Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 32, 7 August 1902, Page 7

Friends at Court

QLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

Auguet 10, Sunday.— Twelfth Sunday after Lawrence, Martyr. „ 11, Monday.— St. Sixtus 11., Pope and Martyr. „ 12, Tuesday .—St. Clare, Virgin. „ 13, Wednesday.— St. Philomena, Virgin and Martyr. „ 14, Thursday. — St. Ilormiedas, Pope and Confessor. „ 1.5, Friday.— Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. „ lfi, Saturday.— St. Roeh, Confessor.

ST. LAWRENCE, MARTYB.

St. Lawrence, deaoon and martyr, was born near Huesca, Spain. He was the chief among the seven deacons of the Roman Church. In the year 258 Pope Sixtus was led out to die, and St. Lawrence stood by, weeping that he could not share his fat 3. The holy Pope comforted him with the words : 'Do not weep, my son ; in three days you will follow me. 1 Thin prophecy came true. The prefect of the city knew the rich offerings which the Christiana put into the hands of the clergy, and he demanded the treasures of the Roman Church from Lawrence their guardian. The Baint promised, at the end of three days, to show him riches exceeding all the wealth of the empire, and set abont collecting the poor, the infirm, and the religious who lived by the alms of the faithful. He then bade the prefect ' see the treasures of the Church.' Christ, whom Lawrence had served in his poor, gave him strength in the conflict which ensued. Roasted over a slow fire, he made sport of his pains. 'I am done enough,' he Baid, ' eat if you will.' His remains were buried in the Catacombs of Campo Verano. Constantino built over his tomb a basilica, which ia one of the fine patriarchal churches and one of the seven principal stations.

ST. SIXTUB 11., POPE AND MARTYB. St. Sixtus 11., was Pope from 257 to 258. He was born at Athens, and suffered martyrdom at Some under Valerian.

ST. CLARE, VIBGIN.

Besides hie order for men, St. Francis founded one also for women, commonly called Poor Clares, after St. Clare, of Assisi, who was the first of her sex to embrace this manner of life. In 1224, St. Francis gave a written rule to St. Clare and her community, which was approved by Innocent IV., in 1246, Within a few years the Order bad many houses in Italy, France, aid Spain. St. Clare died in 1253, and was canonised in 1255.

THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BIASED VIUGJN MARY.

The word assumption is a te p m employed to-day in the language of the Church to signify the miraculous n moval into heaven of the Blessed Virgin M-^ry, body and soul, Jesus Christ, before dying, having recommended His Mother to St. John, this Apostle took care of her, and it is believed that she followed him to Asia, and finally settled at Ephesus where she died. The Church honniß her death uuder the name of deposition, rest, sleep, passage, since the beginning of the fifth century, as it appears from a letter of the Ecumenical Council of Ephegus, of the year 431, Since the century following, tbe Faithful commenced to distinguish the ibsumption from the other solemnities of the Blessed Virgin. About r he end of the seventh century, the belief in her resurrection became current, We find this pointtd out un-'cr the name of At-sumption in an ancient Martyrology attributed to St. Jerome, and in the Sacramentaries of Popes St. Gel&sius and St. Gregory. The Feast of the Assumption is celtbrated on August 15th. In regard to this assumption or resurrection of boily and soul of the Blessed Virgin into heaven, it is no article of faith, but only a common opinion which it would be rash to contradict.

Pentecost.