GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

New Zealand Tablet, 13 December 1906, Page 3

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

December 16, Sunday.— Third Sunday in Advent.- ■ - 17, Monday.— St. Leonard of Port^Maurice^' Confessor. . „ 18, Tuesday.— Expectation of .the Nativity. IS), Wednesday.— St. Urban V:, Pope' and Confessor. Ember Day. ■ - „ 20, Thursday.— St. Josaphat of Poland, Bishop and Martyr. ■ • „— - 21, Friday.— St. Thomas, Apostle. Ember Day-. „ 22, Saturday.— St. De'usdedit; Pope and Confes- . sor. .Ember Day. * - ' ~

Expectation of the Nativity. - - This feast has been 'instituted' by the. "Chureli to commemorate the longing desires and fervent aspirations with which the Immaculate Virgin greeted- the- near 'approach of that hapjgy day when she \vas to bring inkr the. world the long-expected Messiah, "Whose coming to redeem mankind had been the continual object - of her sighs and prayers. , . St. Urban V., Pope and Confessor. •'- ' Urban V. was Pope from 1362 -to 1370. Being ' a. pattern of every virtue, he strove to make the JPapal' Court a model of Christian- life. He was a- great patron of lear-ned men and most generous to the poor • One of his first cares was to carry on the" expedition for the recoveiy oLi/he Holy Land, begun by his predecessor, Innocent VI. Convinced that" the "residence .of the Popes at Avignon was injurious to the interests of the Church, he -returned to Rome in 1367 ana'wasreceived amid great rejoicings. The factious and turbulent - spirit.of the- Italians - induced him to transfer the Papal residence to Avignon in 1370. i _ JSt. Thomas, Apostle. St. Thomas, also called Didymus, was' one -of the" twelve Apostles. He was a fisherman on the Lake of Galilee when Our Lord called him to be His Apostle There are only three -incidents related of him in the Gospels, but these- are enough to make his character more familiar to us than ihat 'of any other, except bS. Peter and Paul.,. .; - -, . ■