Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 42, 15 October 1903, Page 31

Friends at Court

OLEANINQS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR October 18, Sunday .--Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost ia m j Luke « Evangelist. " 20* SdYv" st- ?! Alcant «a, Confessor. oi' «? f y J~" bt ' John Confessor „ 21.-Wednesday.-St. Victor III., Pope and Con- „ 22, Thursday. -ss'. Cyril and Methodius Bioo „ shops and Confessors. " 1 1' g" da y~ Fe ast of Our Most Holy Redeemer „ 24, Saturday. -St. Raphael, Archangel St. Luke, Evangelist. St. Luke was a native of Antioch, the capital of Syria, and wafc by profession a doctor of medicine, for St. Paul calls him • his most dear physician.' He was probably converted at Antioch, in the early days of the Church, and attached himself to St. Paul, whom he accompanied in his apostolic journeys. Nor did he leave that apostle when he was carried prisoner from Jerusalem to Rome, but remained by his side during the two years of tfiis 'detention. The Gospel of St. Luke, as was tihe case wiui those of the other evangelists, was written for the | instruction f of the people to whom he preached. His labors wdre principally cast among the polished inhabitants of Greece and Asia Minor, whom he strove to win to the love of Jesus by the beautiful example of his virtues and the sublime morality of his public teaohing. Thus he chooses for their instruction the most tender and touching of our Lord's parables, and exhibits before their eyes a teacher whose tender compassion for mankind and unbounded charity prove Him to be not a mere man, but the very God of Love come to redeem His creatures. The history of the Acts of the Apostles was written by St. Luke like his gospel, n. the Greek language, of winch he was a perfect master, and which was the mother tongue of those to whom (he preached. It was composed in Rome during the time of St. Paul's first 'lXnprisonmenjt, and was intended to correct the false relations which had been published in many places regarding the actions of the Apositles, and) jalso to matke known more .widely t<he fwonderful works of God in the foundation and establishment of His Church. St. Peter of Alcantara, Confessor. St. Peter of Alcantara, "a^religious of the Order of St Francis, was born at Alcantara, in 1499. <. He was vicar and visitor-general of this congregation, established a strict observance of the rule, was a model of penance, and one of the directors of St. Theresa. He died in tihe convent of Arenas, 1562. St. Victor 111., Pope and Confessor. St. Victor belonged to a noble family of Benevento, in the south of Italy. He almost completely rebuilt the famous monastery of Monte Casino, of which he had been elected abbot, while his zeal and success in conducting in the way of perfecticfn the great number of monks who placed themselvds under his guidance was still more remarkable. Nicholas 11. and his successors on several occasions made use of the talents of the holy abbot to promote the interests of religion in important and difficult negotiations. St. Gregory VII., when dying, recommended him to the Cardinals as his successor. Unfortunately St. Victor survived his election to the Papal throne only a lew months, being carried off by a mortal illness In 1087. Satfnts Cyril and Methodius, Bishops and Confessors. The conversion of Moravian and other Slavic tribes was the work especially of Saints Cyril and Methodius, deservedly called the ' Apostles of the Slavonians.' They Vwere brothers, born -at ThessaJonica of an illtustrioius 'senatorial lamily. The mission of Cyril %na iMethodius in Moravia was crowned with wonderful results. They baptised Radlslav, the King, and securely established Christianity in his country. Cyril Invented a Slavic alphabet, called after him the ' Cyrillic,' and, with the aid of his brother, translated the Holy Scripture into Slavonian. Cyril died at Rome in 869, and Methodius in ■ 885 } Feast of Our Most Holy Redeemer. This day is set apart by the , Church to praise and glorify God for the gireat mystery of our .Redemption, and to hjonor the person of His Son, Who, by becoming t man and dying on the Cross for us, has treed us fromthe slavery of satan, and restored to us our heavenly inheritance.