Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 24 March 1910, Page 443

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS fOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR March 27, Sunday.—Easter Sunday. • „ 28, Monday. Easter Monday. \ , „ 29, Tuesday.—-Easter Tuesday. • „ 30, Wednesday.— the Octave. . „ 31, Thursday.—Of the Octave. . " - April 1, Friday. the Octave. „ 2, Saturday.— the Octave. Easter Sunday. 'The festival of Easter,' writes St. Gregory, is the solemnity of solemnities, because it raises us from the earth into eternity, which it enables us to enjoy beforehand by faith, hope, and charity.' '"You shall rise again!" This is what the Church says to us by the eloquent voice of her ceremonies. From the holy temple all signs of mourning have disappeared. The altars are decked out with extraordinary magnificence. Ornamants of gay color and rich embroidery appear. Every face is bright. The bells are all in motion. The song of joy— Alleluiathat word of • the language of heaven, fallen on earth for our festive days, resounds on all sides, is repeated every moment is varied again and again, is modulated into every key; and when thereto are added the rays of a beautiful sun, avoid, if you can, those feelings of hope and delight which it is the mission of this great day to inspire.'Gaume. GRAINS OF GOLD THE GUIDING STARS. .. As when of old 'neath soft Judean skies, The Wisemen wondered at the heavenly Star Which had so strangely caused them to arise ; ; And follow, silent, where it led afar, To stranger lands where smiled the Victory won, The Dreamed of Ages, God and Man as one. So do • I marvel that your tender eyes, So full of childish love and modesty, Can guide me safely when, 'neath darkened skies, Temptation, luring, smiling, whispers me, — When sin with silent scorn and mockery Would blind my eyes to Christ and Calvary. Ave Maria. » We glance from our own problem to that of our neighbor, and think, ' How easily solved! ' If our religion brings us courage, joy, and peace, we shall not rail at the faults of men, but shall rather strive from a happy and loving heart to lead them towards the light. ' How many paupers in the world would consider themselves happy to have bread and water ad libitum? Is it reasonable to turn the favors of Divine goodness into food for sensuality? When we pray, says St. Ambrose, we speak to God, and when we read the Holy Scriptures, it is God Who speaks to us. Whence this great doctor inquires, Wherefore do you not employ every moment in reading the Holy Scriptures, that is to say, in conversing with Jesus Christ? Children possess a divining-crystal in their own clear thoughts, and know well when Love is at the helm. They can discern in a moment whether an arbitrary self-will dictates the course of things, or that single-minded affection that seeks the truest good of those who are in its charge. They will not love less, but more as time goes on. Of all the beautiful creations of God there is surely none so beautiful or so dear to Him as the pure, unsullied heart of a little child. Whether it be cherished in the palace of the rich, or in the slum dwelling of the poor, it is the same lustrous pearl, shining in radiant splendor like the star of the.;morning, until, alas! the world, the flesh, and the devil may despoil it of some of its virginal beauty. The glare of human joy hides from our sight ten thousand blessings, which we cannot see until it grows dark about us. And it would be a dire loss to live through all our days and never see those blessings. There are hundreds of Bible texts which seem pale and without meaning at the time of earthly gladness, but which come out bright and shining like stars when the darkness comes on. ' Children should laugh,' says Ruskin, 'but not mock; and when they laugh, it should not be at the weaknesses or faults of others. ••They; are permitted to concern themselves with the characters of those around them, to seek faithfully for good, not to lie in wait maliciously.-to make themselves merry with evil they should be too painfully sensitive to wrong to smile at it; and too modest to constitute themselves its judges.' r ,*^ : , i