Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 25 April 1912, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR April 28, Sunday. Third Sunday after Easter. St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church. ~ 29, Monday. St. Peter, Martyr. ~ 30, Tuesday. — St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin. May 1, Wednesday. SS. Philip and James, Apostles. ~ 2, Thursday.St. Athanasius, Bishop, Confes- : sor, and Doctor.

„ 3, Friday. —The Finding of the Holy Cross. ~ ,4, Saturday.St. Monica, Widow.

St. Peter, Martyr.

St. Peter was born at Verona, in Italy. At the age of 15 he was received into the Dominican Order by the great St. Dominic. To a profound humility he joined exceptional talents. He was very successful as a preacher, and in particular brought about the conversion of many Manichaean heretics, a sect which was still very numerous in the neighborhood of Milam He met his death at the hands of some sectarians, who, remaining obstinate in their heresy, were enraged at his successful efforts to propagate the genuine teaching, of Christ. AD. 1252.

St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin.

Siena, in Italy, has the honor of having been the birthplace of this great saint. From her earliest years St. Catherine cultivated a spirit of perfect union with God, and even when engaged in the most distracting occupations succeeded in keeping herself no less sensible of His presence than if she had no exterior employment. She was indefatigable in her efforts to bring souls to God, and her words and example, and even the very sight of her emaciated but saintly countenance, were the cause of many conversions. She seemed to have a special grace for effecting the reconciliation of enemies. Her powerful influence in this direction was exercised, not only in the case of private individuals, but also in reconciling States that were at variance, and in obtaining the submission and pardon of rebellious cities which had incurred the censures of the Holy See. But the most important service she rendered to the Church was the restoration of the Sovereign Pontiff to his episcopal city, after a residence of nearly seventy years at Avignon, in France, an end being thus put to the innumerable evils resulting to the Church from the prolonged absence of the Vicar of Christ from Rome. St. Catherine died in 1380, at the age of 47, and was buried in Rome, in the Church of the Minerva, where her remains are still "preserved.

GRAINS OF GOLD A MORNING OFFERING. Oh, Lord ! before I start this day, I make my offering, and pray That you’ll receive it and help me To love and serve no one but Thee.

So now I offer unto You, *> Each deed and action that I do, Each thought I have and word I say, To sing your praises all the day.

Our deeds may be immortal though our names may perish. \ Nature is lavish in the production of everything but great men. - Glory can safely be despised by those only who have fairly won it. ... People's dislikes are always more characteristic of them than their likes. .. It is a good plan to believe only half you hear, and then forget; most of that. • What you do is important, what your inner life is determines your destiny. # Many a- man- prides himself on his judgment when he is merely. a good guesser. - / ' It needs more courage to fight the bothers and the worries and the humdrum of life than to meet its great emergencies. * &