GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 46, 17 November 1904, Page 31

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

November 20, Sunday.— Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost. St. Felix of \alois Confessor. 21, Monday.— Presentation of the Blessed Virgin x.i ary. 22, Tuesday —St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. A.i, Wednesday.— St. Clement, Pope and Martyr 24, Thursday.— St. John of the Cross*, Conlessor. 25, Friday.— St. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr 26, Saturday.— St. Sylvester, Abbot. St. Felix of Valois, Confessor. St. Felix was born in Valois, France, in 1127 and founded, with St. John of Matha, the Order of Trinitarians for the redemption of captives. The Order was approved of by Innocent 111 , and counted in the 15th century more than 800 houses spread all over Christendom. The religious wore a white habit with a red and blue cross on the breast. After having established themselves in Pans, in 1228, in the ancient Benedictine Abbey dedicated to St. Mathunn, they took the name of Mathurms. The Order was driven from Germany by the Reformation, and counted 94 houses in France when it was suppressed in 178 ( J. Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to a pious tradition, dating from the earliest times, the Blessed Virgin, when a child, wa, taken by her paients to the temple of Jerusalem, where she was carefully instructed and trained by pious matrons in tne practice of virtue. The feast we celebrate to-day commemorates the generous enthusiasm with which the Blessed Virgin dedicated her life to the service of her Creator— an oflermg which she never recalled by the slightest sinful act. St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. St. Cecilia was a member of a noble Roman family. Betrothed by her parents, against her own wishes, to \al?nan, a pagan, she succeeded m converting him and his brothel to the Christian religion. On this coming to the cai.s of the Prelect of the city, the two brothers were beheaded. The same sentence was passed on St. Cepilia, but owing to the clumsy manner in which the executioner pel formed his task, the holy virgin lingered for 'three dajs m great agony, A D. 2dU. St. Clement 1., Pope and Martyr. St. Clement was Pope from 91 to 100. He was a Jet! by birth and the disciple and third successor of St. Peter. He is supposed to be the same St. Clement mentioned by St Paul (Phil. iv. 3) as one of his fellowlaborers, ' whose names are written in the Book of Life' By another account Clement was the immediate successor of St. Peter, St. Linus and St. Cletus being only the Apostolic wears at Rome in his absence. St. Clement, in 96, wrote the Epistle of the Corinthians, ' in L.ie name of the Roman Church,' which for a long time continued to be read in the ancient Church. He suftercd martyrdom under Trajan in the year 100. St. John of the Cross, Confessor. St. John was a Spaniard. lie received his surname from his special devotion to the passion ot ( h j^t He was associated with St. r l lieresa in reforming the Carmelite Order, of which he was a member. At the time of his death, in 1591, St. John was in his fiftieth year. St. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr. St. CaUierine, a native of Alexandria, and illustrious for her brilliant talents and profound learning, was, after suflering many cruel torments, beheaded by order of the Emperor Maximin 11., in the beginning of the fourth century. St Syh ester, Abbot. St. SyJvesler was born near Loreto, in Italy, in 1177. At t>he age of 40 he retired into a desert in order that, free from worldly cares he might be able to devote more time to prayer and contemplation. Having been followed by a number of disciples he foun'deij several monastc-ies to which he gave the strict rule of St. Benedict. St. Sylvester died in 1267.