Friends at Courts.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 17, 25 April 1901, Page 7

Friends at Courts.

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR.

April 28, Sunday.— Third Sunday after Easter. Patronage of St. Joseph. „ 29, Monday. — St. Peter, Martyr. „ 30, Tuesday. — St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin. May 1 . Wednesday. — SS. Philip and James. „ 2, Thursday. — St. Athanasius, Bishop, Confessor, aud Doctor. „ :i, Friday.— The finding of the Holy Cross. „ i, Saturday. — St. Monica, Widow. ST. PETER, MARTYR. St. Peter, Prince of Apostles, the first Pope and martyr, was born about the year 10 8.C., at Bethsaida, Galilee. He was son of Jonas or Joan, hence he is called in the Gospel Bar-Jona (son of Jonas), brother of St. Andrew, Apostle. His flrit name was Simon or Simeon. He was married, and had his home, wife, and sister-in-law at Gapharnaum, on the Lake Genesareth, where he practised the trade of a fisherman. With his brother Andrew he was actually engaged in that occupation on the sea of Galilee when our Lord called both to be his disciples, promising 'to makMhem fishers of men.' This invitation they accepted without hesitation. The early labors of St. Peter in Palestine are recorded in the first 15 chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, written by St. Luke. Later on, the historian of the life and sufferings of the Apostles, became the companion of St. Paul. For this reason the subsequent labors of St. Peter are less known than those of St. Paul, Soon after receiving the centurion and his household into the Church, we find the prince of the Apostles presiding as bishop over a large congregation at Antioch, where the followers of Christ were first called Christians. Later on, we see him as missionary traversing Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and other countries. In the beginning of the reign of Claudius, about the year 12, he arrived at Rome, where he established a Church and presided over it as bishop. In the Imperial City, So. Mark, a com* pan ion of St. Peter, wrote his Gospel. Peter approved it and sent Mark to Alexandria, where he established a Christian Church and governed it aa bishop. Thus the Churches of Rome, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria, justly trace their origin to St. Peter and were honored as patriarchal sees. ST. ATHANASIUS. St. AthanasiuH, eurnamed the Great, the greatest luminary atnoner the Oriental Doctors, was the defender of the Church against the Arian heresy. He was born at Alexandria, about the year 296, ordained deacon in 31.i, and waa chosen by Alexander, his bishop, to accompany him to the Council of Nice. To his acuteness, learning- and eloquence in that Council, was principally owing the condemnation of Arianism. On the death of Alexander in 328, Athanasius became Patriarch of Alexandria, and during 45 years he withstood, often almost alone, the whole brunt of the Arian assault. He Btood unmoved against four Roman emperors, was banished five times, was the butt of every wrong and calumny the Arians could devise, and lived in constant peril of death. Firm and unbending in defence of the Catholic faith, he merited the honorable title of ' Father of Orthodoxy.' He closed his stormy life in peace in 373. With few exceptions, the numerous works of St. Athanasiua have an apologetical and polemical tenor, having been written in defence of Catholicity against paganism and heresy. His dictation and style are clear, full of deep sense, strength, and solid reasoning. The first of his works are his two discourses Against the Gentiles and On the Incarnation, which form one work addressed to a convert from heathenism, and which were written before the Arian controversy had broken out. Moat of Mb other works have a direct bearing upon that heresy. St. Athanasius is, however, not the author of the famous Creed bearing his name, as it was compiled in Latin in the fifth or sixth century. FINDING OF THE HOLY CROSS. St. Helena, having gone to Jerusalem, ordered the destruction of a temple of Venus, built over the tomb of Christ. Then, upon excavating to a great depth, the holy sepulchre, and near it three crosses, also the nails which had pierced our Saviour's body, and the title which had been affixed to His cross, were found, The true cross was recognised by the miracles which it wrought. St. Helena sent a part of the cross to Constantinople and left the other part at Jerusalem, where it was encased in a silver box and preserved in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which had been erected on the spot of the discovery. The Church has consecrated this event by the institution of the feast of the ' Finding of the Holy Cross,' which is celebrated on May 3. Chosroes 11., King of Persia, having taken Jerusalem, carried off the relic (614), which was recaptured It years later, under Siroes, his son and successor, by the Emperor Heraclius. Both the Greek and Latin Churches still celebrate thia victory, on September 11, by the feast of the 'Exaltation of the Cross.'