Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 50, 15 December 1904, Page 31

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

December 18, Sunday.— Fourth Sunday of Advent. Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. „ 19, Monday.— Blessdd Urban V., Pope and Confessor. „ 20, Tuesday.— St. <Josa,phat of Poland, Bishop and Marty t. „ 21, Wednesday. — St. Thomas, Apositle. „ 22, Thursday.— St. Dcusdodit, Pope anid Confessor. „ 23, Friday.— St. Columbanus, Abbot. „ 24, Saturday. — Vigil of the Nativity.

Expectation of the Nativity. This Feast has been mstitiutQd by the Ch/urch to cjommemiorate the longing desires a,nd fervent aspirations with w,!ut\h the Immaculate v irgin greeted the near approach of that happy day when she was to bring into the world the long-expected Messiah, Whose coming to redeem manumd had been the continual object of her sighs a,nd prayers. Blessed iJrban V., Pope and Confessor. I'rbasi V. was Pope from 1362 to 1370. Being a pattern of every virtue, he strove to make the Papal Co> t rt a model of Christian life. He was a great patron of loarn'cd men and most generous to the poor. One ot Ins l?f sti cares was to carry on the expedition for the reco\ery of tlhe Holy Lairnd, begjun by his p-edecesssor, InHo^ent VI. Convinced that the residence of the Popes at AVigJiion was injurious to the interests of the Ohurch, he rct'urjnod to Rome in 1367, a'rrd was received amid gjreat rejoicings. The factious and turbulent spirit of the Italians inlrJ\uced him to transfer the Papal residence to Avignon in 1370. St. Tifomas, Apostle. St T/homas, alsO called Ui'dym'us, was one of the twehe Apostles. He was a fisherman on the Lake of O'alilee wjhon Our Lord called him to be His Apiostle. Thcije are only three incidents related of him in tlhe G>ospeLs, lnut these are enough to m.ake his Character more familiar to us than that of any other, except SS. Peter and Paiul.