FRIENDS AT COURT

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 50, 16 December 1925, Page 3

FRIENDS AT COURT

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S .':„ 21, Mon.—St. Thomas, Apostle. ''■' \--p„ 22, Tues.—Of the Feria. ( j|fc, 23, Wed.—Of the Feria. , 4 , „ 24, Thurs.— of the Nativity. : „ 25, Frid.—Feast of the Nativity. Holiday of Obligation. „ 26, Sat.—St. Stephen, Proto-Martyr. a Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord. To-day the Church rejoices over the birthday of her Divine Founder — Redeemer of mankind. The time appointed for the entrance of the Son of God into the world having arrived, Mary and Joseph were led by Divine Providence into Bethlehem. Failing to obtain admittance into the inns, they were compelled to take refuge in a grotto which served as a shelter for cattle. There Our Blessed Saviour was born to a life of poverty, humiliation, and suffering. He came to redeem the world, and to draw to Himself the affections of men, and, therefore, He presented Himself in the most amiable form that can be imaginedthat of an innocent, helpless babe. St. Stephen, First Martyr. St. Stephen was one of the seven who were chosen to assist the Apostles in the daily distribution of alms, and who, by the imposition of the Apostles' hands, were raised to the Order of Deacons, and qualified to discharge some of the inferior duties of the fi "sacerdotal office. By his zealous efforts for ifrhe propagation of the Gospel he stirred up the hatred of some of the Jews, who stoned him to death. He thus had the honor of being the first among Christ's disciples to seal his faith with his blood. GRAINS OF GOLD O MOTHER BLEST. What heart hath loved thy Son, 0 Mother blest, And hath not felt a tender love for thee, Who brought the Saviour to humanity, Who held our God a babe upon thy breast In love the strongest, purest, tenderest? What pow'r can hush the waves' wild harmony, Restrain the sunset splendor from the sea, Keep back the stars from heaven's azure crest. And who shall part the Mother and her Son In that blest union, mightiest of all? What sweet uplifting for the souls that fall, '' This mother-love and Christ-love blent in one ! Oh, love of Bethlehem and Calvary, The joy and promise of eternity ❖❖ t,Man never rose to greater power and ►nor, never "lifted his daring to the stars" W Sn such a sublime hope as when through Christ he turned the defeat of suffering into victory and dared to creep up to the knees of God and call Him Father. To our Brot- ; her Christ be the honor and praise ! ■ ■■■-