FRIENDS AT COURT

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 52, 30 December 1925, Page 3

FRIENDS AT COURT

£#& GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S '- r V •" CALENDAR.. j, Jan. 3, Sun.— of theJMost Holy Name Sir C . ~--■,- of Jesus. ■■■■.-'- I ~ 4, Mon. Octave of the Holy Innocents. " ' ~ : \ ? , 5, Tues. Vigil of the Epiphany. 6, Wed. Feast of the Epiphany. ' „ 7, Thurs. Within the Octave. -';•-,, 8, Frid.—Within the Octave. ;. : .; „ 9, Sat. —Within the Octave. " ' / THE EPIPHANY* | 'f This feast was instituted to celebrate the :.; memory of three great mysteries, of which >■. the first and principal one is-the adoration of H the Magi; the second, the Baptism of Jesus Christ; and the third, His first miracle on the night of -Can a in Galilee. . The feast of these three mysteries is called .the Epiphany, which means showing or mani- '§ testation, because in these mysteries the glory of Jesus-Christ was clearly manifested to men. •j. The - Magi were eminent persons of the i- East, who devoted themselves to the study of wisdom. They came to adore Jesus Christ because a new star had appeared, and they knew by divine inspiration .that, it was a - sign of the birth of the King of the Jews and . Saviour of mankind. Hence they came to adore Jesus Christ in Bethany; for, on going to Jerusalem, the capital of Judea, where was the holy temple of God, they undertsood 'from the priests that the Messias was to be born in Bethlehem according to the prophecies. ••• - > GRAINS OF GOLD J A NEW YEAR THOUGHT. ■''-When weary one night from the toil of the ■-■:}. My heart with its burdens cast down Alone and unaided on life's barren way, , : ; And all the world wearing a frown, : I heard the quaint tones beating measured " „ and slow, Of the clock, from jts shelf on the wall; And, as the staid pendulum swung to and '-';;'■■,.. fro, - . ;, In rhythm these words seemed to fall : v . "Never give up. Never give up. ■ Time will be given you. -7, i r . Never give up." •-.''The past is gone, with its sorrows and faults, - "Cj-. Then leave it and build you anew. "The,past is dead, locked in memorys vaults, V;- And living hopes beckon to you. For the brave is the pathway of life. ;.-',_,', Can you climb? Then turn from the years that are dead, With your eyes on the promise that's sub- ? : lime In the years that*are lying ahead. '~\.'-_, Never give up. Never give up." : i > The great misty future says, ~'>;-■"- Never give up." " ." r,.*, This feast of January. 6 can be traced \ .back to a very early date in the East, where _%t was associated with the Nativity and Baptism of Jesus. Baptisms often took place - on this day, and lights were carried to symbolise the spiritual illumination of the baptised. 'lt also had several other names, as Day of \: ; Lights, Feast of the- Three Kings, 'Twelfth :Day, and so on. * -