Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 20 February 1919, Page 3

Friends at Court

• —■ . » ~-.. GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR V" ' J * February 23, Sunday. Sexagesima Sunday. ~ 24, Monday.— St, Matthias, Apostle. ~ 25, Tuesday. Of the Feria. ~ . 26, Wednesday.—Of the Feria. j, 27, Thursday. Of the Feria. ~ 28, Friday.Of the Feria. March 1, Saturday. Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 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 wsigns as the place of his labors and martyrdom Cappadocia and the countries bordering on the Black and Caspian Seas. GRAINS OP GOLD. LACHRYMAL CHRISTI. Tears of Christ, Oh, tears Divine! Flow upon this soul of mine—Sanctify and make it pure, Teach it truly to endure ; Wash away its every stain— Only let God’s love remain. Tears of Christ, Oh, tears most blest ! Flow upon my aching breast; And the cross which presseth there Shall be wreathed in pearls so fair, That for aye my soul shall cling To this trophy of her king. Tears of Christ, Oh, tears most dear ! When mine agony draws near, Flow upon each sinful hand, Thou, my God, wilt understand How in —as I died, Jesus, watching by my side, Gave me of His tears so sweet. To lay before Thy mercy-seat. OUR DESTINY. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not born at random we are not here to sir. when we have a mind, and reform . when we are tired of sinning. God sees every one of us; He creates every soul He lodges it in the body on© by one for a purpose. He needsHe deigns to needevery one of us. He has an end for each of us; we are all equal in His sight, and we are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has His work, we, too, have ours; as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours . also. The end of the things is the test. It was our Lord’s rejoicing in His last solemn hour that He had done the work for which He was sent. “I have glorified Thee on earth.” He says in His prayer; “I have finished the work which Thou gavest mo to do.” It was St. Paul’s consolation also: ”1 have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith." We were created that we might serve God ; if we have His gifts, it is that we may glorify Him ; if we have a conscience, it is that we may obey it; if we have the prospect of heaven, it is that we may keep it before us; if we have light, that we may follow it; if we have grace, that we may save ourselves by means of it. Alas! alas ! for those who die without fulfilling their mission; who were called to be holy, and lived in sin; who were called to worship Christ and who plunged into this giddy and unbelieving world ; . who. were called to fight, and who remained idle.