Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 30 March 1911, Page 555

Friends at Court

—■■ »'■■-'■ ■ GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR April 2, Sunday.—Passion Sunday. „ 3, Monday.— the Feria. „ 4, Tuesday. Isidore, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. „ 5, "Wednesday.—St. Vincent Ferrer, Confessor. „ 6, Thursday.—St. Sixtus 1., Pope and Martyr. ,j, 7, Friday. The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary. „ 8, Saturday.Of the Feria. St. Isidore, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. St. Isidore was born in the South of Spain about the middle of the sixth century. In the year 600 he succeeded his brother, St. Leander, in the See of Seville, which he occupied for thirty-six years. His learned writings in defence of religion have caused him to be numbered among the Doctors of the Church. The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the third Sunday in September there is also a commemoration of the sorrows of the Mother of God. Today the Church proposes to our devout consideration one special dolor of Mary— standing at the foot of the Cross. ' The foot of the Cross is our birthplace. We became Mary's children there. She suffered all that because of us. Sinlessness is not common to our Mother and to us, but sorrow is. _ It is the one thing common betwixt us. We will sit with her, therefore, and sorrow with her, and grow more full of love, not forgetting her grandeurs. 0, surely never! but pressing to our hearts with fondest predilection the memory of her exceeding martyrdom.'—Faber. , GRAINS OF GOLD 0 SOL SALUTIS, INTIMIS. 0 Jesu, Sun of health divine, ■ Within our inmost spirit shine, "While, as black night flees fast away, More welcome dawns the new-born day! Who giv'st Thine own accepted hour, Oh, give of tears a plenteous shower, To wash the heart's true sacrifice, That love's bright flame may brighter rise! So from the fount of sin and woe Shall tears in endless torrent flow, If duly bruis'd, the harden'd heart Beneath the scourge of penance smart. The day draws on —Thine own blest day, When all things flourish fresh and gay; May we, with hearts by Thee made new, And homeward led, be joyous too! Dread Trinity, Thy throne before. Let the round world low-bow'd adore; And we, new creatures, with new tongue, Sing in new worlds our glad new song. Ave Maria. Sometimes the very things that seem to us the hardest to bear are just our best opportunities. The example of a heavy trial nobly borne may aecomplish far better results than could possibly have been achieved by any work of human choosing. The better sort are driven back on themselves, away from the noise and strife of the crowd; for only in quietude and remoteness are pure thought and love possible (says Bishop Spalding). It were not rash to say that the purpose of education is to accustom us to live in our own minds and consciences. The finest natures are the most lonely. The genius seeks the solitude where none but high spirits dwell. The* saint loves only the company of God and of holy thoughts. Nevertheless, human qualities can be awakened and developed in society only; in other words, through companionship and the interchange of good offices. The warp and woof of our lives are made by society. From it" we receive language, from it religion, from it institutions and arts. Of it and in it we are born and grow and become capable of thought and love. One could never rise to intelligence and conduct in isolation, could never learn to be generous or kind or just or helpful ■ — a word, could never reach man's estate. But one cannot become a man in the true sense if he live much in the company of his fellows; for unless he often withdraw into himself he can neither know nor love the best, can be neither holy nor wise, can neither rightly live nor die. The noblest keep aloof and cherish solitude, not alone because their thoughts are tyrannical and over-mastering, but because they feel that in society what they best know and most love is as the witchery of sweet music to the deaf, and as blended shadings of softest colors to the blind.