Thursday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time
Optional Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II and companions; elected to the papacy in 257; forbidden by the Romans to hold services, he and his deacons continued to worship in the chapel in the cemetary; one day in 258, as the pope preached, soldiers broke into the chapel and beheaded Sixtus; four of his eight attendants were also beheaded; the authorities executed another three later that day; St. Lawrence was martyred four days later.
Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/7/25
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-23

<ul>
<li>Thursday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time</li>
<li>Optional Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II and companions; elected to the papacy in 257; forbidden by the Romans to hold services, he and his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=3690">deacons</a>&nbsp;continued to worship in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=2799">chapel</a> in the cemetary; one day in 258, as the pope preached, soldiers broke into the <a href="https://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=2799">chapel</a> and beheaded Sixtus; four of his eight attendants were also beheaded; the authorities executed another three later that day;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=365">St. Lawrence</a>&nbsp;was martyred four days later.</li>
<li>Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/7/25</li>
<li>Gospel: Matthew 16:13-23</li>
</ul>

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