Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 10, 7 March 1907, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR March 10, Sunday. — Fourth -Sunday in Lent. „ 11, Monday.— St. John of God, Confessor. „ 12, Tuesday.— St.. Gregory the Great, Pope, Confessor, Doctor. „ 13, Wednesday.— St.- Matthias, Apostle. „ 14, Thursday. — St. Fintan, Abbot. „" 15, Friday. — The "Precious Blood. „ 16, Saturday.-^The Five Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ. ' St. Gregory the Great, Pope, . Confessor, and Doctor. St. Gregpry was born in Rome about the year 540. In 590 he endeavored in vain to decline the dignity of Supreme Pontiff, to which he was elected on the dflatih' of Pelagius 11. loi the calamities which befell Italy in consequence of the invasion' of the. Lorn-, bards, St. Gregory showed himself a father to all in ' distress. He was most successful in maintaining the purity of Catholic 'doctrine /in. some of the countries where heresies had arisen. In 59.7 "he sent a number of monks, with" St. Austin at their head, to "preach the Gospel in England. He - died in 604, having by his eminent holiness, great erudition, and illustrious achievements, earned for himself tihe title of ' The Great.' St. Matthias, Apostle. After the ascension of Our Lord, St. Matthias was chosen by lot to fill the place , which the treachery and suicide of Judas had left vacant. Tradition assigns as the place of his labors and martyrdom Cappadocia and the countries bordering on the Black and Caspian Seas. Commemoration of the Five Wounds of Our Lord. 'He wasl wounded for our iniquities, He __ was bruised for our sins, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His bruises we are healed ' (Isaias).