Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 11 March 1915, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR March 14, Sunday.—Fourth Sunday in Lent. ~ 15, Monday.—Of the Feria. ~ 16, Tuesday.Of the Feria. ~ 17, Wednesday.—St. Patrick, Bishop and 'Confessor. ~ 18, Thursday.—St. Cyril, of Jerusalem, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. ~ 19, Friday.—St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ~ 20, Saturday.—Of the Feria. St. Patrick, Bishop, Confessor, and Patron of Ireland. The nationality of St. Patrick is much disputed, some naming France, others Scotland, as the place of his birth. When but sixteen years of age he was carried captive into Ireland, where he remained for six years, thus by a remarkable disposition of Divine Providence becoming acquainted with the language and customs of the people whom he was afterwards to evangelise. Having escaped from captivity, his one desire was £o return to Ireland, bringing with him the blessings of the true faith to its pagan inhabitants. The desired mission was confided to him by Pope Celestine about 432. His labors were crowned with complete success. By his exertions Ireland has ever since not only kept pure and unsullied the faith at home, but has helped to propagate it in nearly every country in the world. St. Patrick died about 464, and was buried at Downpatrick. St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. Born at Jerusalem, St. Cyril became Bishop of that See about the year 350. lie suffered much from the violence of the Arian heretics, who twice succeeded in driving him into exile. He died in 386. GRAINS OP GOLD. THE ROSARY. Not on the lute, nor harp of many strings Shall all men praise the Master of all song. Our life is brief, one saith, and art is long; And skilled must be the laureates of kings. Silent, O lips that utter foolish things ! Rest, awkward fingers striking all notes wrong I How from your toil shall issue, white and strong, Music like that God s chosen poet sings? There is one harp that any hand can play, And from its strings what harmonies arise ! There is one song that any mouth can say, — A song that lingers when all singing dies. When on their beads our Mother’s children pray Immortal music charms the grateful skies. —Ave Maria. Every really able man, if you talk sincerely with him, considers his work, however much admired, as far short of what it should be. If you are not in the least happy with enough, you will be unhappy with too much. You will merely be unhappy in another way. Seest thou not that the angry man loseth his understanding ? Whilst thou art yet in thy senses, let the. madness of another be a lesson to thyself. Our soul and body are as the scales of a balance; if you pull down the one you raise up the. other if you tame your flesh it makes the spirit reign and govern. Do not believe that happiness makes us selfish; it is a treason to the sweetest gift of life ; it is when it has deserted us that it becomes hard to keep all the better things within us from dying in the blight.