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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLVIII, Issue 35, 1 September 1921, Page 3

GRAINS OF GOLD

OUR LADY'S BIRTH. Once a plant grew from the waters Of a sin-enveloped world; And two leaves, like Hope's fair banners, Slowly to the light unfurled. Then a lily bloomed beside them, All of peerless, snowy white, At the dawn a golden sunbeam, And a star-ray in the night. David's stem it was that nourished Through dark years of-sin and rue Anne and Joachim the blessed, From whose hearts the lily grew. Ah! dear Flower, thou radiant Lily, God must love our poor, sad earth, Since, for all its sin and weakness, It has known thy blessed birth. Cascia, in the Ave Maria.

REFLECTIONS. When assaulted by any vice, we must embrace the practice of the contrary virtue.—St. Francis de Sales. Let them who will perish, perish alone by themselves, let no one take sons of the Church from the Church.—St. Cyprian. After that the Lord was born for us, it did become a matter of necessity that we should be saved.—St. Francis of Assisi. How can that man be joined with Christ, who is affected by either disgrace or danger in belonging to him? ' St. Cyprian. For I know, that although I have lived a life con- * temptible to some", nevertheless after my departure, you 1 shall see more openly what I have been.—St. Cuthbert. J If death were external to the body, it would be right | for the life also to be external; but if death was folded J in the body and held it in subjection, it was needful that a the life also should be in the body, that the body being! endued with life might cast away corruption—St. Ath-1 anasius. '•. '•-,• ':■--■.■■ ■.f 1 ;; i&•■•! %k. :^.H v.:\-. ■■••..•" ; ■'■■ .::.-,,\ >:■'; ■.'.';.', M