Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 3 July 1919, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK7S CALENDAR. July : . 6, Sundayi—Fourth Sunday ..After Pentecost. ; . • ~7, Monday.SS. Cyril and Methodius,. Bishops ■??iv? >•;.■:.: : -:-v a:: -■.;•. •■ v ' and Confessors. ~?.;. •y, -8/ Tuesday.St. Elizabeth, Queen and Widow. -*;•', 9, Wednesday.-—Of the Feria. ''.__ \ .'..'."..-■ ' v ,, 10, Thursday.—The Seven Brothers, Martyrs. ' ~11, Friday.—St. Pius 1., Pope and Martyr./ •"-,, : 12, Saturday .—St'. John Gualbert, Abbot. ;• :; '. ... : '.. ''"■■;' r "•'•'■""'";•'-''■; The Seven Brothers, Martyrs. '.,..... ~^-- ; The seven saints whose glorious death is commemorated 'to-day were sons of St. Felicitas, and. suffered at Rome about the middle of the second century. They Were exhorted to constancy in suffering by their heroic mother, who herself soon after received the crown of martyrdom. '-■" : " : - St. John Gualbert, Abbot. ;s: - St. John was born at Florence of noble parents in 999. :: Like many of the class to which he belonged, he'grew up imbued with a pride which would neither brook opposition nor allow any injury to pass unavenged. Having, however, on one occasion, in obedience to'the promptings of Divine Grace, forgiven a defenceless enemy, this exercise of Christian charity proved . the beginning of his complete conversion. He entered - a Benedictine monastery, and afterwards founded the famous abbey and Order of Vallombrosa. He: died in 1073.

GRAINS OF GOLD ...m m? THE HILLS OF GOD. Dear God, unto Thine everlasting hills I lift mine eyes —eyes haply dim with tears Or wan with waiting through the lonely years. Yet evermore in deathless hope 'mid ills : Of earth, to Thee they turn. And swift fulfils Itself Thine olden word ; for griefs and fears — Like phantoms of the night when dawn appears— Are 7 folded in a peace that calms and thrills. O hills of 'God, that adumbrate His strength, . Security, and peace, but most His love— The watchful love that slumbers not nor sleeps ! Your mystic voice, calm hills, through all the length Of ages, cries: "Be still! From heaven above The Lord of Hosts His Israel surely keeps." ;- ' REFLECTIONS. ' -God converses with man in prayer and reveals many things between a Pater and an Ave.-Father Olivaint. The smallest action done with a great love of God is more agreeable to Him and more meritorious for us than a great and more difficult action done with less love, or one in which is found some traces of self-love. Mother M. of the Sacred Heart. The ideal : man, the ideal woman, is, first of all, a courageous v soul. It calls for courage to decide, in • the ! fair. morning of youth, that the straight white way of honor is the way to follow ; it requires' courage to continue it when the voices of the world and one's own lower nature clamor for"its forsaking ; it takes courage when one has yielded to swing.back, into the old high path.. Yes, it takes courage to strive after the ideal. Our life here must decide our eternity, "for the living know that they shall die." Every act here must be declared hereafter, for "all things that are done God will bring into judgment." Doing all things well:,-life shall j not have been lived in ■ vain, ; for "the blessing of God maketh haste to reward the just. Man's greatest enemy is himself. i&lf.?' everyone should be as careful of *deserving> an honest opinion *of himself as he is of securing the good opinion of others, there would be a vast .'difference in the standing of i the * majority v of mankind. Look carefully into yourself arid ; discover,, your own flaws. ,< , ... . ..y .'-•.:..... " '.\".. ;';„>...-'-.