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Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Blaise; a good bishop of Sebastea, Armenia, but was forced to flee to the back country due to persecution; he lived as a hermit, and made friends with wild animals; when hunters hauled Blaise off to prison, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat; at Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone. Blaise was martyred in 316 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/3/26 Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/2/26 Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/1/26 Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a

Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Bosco, 1815-1888; studied theology at Turin; after ordination, he served the dislocated people from the countryside who found themselves in the midst of urbanization; in 1854, he founded the Salesian order, focused on creating solutions for displaced youth; he developed vocational training programs and schools; he also collaborated in the founding of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/31/26 Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Bathildis, 626-680; born in England; she was enslaved, and taken to Neustria, a part of the Frankish kingdom; in time, she became a trusted member of the court of King Clovis II, and married him in 649; she bore him three sons, all of whom became kings; when Clovis died in 657, Bathildis served as regent for Clotaire III; she had founded a Benedictine convent at Chelles, as well as St. Denis Monastery and Corbie; when Clotaire III assumed the throne, Bathildis retired to Chelles, where she died Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/30/26 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Dallan; Dallan Forgaill was a Sixth Century kinsman of St. Edan of Ferns, born in Connaught, and a great scholar; through his application to study, he became blind; he wrote a poem in honor of St. Columba, which was only published after Columba's death; legend has it that, upon its publication, Dallan's sight was restored to him; Dallan was murdered by pirates in 598, and his head thrown into the sea; it was recovered, and miraculously reunited with his body Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/29/26 Gospel: Mark 4:21-25

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274; the "Angelic Doctor"; born in Aquino, Italy, became a Dominican, and studied under St. Albert the Great; he wrote the Summa theologiae and much of the liturgy for the feast of Corpus Christi; he is considered one of the greatest minds of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/28/26 Gospel: Mark 4:1-20

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici, 1474-1540; born in Italy, orphaned in her teens; as a young woman, she joined the Third Order of St. Francis; at age 60, Angela and 12 other women began the Company of St. Ursula; this was a new way of life--single women consecrated to Christ and living in the world rather than in a monastery, what is today known as a "Secular Institute"; Angela died in Brescia, Italy; in the early 1600s, Companies that had expanded into France were re-organized into the religious Order of St. Ursula, to teach girls Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/27/26 Gospel: Mark 3:31-35

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus; great men of the First Century, companions and disciples of St. Paul; Timothy accompanied St. Paul on his second missionary journey and was entrusted to aid the Thessalonians, Corinthians and Ephesians; Titus is addressed as St. Paul’s ‘true child after a common faith’ and was called to missionary work in Crete Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/26/26 Gospel: Mark 3:22-30

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/25/26 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; born in Savoy, France, and as bishop devoted his work to implementing the decrees of the Council of Trent; also co-founded the Visitandines, with St. Jane Francis de Chantal; among his most read and revered writings are Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/24/26 Gospel: Mark 3:20-21

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Marianne Cope, 1838-1918; born in Germany, emigrated to Utica, New York, and joined the the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse, New York; she was twice elected provincial; in 1835, along with six other sisters, she went to Hawaii to take charge of the receiving station outside of Honolulu for people suspected of having leprosy; in 1888, Mother Marianne and two sisters went to Molokai to open a home for “unprotected women and girls” there; she took charge of the home that Saint Damien de Veuster had established for men and boys; her sisters have attracted vocations among the Hawaiian people and still work on Molokai Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/23/26 Gospel: Mark 3:13-19

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/26 Gospel: Mark 3:7-12

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, 291-304; venerated since the Fourth Century in Rome; various early legends make it difficult to discern details of her martyrdom, but she was young and heroic; after her death, Constantine's daughter erected a basilica over her grave; she is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the mass, and early Church Fathers praised her virtue Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/21/26 Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, 200-250; a Roman layman who came to the city as a new pope was about to be elected; a dove landed on his head, it was taken as a sign, and Fabian was elected unanimously; he led the Church for 14 years and died a martyr’s death during the persecution of Decius Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/20/26 Gospel: Mark 2:23-28