Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9, 5 March 1908, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR

March 8, Sunday.— First Sunday In Lent. „ 9, Monday.— St.. Frances -of Rome, 1 Widow. „ 10, Tuesday.— -The Forty Martyrs. „ 11, Wednesday.— St. John of God, Confessor. Ember Day. „ 12, Thursday.— St. Gregory the Great, Pope, Confessor, and Doctor. „ 13, Friday.— The Lance and Nails. Ember Day. „ 14, Saturday.— St. Cataldus^ Bishop and Confessor. Ember Day. The Lance and Nails. This feast serves to remind us of two incidents in the Passion of Our Lord-phow the soldiers nailed Him to the Cross, and after His death pierced His sacred side with a lance. The latter event is thus narrated by St. John ■ ' The soldiers therefore came ; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with Him. But after they were come to J.esus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers, with a spear, opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water. . . For these things were dome, that the Scripture might be fulfilled : " You shall not break a bone of Him." ' St. Cataldus, Bishop and Confessor. St. Cataldus, the second apostle and patron saint of Taranto, was born in Ireland about the year 615, and whilst a youth was sent to study at the great monastic school of Dismore. Whilst returning from a pilgrimage, to Jerusalem, in which he was accompanied by some of his disciples, the vessel was wrecked in the Gulf of Taranto, not far from the city of that name. When the Irish Bishop saw this beautiful city given over to pleasure and vice his spirit was moved" within him, and in ■burning language he implored the inhabitants to return to the service of God, Whon they had forgotten. It happened at this time that there was no bishop in the city, so the people besought Cataldus to remain with them, to which request he reluctantly acceded. The saint succeeded in bringing back the inhabitants to the service of God, and Taranto became a Christian city in reality, as well as in name. St. Cataldus died towards the close of the seventh century, and Ms remains were buried in a marble tomb, which up to this day is preserved in the sacristy of the Cathedral of Taranto.