Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 4, 28 January 1904, Page 31

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

January 31, Sunday.— Septuagesima Sunday. February 1, Monday.— St. Brigid, Patroness of Ireland, Virgin. 2, Tuesday— Purification of the Blessed Virgin. „ 3, Wednesday.— St. Denis, Pope and Confessor. „ 4, Thursday.— St. Andrew Corsini, Bishop and Confessor. „ 5, Friday.— St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr. „ 6, Saturday.— St. Hyacintha de' Mariscotti, Virgin. Septuagesima Sunday. Septuagesima Sunday is so called from the Latin word ' septuagesima,' which means ' the seventieth. 1 It is the third Sunday before Lent, and is called ' septuagesima ' because it is, in round numbers, seventy days before Easter. St. Brigid, Virgin. St. Brigid, whose name is frequently, though incorrectly, spelled Bridget, is the patron saint of Ireland. She was born in 453, and according to an ancient Irish account of her life, was born at Fochart (now Faugher). Her father's name was Dubhtach. She was foundress and abbess of several convents, the most celebrated of which was that of Kildare (' The Church of the Oak '), which was erected in the year 490. She died in 523. The Purification. This is a festival observed in the Catholic Church in commemoration of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the Jewish ceremonial, forty days after the birth of Christ. It is also called ' Candlemas ' (that is ' Candle Mass ') on account of the blessing of wax tapers which are carried burning by those who form the procession which ftakes place afterwards. The symbolical meaning attributed to this ceremony is that the faithful should, with the holy Simeon, recognise'in the Infant Jesus the salvation which the Lord had prepared before the face of the people—' A light to lighten' the .Gentiles, and the glory of the people of Israel ' (Luke ii. 31-32) and be admonished by the burning tapers which they are carrying in their hands, that their faith must be fed and augmented by the exercise of good works, through which they are to become a light to shine before men (Matt. v. 14-16). St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr. St. Agatha was born at Palermo, in Sicily, and was martyred on February 5, 251, at Catanea, during the persecution of Decius. Quintianus, the governor of Sicily, seeing his love for her repudiated, took revenge by accusing her of being a Christian, and caused her to suffer most cruel torments. She was scourged, burned with hot irons, torn with hooks, and then placed on a bed of live coals and glass. From all these tortures St Agatha went forth triumphant, and finally died in her prison. The inhabitants of Catanea invoke her, especially during an outbreak of Mount Etna. St. Hyacintha, Virgin. St. Hyacintha was the daughter of Mariscotti, Count of Vignanello, near Viterbo, Italy. She was born in the year 1585. During the course of an active, laborious, and saintly life, she founded under the name of the Oblates of Mary, two Congregations for the relief of old and infirm people, the poor, and prisoners. She passed to her eternal reward in the year 1640.