Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 41, 8 October 1903, Page 81

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR October 11, Sunday.— Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost. St. Cainice, Abbot. 12, Monday —St. John Leonard, Confessor 13, Tuesday.— St. 'Edward, King and Confessor. 11, Wednesday.— St. Callistais, Pope and Martyr. 15, Thursday.— St. Theresa, Virgin 16, Friday.— St. Gall, Abbot. 17, Saturday.— St. Hedwiges, Queen. St. Canice, Abbot. St. Uanice was born in Ireland in 527. His zeal and labors in propogating the practice of Christian perfection have caused him to be ranked amongst the most glorious saints of the Island. He died in 599. St. Edward the Confessor, King of England. Among the many saints who have adorned the English Church, no one perhaps has been more beloved and held in greater honor by his countrymen' than King Edward, surnamed the Confessor. This great prince was the son of Kthelred 11., and was driven into exile by the Danish usurper Canute, who had seized upon the throne of England on the death of Edmond Ironside. For many years Edward wandered from court to court, frequently in danger of his life .through the maehjnatioms of Ins enemies, but at length, in A D 1042, when he had attained the age of ■lv, he was unexpectedly called to England to occupy the throne of his fathers. Though Edward assumed the sceptre in most difhcult times, and seemed by his piety and simplicity better fitted for the cloister than a crown, yet never was there a reign more blessed or a monarch more beloved. Even the turbulent Danes, who considered England their own by right of conquest, cheerfully submitted to his just and gentle rule. He was, in fact, the father of Ins people ; his only thought was to alleviate their burdens, relieve their miseries, and promote in every way their prosperity aod happiness. But Edward was not only beloved by his people as a gentle, just, and generous ruler, he was also esteemed and revered by them as a saint. He calmly expired on January 5, A.D. 1066, In the sixty-fourth year of his age and the twenty-fourth of his reign. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, where many miracles were wrought at his shrine, which was the daily resort of innumerable pilgrims until the evil days oi the Reformation.

St. Theresa, Virgin. St Theresa was born at Avilia, in old Castile, being the daughter of Alphonso, of the noble house of Sanchez do Cejoda In her eighteenth year she entered a convent of the Carmelite Order in her native city, where she continued to ieside tor nearly thirty years. The most noble fiuit of the enthusiastic spirituality of Theresa is the reform of the Carmelite Order, of which she became the nistrumont She left a number of works which have at all times maintained a high reputation.

St. Gall, Abbot. St Gall, a disciple of St. Columban, was a native of Ireland He was the chief assistant of St. Columban, m his missionary labors. St. Gall was educated ajnd eloquent, and able to preach in the German as well as the Latin language He laid the foundations of the celebrated Monastery of St Gall, m Switzerland. He refused the Bishopuc ot Constance, which the Duke Gunzo pressed upon his acceptance He also refused a prayer of a deputation of Irish monks from Luxcuil, who, in the year (i 2."), on the death ol Eustace, requested him to become abbot of that ejieat monastery ; because, as he said, he was a sti anger to them, and it he accepted their offer, he should be obliged to forsake the Alemanni, who were as yet pagans, or only partly converted. He continued to p teach" the Gospel to the inhabitants of the country about the monastery of St (Jail, and at the time of his doat-h, which occurred at Arbon, October 16, 646, when lie was in the ninety-iifth year of his age, the entire country of the Alemanni had become a Christian pro- \ nice