Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 16, 16 April 1903, Page 31

Friends at Court

QLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR. April 19, Sunday.— Low Sunday. „ 20, Monday.— St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. 21, Tuesday.— St. Anselm, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. „ 22, Wednesday.— SS. Soter and Caius, Popes and Martyrs. 23, Thursday, St. George, Martyr. 2£' £ rr i da y-— St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Martyr. 25, Saturday.— St. Mark, Evangelist! Low Sunday. The first Sunday after Easter is called Low Sunday because it emphasises the contrast between the great Easter solemnity and the Sunday which ends the octave. The name given to it in the missal is 'Dominica in Albis, because then the newly-baptised wore their white robes for the last time. St. George, Martyr. St. George is honored throughout Christendom as 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, as 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 special favor. When that prince declared war against the Christian religion, St. George laid aside 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. Mark,, Evangelist. St. Mark, who was a Jew by birth, was rrobably one of the converts made by the Apostles after Our Lord's resurrection. He s ems to have attached himself to the 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 ha\e set down in writing what they had hear.l from St. Peter by woid of mouth, and he wrote it in the Greek language, which was used at that time in 'he Sacred Liturgy and was familiar to the people of Rome. Rome was the capital of the world, and fit Peter therefore chose it as the seat of his episcopate He had elieady erected his chair at Antioch, which was the ;hief city of the East. The next city of importance vas Alcxi-r dria, the capit.il of Egypt and of Roman Africa, und thither St Peter sent his disciple Mark to preach the Gospel and rule the flock of Christ. Upon hjs arrival in Africa St. Marie labored for soii'o time in the district of Pentapolis and in various parts of Pgvpt and the adiacont provinces, until, by a particular call from God, he entered the important city of Alexandria. Here he soon established a flourishing chuich, composed in part of Jewish converts and partly ot Gentiles. The rapid progress of the faith stirred up the fury of pagans, whereupon St. Mark, leaving St. Anianus to rule the Church in his absence, quitted the city and returned to Pentapolis. Upon revisiting Alexandria a few years later he found the faithful greatly increased both in number and in fervor Again, howex or, tlio rage of the heathen became excited against the \enerable 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 discovered 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 was still alhe when evening closed in, they cast him into prison, but next day thoy 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 SS. Peter and Paul.

At this season everybody is liable to Coughs and Colds. Avoid all danger by taking TUSSJCURA.— •••