Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 4 September 1913, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR September 7, Sunday. Seventeenth, Sunday after '; ' -■-'. ■;....;,.' Pentecost. ~' ■ „ 8, J Monday. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin ', '- Mary. : - ' r „ : : ; 9, Tuesday.St. Kyran, Abbot. ~ . 10, Wednesday.-St. Hilary, Pope and Con- ' - fessor. ■ • v " „ 11, Thursday.—St. Nicholas of Tolentino, '- Confessor. ~ 12, Friday. The Holy Name of Mary. „ 13, Saturday.—St. Sergius 1., Pope and ,•;:,;• Confessor. , ..;;;. St. Hilary, Pop© and Confessor. St. Hilary, a native of Sardinia, became Pope in 461. During a pontificate of seven years, he was unremitting in his endeavours to remove the stain of heresy from certain portions of the Catholic world, and made several wise enactments for the preservation of discipline in the Church. St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Confessor. St. Nicholas receives his surname from a small town in the Papal States, where he spent the greater part of his life. He was remarkable for his austerity, being accustomed to fast on bread and water several days in the week. In the pulpit and in the confessional his zeal and prudence were productive of an incalculable amount of good. He died in 1306. ' :, Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. ■ The name of Mary, according to St. Bernard, means 'Star of the Sea,' an emblem of hope in the midst of danger. St. Peter Chrysologus considers the meaning of Mary to be 'Queen,' and this would accord with her royal dignity as Mother of Him Who was truly King. The name, too, is interpreted as meaning bitterness,' and thus recalls the sword of grief which, according to Simeon's prophecy, was to pierce Mary's soul in the Passion of her Son. GRAINS OF GOLD GOD WITH US. The world were bleak, arid keen life's smart, '. ' Without Thy Eucharist-Presence, Lord! But there Thou keepest watch and ward And waitest for the sad of heart. In hours of gloom, in hours of dole, When Thy sweet Presence I have sought, Surcease of sorrow Thou hast brought, And mystic healing for the soul. When 'neath the chancel's ruby flame I lay my burden at Thy feet, Then peace benign and comfort sweet Within my heart a lodging claim. • Then every cloud that o'er me lowers, Doth lightly vanish into air; The daily fret, the carking care, — Somehow, they seem to break in flowers. — Ave Maria. ' A friendship that makes the least noise is very often the most useful; for which reason we should , prefer a prudent friend to a zealous one. * The philosopher who gathers wisdom and never I imparts it to, mankind is useless as the Sphynx that has looked wise'for ages and never answered a query put to it by man. / Come from the husks of swine and taste the sweetness of the peace of your Father's house. One word of contrition and confession, and He will restore you innocence, peace, merits, right to heaven, all your dignity as a man and a Christian. :