Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 19, 8 May 1902, Page 7

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

May 11, Sunday.-Sixth Sunday after Easter. St. Alexander I , , Pope and Martyr. ' " "' Mon day.-SS. Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs. " I'l' Tuesday.— St. Stanislaus, ti 6 hop and Martyr » }*• W^nesday.— St.Carthagh, Bishop and Confessor „ la, Thursday.— Octave of the Ascension „ 16, Friday.— St. Brendan, Abbot. „ 17, Saturday.— Vigil of Pentecost.

ST. CARTHAGH. ru Cathedral is said to have been founded by St. Carthagh (McCarthy) about the year 63G, and was subsequently repaired and y f re M Ullt r th YeV ca v. r Il3 ° b ? Cormac,the son^f MaureSs King of Monster. We have but very imperfect accounts of this same and his works. At one time Lismore vied in importance with Wn^Tbte^ ol^ 8 -? 1^ 1111111 ' 11117111 ' had a and When St. Carthagh founded the Cathedral of Lismore he also established an abbey of Canons Regular. These monks lived in the same manner as the Trappists at present, confining ■ thjfdfat to vegetables, which they raised with their own hands. When Car? thagh was a youth, like David, he watched his father's flocks His piety, gentleness, and grace attracted the notice of the prSce'of The province and his wife, who was daughter to the Kingrt^ Munster and they became very fond of the boy. While tendin *hfa herd one day a bishop and suite passed, chanting hymns. The boy was «o captivated by this psalmody that he followed them to the Jate of the convent where they stopped, and passed the night outeide listening to them. The prince, who loved the boy, sought him every! where, and when he returned he asked him why he did not com ll usual on the previous evening. <My Lord,' he replied, ' I did not come because I was ravished by the divine song of the holy clerev please heaven, lord duke, that I was with them, that I ,sghtKJn to sing as they do' The prince admitted him to his taWe offered him a sword, buckler, lance, and other gifts to turn him from his purpose; but the boy refused them, saying < that he * anted no God"'' InK end U h t0 f^ Hke tbe o? God. In the end he prevailed and was sent to the bishop to be made a monk St. Carthagh was the first abbot of RatW in Westmeath, which he founded, and in which he is taid to have governed over 800 monks About the year 631 he was driven from Racheny by King Mathmac. Afterwards he became Bishop of lS more, where be built a cathedral and several schools. He did not SVfiuS^'SoSS' for he died in the year ( * 8( f ull of the odor ST. BHENDAX ABBOT. St. Brendan was bora at Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, in m and died in 077. After completing his studies at Tuam he set forth on the expedition known as the -Navigation of St. Brendan According to the legendary accounts of his travels he embarked with a company of followers to seek the terrestrial paradise, which was supposed to exist in an i.land of the AtSntic Various miracles are related of the voyage, but they are always con' fa'nded l he T &t ialand WhGre th « "<»"» «c said to have landed, lhe legend was current in the time of Columbus and lone lcoVcSdA^r y icr neCted St " island With the »™^ MOIL. The day that immediately precedes a feast is called a vigil or watch because in ancient times the faithful assembled in the churches on the eve of the solemnities, and pasted therein a part of the night in praising God by singing P ta i m « and reading Holy blTfr'pv, I'" 1 ÜbUSeS h haY, aY , inff crept into these nocturnal assembhes the Church oppressed them, with the exception of the vigil of Christmas. The oiHce commenctd generally about nine o'clock in the evening, and ended about one o'clock in the morntag The Church has instituted the fast of the vigils of certain great feasts in order that detaching ourselves through penance and^rtifiSSo? from the inordinate love which we have for our body, we may elS' vate ourselves more easily to spiritual and divine things, and celebrate more worthily the great mysteries of religion. It the W of a feast falls on a Sunday, as, according to the apostolic confutations, it is not permitted to fast on this day, because it is a day of rejoicing the fast is advanced and kept on Saturday Some vigils are celebrated without fasting, like that of Epiphany and of the Ascension ; the reason why the Church has not prescribed fastsh°L h'f?^' 9 ,^ 011 ?^ appears in °ompatible with the joy with which the Birth and Resurrection of Christ inspire us The vigils of feasts are fast days of obligation