Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 40, 5 October 1905, Page 31

Friends at Court

October 8, Sunday.— Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. „ 9, Monday.— St. Denis and Companions, Martyrs „ 10, Tuesday.— St. Francis Borgia, Confessor. 11, Wednesday —St. Canice, Abbot. 12, Thursday— St. John Leonard, Confessor. „ 13, Fri/day.— St. Edward, King. 14, Saturday.— St. C'allistus, Pope ana Martyr.

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To-May tihe Church' commemorates 1 the great privilege which God bestowed on the Blessed Virgin Mary in selecting her to be the mouther of His Divine Son—a privilege the greatest that could be conferred on a creatuie, awl wihich was the reason of all the other graces and privileges of which the [Biassed Virgin was the recipient. St. Denis and Companions, Martyrs. St. Denis was the first Bishop of Paris. He is believed to have been identical with Dionyykis, t<he Areopaejite, converted by St Paiil. St. Denis was martyred, with several companions, on the hill of Montmartre in Paris, about the year 119. He was one of the most illustrious writers of the early Cjhuich. St. Francis Borgia, Confessor. St. Franteis Borgia, Duke of Candia, was born in Spain in 1510 For some timeihe resided at the Court of the Emperor Charles V., who was much attached to him, and by whom he was employed on many afßairs of importance. On toe death of his wife, St. Francis hastened to carry into effect the desire which he had long entertalmed of cow seer at ding bis Jife entirely to (fad in the religious state Having entered the Society of Jesus and being orcNained priest, he labored for many years with oxtraoTdiivarv /.oal and success for the salvation of souls. Appointed General of his Order, he proceeded to Rome, where be died in J 572. St. Canice, Abbot. St. Oaiiice was born in Ireland in 527. His 7<eal and labors in propagating the practice of Christian perfection ha\e camsed him to bo ranked amongst the most glonous saints, of the, inland. lie died in 599. St. John Leonard, Confessor. St John was (born near bucca, in Italy As a priest; he- efleieted Mich a complete refoundation of morals in Lucca Ihai its inhabitants rivalled the early Christians in fen or He himself seemed to have imbibed that) •burning /eal which caused t'lve Apostles to traverse the world jn Older to convoy to all nations the teachings of Christ \n\ions for the propagation of tlio true, fai till, ai Id um.i'ble himself to leave Italy, he devoted his. i'mie 'and abilities to the training of suitable w;un-j, mem who wetc destined, aH'rr theiir ondi'nta-taon, to proceed as missionaries to heathen ajnd heretical countries lie dial m 1000, at the age of 65. St Edward Hie Onfc-sor, King of England. Among the many saints who have adorned the English f'huich, no one perhaps has been more beloved and held in 'g i cater honor by his countrymen than King Edwara, fiai named the Confessor This great prince was the son of Et'helred II , wu\ was driven into exile by the Danish usurper Canute, who had seized upon the throne of England o>n the death of Edmond 1 1 outside For many years Edward wandered from couU to court, tie(|tuentlv in danger of Ins life through the m.ichiiKiiions of "his enemies, tout at lemgth, in A.D. 10 12, when hf- bad attaimed the ace of 40, he was unexpectedly called to England to occupy the throw of his fathers Though Edwaid assumed the sceptre in most didioiilt times, and seemed by his piety and simplicity better 1 fitted for the cloister than a crown, yet never was there* 'aj reiign more blessed or a monarch' more beloved. Eun, the turbulent Danes, who considered England their own by right of conquest, eheerfullv s-übmi'ited to his just and gentle rule He was, in fact, the father of his people; ■bis oiilv thought wus* to alleviate their burdens, relieve tlveir miseries, and promote in every way their prosperltv anil happiness. But Fdvvartl was not ' onlv'beUwed by his peomle as| a 1 gentle, vist, and generous filler, he was also esteemed and revered by them as a saint. He calmly expired on January 5, A D 10616,, in the filth year of his age and the 21th''of his reign