The first edition of this book, edited by the late Fr. Leonard Foley, O.F.M., came out in 1975. It has been revised and updated for the sixth time by Fr. Patrick McCloskey, O.F.M. The book does not present a saint or a blessed for every day of the year, while some days feature more than one saint or blessed according to the revised calendar approved by Pope John Paul II. At least one blessed is placed on the wrong date here - Blessed John XXIII’s feast is presented as being on June 3, when it is actually on October 11 (the only noticeable mistake and a minor one).

The entry for each saint begins with the date, the saint’s name, what profession he or she was and those dates. A short biography is followed by a short commentary and a quote either by the saint or by someone else regarding that saint. The entries are a page and half to two pages long. A table of contents is arranged by month, and there is an index at the end of the book.

This book includes saints and blessed with whom most people are familiar - Mary, the Mother of God, St. Joseph, St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese, St. Gregory the Great, and many others. New saints and blessed have been added to this edition, such as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Blessed John XXIII, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Katharine Drexel, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, and more.

Additional saints and blessed could have been found to be placed on the days that here remain empty. Perhaps the seventh edition will include a saint or blessed for each day of the year. What is presented in this current edition is quite good and readable. The biographies, comments, and quotes are inspiring and informative, making this highly recommended to those interested in a down-to-earth book about some of the saints and blessed.