GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 16, 17 April 1902, Page 7

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

April 20, Sunday.— Third Sunday after Easter. Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph. „ 21, Monday.— St. Anßelm, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. " I 2'I 2 ' Tuesday.— Saints Soter and Caius, Popes and Martyrs. , 23, Wednesday.— St. George, Martyr. „ 21, Thursday.— St. Fidelia of SiVnuuingei}, Martyr. „ 2."), Friday.— St. Mark, Evangelist. „ 26, Saturday.— Saints Cletus and M.reellinus, Popes and Martyrs.

PATRONAGE OF ST. JOSEPH.

This feast was instituted by Pius IX. shortly after his elevation to the pontificate. Later on, in 1870, the same Pontiff declared St Joseph Patron of the Universal Chnreh. Few, if any, of the saints, with the exception of the Mother of God, appeal more strongly to our love and veneration than St. Joseph— spouse of the Blessed Virgin and foster-father of our Redeemer. As the Son of God waa subject to him on earth, so we believe his intercession to be most efficacious in heaven. St. Thomas of Aquin says of him, 'Some saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage in certain casea with peculiar efficacy ; but to St. Joseph is given to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking.

ST. GEORGE, MARTYR.

St. George is honored throughout Christendom aa one of the most illustrious martyrs of Jesus Christ. In the reign of the first Christian Emperors numerous churches were erected in his honor, and his tomb in Palestine became a celebrated place of pilgrimage! But his history is involved in great obscurity, aa no early records of his life or martyrdom are at present in existence. The following are the traditions concerning him which have been handed down to us by the Greek historians, and which are celebrated in verse by that illustrious saint and poet of the eighth century, St. John Damascene. St. George is said to have been born in Cappadocia, of noble Christian parents. After the death of his father he travelled with his mother in Palestine, of which she was a native. Being strong and robust in body, he embraced the profession of a soldier, and was made a tribune, or colonel, in the army. His courage and fidelity attracted the attention of the Emperor Diocletian, who bestowed upon him marks of epecial favor. When that prince declared war against the Christian religion, St. George laid a«ide the signs of his dignity, threw up his commission, and complained to the Emperor of the severity of his bloody edicts. He was immediately cast into prison, and alternate threats and promises were employed to induce him to apostatise. As he continued firm he was put to the torture and tormented with great cruelty, and later on beheaded.

ST. MAEK, EVANGELIST.

St. Mark, who was a Jew by birth, was probably one of the converts made by the Apostles after our Lord's Resurrection. He seems to have attached himself to tho company of St. Peter, who in his first Epistle written at Rome calls him his son. He composed his Gospel at the request of the Romans, who desired to have set down in writing what they had heard from St. Peter by word of mouth, and he wrote it in the Greek language, which was used at that time in the Pacred Liturgy and was familiar to the people of Rome. Rome was the capital of the world, and St. Peter therefore chose it aa the seat of his episcopate. He had already erected hiß chair at Antioch, which was the chief city of the East. The next city of importance was Alexandria, the capital of Egypt and of Roman Africa, and thither St. Peter sent his disciple Mark to preach the Gospel and rule the flock of Christ.

Upon his arrival in Africa St. Mark labored for some time in the district of Pentapolis and in various parts of Egypt and the adjacent provinces, until, by a particular call from God, he entered the important city of Alexandria. Here he soon established a flourishing church, composed in part of Jewish converts and partly of Gentiles. The rapid progress of the faith stirred up the fury of pajjane, whereupon St. Mark, leaving St. Anianus to rule the Church in his absence, quitted the city and returned to Pentapolis. Upon reviniting Alexandria a few years later he found the faithful greatly increased both in number and in fervor. Again, however, the rage of the heathen became excited against the venerable Evangelist, whom they called a magician on account of his many miracles. Having resolved upon his death, they sought him for a long time in vain, for God concealed him from their hands. At length, upon the feast of their idol Seraphis. those who were in search of the holy man discoveied him standing at the altar, offering the Adorable Sacrifice of the Mass. Overjoyed at finding him in their hands, they immediately bound him with cords and dragged him by the feet through the streets of the city to a place near the sea full of rocks and precipices. The stones along the way were stained with his blood, and the ground was strewn with pieces of his flesh, but all the while he ceased not to praise and thank God for his sufferings. As he v>as still alive when evening closed in, they cast him into priton, but next day they recommenced their cruel sport. In the midst of these barbarous torments he happily expired on April 25, a.d. 69, three years after the martyrdom of Sta. Peter and Paul.

STS. CLETUS AND MAECELLINTJS, MAETTKS.

St. Cletue, the third Bishop of Rome, Buffered martyrdom under Domitian about the year"B9, St. Marcellinus occupied the throne of St. Peter during a period of eight years. He died in 304, after having endured many sufferings for the Faith in the cruel persecution of Diocletian.