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Palm Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/29/26 Gospel: Matthew 27:11-54

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Tutilo; Ninth and Tenth Century Benedictine monk and artist; a member of the Benedictines at St. Gall, Switzerland, he distinguished himself through his abilities as a painter, sculptor, musician, poet, metalworker, and orator; he taught at the abbey school and was noted for his particular adherence to obedience; he died in 915 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/28/26 Gospel: John 11:45-56

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John of Egypt; lived in the Fourth Century, and was one of the most famous early desert hermits, a noted prophet of his era; he was born in Egypt, and became a hermit at the age of 20; his hermitage had a single window opening to the public, from which he preached to vast crowds each weekend; he died in 394 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/27/26 Gospel: John 10:31-42

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Basil the Younger; Tenth Century hermit with gifts of prophecy; living near Constantinople, he was imprisoned and tortured as a spy; miracles and prophecies won him his freedom, and he returned to his hermitage with a disciple, Gregory; there he denounced the immorality of the aristocracy, including Princess Anastasia, an activity that brought him persecution; he died in 952 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/26 Gospel: John 8:51-59

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/25/26 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Aldemar; Eleventh Century abbot and miracle worker; born in Capua, Italy, and became a monk at Monte Cassino; Princess Aloara built a new convent, and Aldemar became the director of the religious in the established house; his abbot reassigned him to Monte Cassino, which angered the princess; there were even attempts on Aldemar's life; he fled, and established several more religious houses; he died in 1080 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/24/26 Gospel: John 8:21-30

Fifth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/22/26 Gospel: John 11:1-45

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Enda; an Irishman, who became a monk and went on pilgrimage to Rome, where he was ordained; he returned to Ireland, built churches at Drogheda, and then secured from his brother-in-law King Oengus of Munster the island of Aran, where he built the monastery of Killeaney, from which ten other foundations on the island developed; with St. Finnian of Clonard, Enda is considered the founder of monasticism in Ireland Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/21/26 Gospel: John 7:40-53

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Photina; according to Greek legend, the Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well; she took to preaching the Gospel, received imprisonment, and was finally martyred at Carthage; another tradition states that Photina was put to death in Rome after converting the daughter of Emperor Nero and one hundred of her servants; she supposedly died in Rome with her sons Joseph and Victor, along with several other Christians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/20/26 Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/19/26 Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Cyril of Jerusalem; Fourth Century bishop; 24 of his catechetical instructions survive; he spent 16 of his 35 years as bishop in exile, the first inflicted by Acacius, Bishop of Caesarea, an ardent Arian who claimed jurisdiction over Jerusalem Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/18/26 Gospel: John 5:17-30

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Patrick; born in 387 in Roman Britain; kidnapped and forced into slavery at age 16; he escaped Ireland and returned to Scotland, but soon became aware that he longed to minister to the Irish people; he returned to his old master, paid his own ransom, and began preaching the word of God; he is said to have baptized thousands, converted wealthy women and their sons, as well as ordained priests to carry on his work; over fifteen hundred years later, his legacy remains Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/17/26 Gospel: John 5:1-16

Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Finian Lobhar; Sixth Century Irish abbot, a disciple of St. Columba; tradition credits him with founding a church and monastery at Innisfallen; after a stay in Clonmore, Finian Lobhar became abbot of Swords Abbey near Dublin; he may have returned to Clonmore in his later years; he became known as "Lobhar"--"the leper"--because he had contracted leprosy from a young boy whom he had cured of the disease; Finian died in 560 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/16/26 Gospel: John 4:43-54

Fourth Sunday of Lent - Laetare Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/15/26 Gospel: John 9:1-41

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Boniface Curitan; Seventh Century evangelist to the Picts and Scots; probably a Roman by birth, Boniface was the bishop of Ross, England; he introduced Roman observances into the British territories and founded a vast number of parishes; he died in 660 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/14/26 Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Friday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Euphrasia of Constantinople, 380-410; a noble Roman; her mother entered a convent in Egypt, and Euphrasia, at the age of five, went with her; at the age of twelve, orphaned, she was commanded by Emperor Arcadius to marry a senator but received permission to give her wealth to the poor and remain a nun; she was known for her holiness Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/13/26 Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Peter of Nicomedia; Fourth Century chamberlain at the court of Emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia; arrested for being a Christian when the last great persecution of the Church was launched; he was tortured, and eventually martyred in 303 A.D.; he is ranked as one of the first victims of the last persecution by the Roman Empire Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/12/26 Gospel: Luke 11:14-23

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Eulogius of Cordoba; Ninth Century Martyred priest of Cordoba, Spain, slain by the Moors, after his arrest in 850; Eulogius was a noted scholar of Scripture he wrote Exhortation to Martyrdom for two young virgin martyrs, Flora and Mary, who were beheaded; released, Eulogius was named archbishop of Cordoba or Toledo; before being consecrated, he aided Leocritia, a young Moorish woman who had converted to Christianity; they were caught and beheaded in 859 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/11/26 Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Macarius of Jerusalem; Fourth Century bishop of Jerusalem who helped St. Helena to locate the True Cross; when Helena discovered three crosses in Jerusalem, Macarius suggested that a seriously ill woman be touched with each one; one cured the woman instantly, and was identified as the True Cross; Macanus built a church over Christ’s sepulcher which was consecrated as a basilica; Macarius died in 335 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/10/26 Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Monday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Frances of Rome, 1384-1440; at the age of 12, she was arranged to marry Lorenzo Ponziani; the marriage lasted forty years and bore three children; Frances’ two daughters were killed, her husband seriously wounded, and her son nearly escaped ransom; these events led her into deep prayer and a life of service; caring for the sick and poor of the city, Frances turned part of her family estate into a hospital, and she eventually founded the Olivetan Oblates of Mary, a group of pious women not cloistered or vowed but serving the needs of their community through prayer and acts of charity; after her husband’s death, Frances moved into the monastery and became its president Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/9/26 Gospel: Luke 4:24-30