FRIENDS AT COURT

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 5, 4 February 1925, Page 3

FRIENDS AT COURT

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S i [ calendar i Feb. 8, Sunday. —Septuagesima Sunday. St. _ John of Matha, Confessor. ~ 9, Monday.St. Oryil of Alexandria, ~~.f Confessor and Doctor. „ 10, Tuesday.—St. Scholastica, Virgin. „ 11, Wednesday.— Lady of Lourdes. ~ 12, Thursday.—The Seven Founders. ~ 13, Friday.—Office of the day. ~ 14, .Saturday.—Office of Blessed Virgin Mary. V St. Scholastica, Virgin. St. Scholastica, sister of St, Benedict, was born at Nursia, Italy, and lived near him in the monastery of Plombariole, which she caused to be built about five miles from that of Monte Oassino. The Seven Founders. The Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin, commonly called Servites, owes its origin to the zeal and piety of seven Florentine merchants. After distributing their goods among the poor, they retired to Monte Senario, near Florence, where they dwelt in cells as hermits. This as in 1233, which is regarded as the date of the foundation of ' the Order. They subsequently became a monastic community under the special patronage of the Blessed Virgin. They adopted the Augustinian Rule, and for their habit wore a black tunic with a scapular and cape of the same color. Under St. Philip Beniti, the first general, the Order spread rapidly, chiefly in Italy and Germany. St. Juliana 'Falconieri is regarded as the foundress of the Servite Third Order. The Servites were approved by Alexander IV, in 1255. Innocent VIII declared the Servites a mendicant Order, bestowing on them the privileges enjoyed by the other mendicants. GRAINS OF GOLD THE MISSIONARY'S PRAYER. 0 Lord, to be a lamp for Thee! A lamp of living flame, To stamp the souls of pagan men With Thy eternal name; To search the lurid ways of sin Where souls grope in the night And guide them back again to Thee, - Their everlasting light; To be a beacon flame for men, A gleam through sorrow’s rain, Where hearts by Thy sweet cross oppressed May ease the smart of pain And when my life’s dim light has failed, May my soul a flaming star In Heaven’s eternal mansions show Thy glory from afar x 0 Lord, to be a lamp for Thee 1 ~ 'lf not, at least the grace, That through my toil one soul may see Thy smiling sacred Face. R. J. Dowling, S.J.