Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 37, 10 September 1903, Page 31

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR September 13, Sunday.— Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost. 14, Monday.— Exaltation of the Holy Cross. 15, Tuesday— Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. , 16, Wednesday.— Ember day. Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, Bishops and Martyrs. , . 17, Thursday.— lmpression of the Stigmata of St. Francis. 18, Friday.— Ember day. St Joseph of Cupertino, Confessor. „ 19, Saturday.— Ember day. St. Januarius and Companions, Martyrs. Exaltation of the Holy Cross. St. Helena, having gone to Jerusalem, ordered the destruction of the temple of Venus, built over the tomb of Christ. Then, upon excavating to a great depth, the holy Sepulchre, and near it the three crosses, also the nails which had pierced our Saviour's body, and the title which had been affixed to His cross, were found. The true Cross was recognised by the miracles which it wrought. St. Helena sent a part of the Cross to Constantinople and left the other part at Jerusalem, where it was encased in a silver box and preserved in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which had been erected on the spot of the discovery. The Church has consecrated this event by the institution of the feast of the ' Finding of the Holy Cross,' which is celebrated on May 3. Chosroes 11., King of Persia, having taken Jerusalem, carried ofl the relic, which was recaptured 14 years later, under Siroes, his son and successor, by the Emperor Hefcaclius. Both the Greek and Latin Churches still celebrate this victory, on September 14, by the feast of the ' Exaltation of the Cross.' Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, Bishops and Martyrs. These two saints were contemporaries and friends. -St. Cornelius was elected to succeed Pope Fabian in 251. During his Pontificate the Church had to conitend not only with the persecution of the Emperor Decius, but also with the internal disturbances excited by the heretic Novatian. In 252 St. Cornelius was banished to Civil a Vecchia. Brought back to Rome in the same year he there gained the crown of martyrdom. St Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, was born in the beginning of the third century, of a wealthy senatorial family, and had been an esteemed and successful rhetorician at Carthage, his native city. His high station, as well as his abilities, made him the pride of his pagan fellow-citizens. He was converted to Christianity about the year 246, by Caecilius, a presbyter at Carthage, whose name he added henceforth to his own ; soon after he was raised to the priesthood, and, on the death of Bishop Donatus in 248, he was chosen to succeed that prelate. During the persecution under Decius in 250, Cyprian concealed himself, maintaining, however, from his place of concealment, a constant correspondence with his flock. After the fanatical fretnzy had abated, he returned to Carthage, where, between the years 251 and 256, he held several councils to determine the validity of baptism administered by heretics and the manner to be observed in readmitting the schismatics and those who had apostatised in the time of persecution. Cyprian ended his noble episcopate by martyrdom under Valerian in 208. We have his ' Life, 1 written by Pontius, his deacon. St. Cyprian has left 81 letters and 13 other works on various subjects. His letters exhibit an interesting picture of his time, and contain much valuable information regarding the usages, institutions, and docIrines of the early Church. Very important is his admirable treatise ' On the Unity of the Church,' fn which he gives a clear statement of the Church's organic unity, which he proves is founded on the Primacy of Peter. Stigmata of St. Francis. Stigmata are marks or brands upon the body. After the vision of St. Francis of Assisi, the hands and feet of the saint were found to be marked as with, nails,, and there was a wound in his side. The wounds were seen by many persons, among whom was Pope Alexander IV., img the lifetime ol the saint.