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Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Otto of Bamberg, 1060-1139; helped to reconcile the pope and Emperor Henry V; headed a missionary effor to Pomerania, and is thus known as the apostle of Pomerania Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/2/21 Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13

Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Junipero Serra, 1713-1784; responsible for the foundation and spread of the Church on the west coast of the United States when it was still mission territory; patron of vocations Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/1/21 Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8

Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome, died 64 A.D.; Nero blamed the burning of Rome on Christians; many were put to death, likely including Saints Peter and Paul Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/30/21 Gospel: Matthew 8:28:34

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/29/21 Gospel: John 21:15-19

Memorial of St. Irenaeus, 130-202; details of his birth and death are unclear; as bishop of Lyons, he fought the Gnostic heresy, which claimed “secret knowledge”; through his work, the influence of the Gnostics gradually ended Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/28/21 Gospel: Matthew 8:18-22

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/27/21 Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Josemaria Escriva, 1902-1975; founded Opus Dei, with the firm belief that “Sanctity is not for a privileged few. The Lord calls all of us.” Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/26/21 Gospel: Matthew 8:5-17

Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. William of Vercelli, 1085-1142; as a hermit on Monte Vergine in Italy, he attracted so many followers that a monastery was built; but his austere rule led to dissension; to keep peace, he left, and founded monasteries across Naples Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/25/21 Gospel: Matthew 8:1-4

Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/24/21 Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80

Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph Cafasso, 1811-1860; taught seminary in Turin; urged St. John Bosco to establish the Salesians to work with youth Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/23/21 Gospel: Matthew 7:15-20

Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More; John Fisher was bishop of Rochester, More was Chancellor of England; both refused to approve King Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England; both were executed in 1535 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/22/21 Gospel: Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, 1568-1591; decided on religious life, and made a vow of perpetual virginity at age 9; received first Holy Communion from St. Charles Borromeo; joined the Jesuits at 18; served in a hospital during the plague of 1587 in Milan, and died from it at age 23 Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/21/21 Gospel: Matthew 7:1-5

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/20/21 Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

Saturday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Romuald, 950-1027; founded monasteries and hermitages across Italy Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/19/21 Gospel: Matthew 6:24-34

Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gregory Barbarigo, 1625-1697; first embraced a diplomatic career, then became a priest, bishop of Bergamo, and then Cardinal; worked to implement reforms of the Council of Trent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/18/21 Gospel: Matthew 6:19-23

Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Teresa of Portugal, 1176-1250; daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal; married her cousin and bore him several children, but the marriage was declared invalid due to consanguinity; founded a Benedictine monastery, and lived there, likely eventually becoming a nun Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/17/21 Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15

Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Luthgard, 1182-1246; one of the outstanding mystics of the Middle Ages; born in Belgium, became a Benedictine and had many mystical experiences; to avoid being made an abbess, she joined the Cistercians; blind for the final eleven years of her life Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/16/21 Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alice, 1220-1250; born near Brussels, entered a Cistercian convent at the age of 7, and remained for the rest of her life; known for her spirit of humility; contracted leprosy, paralysis, and blindness; her greatest consolation came from reception of the Holy Eucharist; patroness of the blind and the paralyzed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/15/21 Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48

Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph the Hymnographer, 810-886; the most prolific of the Greek hymn writers; credited with the composition of about a thousand canons Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/14/21 Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/13/21 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34