Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 17, 24 April 1902, Page 7

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

April 27, Sunday.— Fourth Sunday after Easter. St Anastasius 1., Pope and Confessor. „ 28, Monday.— St. Paul of the Cross, Confessor. „ 29, Tuesday. — St. Peter of Verona, Martyr. „ 30, Wednesday. — St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin. May 1, Thursday. — Saints Philip and James, Apostles. „ 2, Friday. — St. Athanasius, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. „ 3, Saturday.^-Finding of the Holy Crocs.

ST. ANASTASIUS 1., POPE AND CONFESSOR. St. Anastasius, a Roman by birth, held the Pontificial office from 398 to 401. St. Jerome refers to him in terms of high commendation and declares him to have been ' a man of holy life, endowed with an apostolic solicitude and zeal.' ST. PAUL OP THE CBOSS. St. Paul was born near Genoa, in Italy. From childhood he showed a special devotion to the Passion of Christ. He founded the Congregation of the Passion, the members of which, besides the usual three vows, make a fourth — that they will do their utmost to keep alive in the hearts of the faithful the memory of our Lord's Passion. St, Paul died in Rome in 1775. ST. PETER OP VERONA, MARTYR. St. Peter was born at Verona, in Italy. At the age of 15 he was received into the Dominican Order by the great St. Dominic. To a profound humility he joined exceptional talents. He was very successful as a preacher, and in particular brought about the conversion of many Manichaean heretics, a sect which was still very numerous in the neighborhood of Milan. He met his death at the hands of Borne sectarians who, remaining obstinate^n their heresy, were enraged at his successful efforts to propagate the genuine teaching of Christ, A.D. 1252. ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA, VIRGIN. St. Catherine was born at Siena, on March 25, 1347, and died at Rome, April 30, 1380. She entered the Dominican Order about 1364. Her spirit, eloquence, austerity, zeal, ecstacies, and revelations soon rendered her name famous. Catherine played an important political role. In the war which the united Guelphs and Ghibellines made on Pope Gregory XI., she retained the cities of Arezzo, Lucca, and Sieua for the Pope. After that she went to Avignon to see the Sovereign Pontiff, reconciled him with the Florentines, and induced him to return to Rome. She was canonised by Pius 11. in 1461. ST. ATHANASICS. St. Atlianasius, surnamed the Great, the greatest luminary among 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 3 IS), and wan chosen by Alexander, bis 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 stood unmoved against four Roman emperors, was banished five times, waa 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. Athanasius have an apologetical and polemical tenor, having been written in defence of Catholicity against paganism and heresy. Hiq 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. Most of his 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 crosß was recognised by the miracles which it wrought. St. Helena sent a part of the cross to Constantinople and left the other part ac Jerusalem, where it was encased in a silver box and preserved in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which had been e'ected 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 fourteen years later, under Siroes, his son and successor, by the Emperor Heracliue. Both the Greek and Latin Churches still celebrate this victory, on September 14, by the feast of the ' Exaltation of the Cross.'