the Dominicans, who eventually asked him to make full religious profession; many of his nights were spent in prayer and penitential practices; his days were filled with nursing the sick and caring for the poor; he was instrumental in founding an orphanage, took care of slaves brought from Africa, and managed the daily alms of the priory; many of his fellow religious took Martin as their spiritual director, but he continued to call himself a “poor slave”; he was a good friend of another Dominican saint of Peru, Rose of Lima Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/3/25 Gospel: Luke 14:12-14

Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed - All Souls Day 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/2/25 Gospel: John 6:37-40

Solemnity of All Saints Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/1/25 Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a

Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Wolfgang; born in Swabia, Germany; became a Benedictine, and was appointed head of the monastery school; in 972, he was named bishop of Regensburg; he brought the clergy of the diocese into his reforms, restored monasteries, promoted education, preached enthusiastically, and was renowned for his charity and aid to the poor; he also served as tutor to Emperor Henry II while he was still king; St. Wolfgang died near Linz, Austria, in 994 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/31/25 Gospel: Luke 14:1-6

Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Serapion of Antioch; much praised by St. Jerome and Eusebius of Caesarea for his theological writings, and he was considered one of the chief theologians of his era; he became bishop of Antioch, Syria, in 190, and. was revered as a theologian; only fragments of his work have survived; among the extant writings are a letter to the Church of Rhossus forbidding the reading of the non-canonical Gospel of St. Peter and a letter against the heresy of Montanism—which held that its leaders were not just messengers of God, but “possessed” by God; St. Serapion died in 211 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/30/25 Gospel: Luke 13:31-35

Wednesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Abraham of Rostov; born in Galicia, Russia, and practiced the local pagan religion; when struck with a serious illness, he called on Christ, and was miraculously cured; he became a Christian, was baptized, and became a monk; he went to the city of Rostov, where he began his ministry among the pagan peoples; he built two parish churches as well as a monastery, and many institutions for the poor and suffering; he died in the 11th Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/29/25 Gospel: Luke 13:22-30

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, two of the Twelve Apostles Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/28/25 Gospel: Luke 6:12-16

Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Abraham the Poor; sometimes referred to as "the Child," alluding to his purity and simplicity; born in Egypt, he became a disciple of St. Pachomius, the founder of cenobitic monasticism; he spent almost two decades in a cave near Pachomius' foundations; he died in 372 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/27/25 Gospel: Luke 13:10-17

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/26/25 Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Friday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, 1807-1870; missionary, religious founder, social reformer, queen’s chaplain, writer and publisher, archbishop, and refugee; he was a Spaniard whose work took him to the Canary Islands, Cuba, Madrid, Paris, and to the First Vatican Council; at age 42, he founded the Claretians; he was appointed to the archdiocese of Santiago, Cuba; he was later recalled to Spain as the queen's chaplain; in the revolution of 1868, he fled to Paris with the queen’s party, where he preached to the Spanish colony; at the age of 63, he died in exile near the Spanish border Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/24/25 Gospel: Luke 12:54-59

Saturday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John Houghton, 1486-1535;  protomartyr of the English Reformation; a Carthusian, and an opponent of King Henry VIII’s Acts of Succession and Supremacy; he was arrested with other Carthusians, but released temporarily; he refused to swear to the Oath of Supremacy, the first man to make this refusal; he was executed at Tyburn with four companions Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/25/25 Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Thursday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John of Capistrano, 1386-1456; entered the Franciscan novitiate at the age of 30, and was ordained a priest four years later; his preaching attracted great throngs at a time of religious apathy and confusion; he helped bring about a brief reunion with the Greek and Armenian Churches; John preached a crusade against the Turks, for the protection of Europe; he led the army to Belgrade, where they gained an overwhelming victory; worn out by his efforts after the battle, he was an easy prey for infection, and died in 1456 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/23/25 Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

Wednesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John Paul II, 1920-2005; born in Wadowice, Poland; he was elected pope in 1978, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years; in his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/22/25 Gospel: Luke 12:39-48

Tuesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Hilarion, 291-371; abbot and disciple of St. Anthony the Great; born in Tabatha, Palestine, and educated in Alexandria, Egypt; stayed with St. Anthony in the desert before becoming a hermit at Majuma, near Gaza, Israel; in 356, Hilarion returned to the desert, but found that his fame had spread there; he fled to Sicily to escape notice, but Hesychius traced him there; the two went to Dalmatia, Croatia, and then to Cyprus; Hilarion performed so many miracles that crowds flocked to him when it was discovered he was in any region; he died on Cyprus Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/21/25 Gospel: Luke 12:35-38

Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross, 1694-1775; born in northern Italy; he developed a devotion to Christ's passion; he was known as one of the most popular preachers of his day; in 1720, he founded the Congregation of the Passion--the Passionists--whose members combined devotion to Christ’s passion with preaching to the poor, and rigorous penances; Paul was elected superior general of the congregation in 1747, and spent the remainder of his life in Rom Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/20/25 Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/19/25 Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

Feast of St. Luke; he wrote a major portion of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles; tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch; he became a companion to St. Paul; he died about 84 A.D. Saturday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/18/25 Gospel: Luke 10:1-9

Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch; born in Syria, converted to Christianity, and became bishop of Antioch; in 107 A.D., the Emperor forced the Christians to choose between apostasy and death; Ignatius was condemned to be put to death in Rome; he is known for the seven letters that he sent during the long journey from Antioch to Rome--five to the churches in Asia Minor, one to Polycarp, and one to the Christians of Rome asking them not to try to prevent his martyrdom; Ignatius bravely met the lions in the Circus Maximus in about 107 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/17/25 Gospel: Luke 12:1-7

Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, 1647-1690; became a Visitation Nun at age 24; in 1674, she received the first of her revelations; she felt "invested" with the presence of God; during the next 13 months, Christ appeared to her at intervals, and told her that his human heart was to be the symbol of his divine-human love; some of Margaret Mary's own sisters were hostile, but Jesuit Claude de la Colombière recognized her genuineness and supported her; Christ called her to be a sacrificial victim for the shortcomings of her own sisters; she served as novice mistress and assistant superior, and died at the age of 43 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/16/25 Gospel: Luke 11:47-54