Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 37, 12 September 1901, Page 7

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR.

September 15, Sunday.— Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. „ 16, Monday. — SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, Martyrs. „ 17, Tuesday. — Impression of the Stigmata of St. Francis, Confessor. „ 18, Wednesday.— Ember Day (fast). St. Joseph of Capertino. „ 19, Thursday. — St. Januarius and Companions, Martyrs. „ 20, Friday.— Ember Day (fast). St. Agapetus 1., Pope and Confessor. 21, Saturday.— Ember Day (fast). St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.

ST. CYPRIAN, MA.BTTR, St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, was born in the beginning of the third century, of a wealthy senatorial family, and had been an esteemed and successful rhetorician at Carthage, his native city. His high station, as well as his abilities, made him the pride of his pagan fellow-oitizens. He was converted to Christianity about the year 246, by Caecilius, a presbyter of Carthage, whose name he added henceforth to his own ; soon after he was raised to the priesthood, and, on the death of Bishop Donatus in 248, he was chosen to Bucceed that prelate, During the persecution under Deoius in 250, Cyprian conoealed himself, maintaining, however, from his place of concealment, a constant correspondence with his flock. After the fanatical frenzy had abated, he returned to Carthage, where, between the years 251 and 256, he held several councils to determine the validity of baptism administered by heretics and the manner to be observed in readmitting the schismatics and those who had apostatised in the time of persecution. Cyprian ended his noble episcopate by martyrdom under Valerian in 258. We have his Life written by Pontius, his deacon. St. Cyprian has left 81 letters and 13 other works on various subjects. His letters exhibit an interesting picture of his time, and contain much valuable information regarding the usages, institutions, and doctrines of the early Church. Very important is his admirable treatise On the Unity of the Church, in which he gives a clear statement of the Church's organic unity, which he proves is founded on the Primacy of Peter. STIGMATA OF ST. FBANCIS. Stigmata are marks or brands upon the body. After the vision of St. Francis of Assisi, the hands and feet of the saint were found to be marked as with nails, and there was a wound in his side. The wounds were seen by many persons, among whom was Pope Alexander IV., during the lifetime of the saint. ST. JANUABIUS, MARTYR. St. Januarius, patron of Naples, was born in that city, and died in 303. He was Bishop of Benevento, ar>d was martyred under Diocletian. Bis remains were brought to Naples, where the Cathedral was dedicated to him. Whenever Naples is threatened by some calamity, his relics are carried in solemn procession ; they repeatedly Btopped the ravages of Vesuvius. In the same church is kept the head of this saint, as also a part of his blood contained in two very ancient phials. The blood is congealed, but when it is brought near the martyr's head it melts and flow? like the blood of a living man. ST MATTHEW, APOSTLE. Walking one day on the bank of Genesareth, Jesus beheld a man named Levi sitting at the Custom-house busy in the receipt of the public dues. Fixing His eyes upon him, and at the same time penetrating his soul with a secret inapiration, he said to him : ' Follow Me.' And at once Levi, rising from his desk and quitting all things, followed Jesus and was numbered with the twelve Apostles. This Levi, as he was then called, was no other than the Apostle St. Matthew, who in the Gospel which he afterwards wrote relates with great humility the history of his conversion. As the business of a publican, or public tax-gatherer, owing to the extortions commonly practised by these officials, was one which could hardly be followed without Bin, he abandoned at once his previous profession. In gratitude to his Divine Master for His gracious call, St. Matthew entertained Jesus and His disciples at a great banquet, to which he invited his friends and former companions. The Pharisees murmured at the condescension of onr Blessed Redeemer in sitting down to table with publicans and sinners. But Jesus answered them in these wise and gentle words : ' They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill. Go then and learn what this meaneth ; I will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I have come not to call the just, but sinners.' The early Fathers tell us that after Our Lord's Ascension St. Matthew for several yearn preached in Judea and the neighboring countries. A short time before the dispersion of the Apoßtles he wrote his Gospel for the instruction of his Jewish converts. It was written in the modern Hebrew then in nse among the Jews, and the writer continually appeals to the prophecies of the Old Testament to prove that Jesus Christ was the long-expected Messiah sent by God to redeem the world. After reaping an abundant harvest of souls in Judea, St. Matthew set out to preach the Gospel to the barbarous and uncivilised nations of the East. Persia and the southern and eastern parts of Asia were henceforth the scene of his labors. But he preached not only by his words, but also by the powerful example of his holy and mortified life.