Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 7 September 1911, Page 1723

Friends at Court

-» GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR September 10, Sunday. Fourteenth Sunday after - Pentecost. The Holy Name of Mary. „ 11, Monday.St, Nicholas of Tolentino, Confessor. ~ 12, Tuesday. —St. Rose of Lima, Virgin. ~ 13, Wednesday. —St. Sergius 1., Pope and . , , . . • . . . Confessor. ‘ ~ 14, Thursday.—Exaltation ' of the Holy Cross.

~ 15, Friday. —Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ~ 16, Saturday.SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, Bishops and Martyrs.

SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, Bishops and Martyrs.

These two saints were contemporaries and friends. St. Cornelius was elected to succeed Pope Fabian in 251. During his pontificate the Church had to contend, not only with the persecution of Decius, but also with the internal disturbances excited by the heretic Novatian. In 252 St. Cornelius was banished to Civita Vecchia. Brought back to Rome in the same year, he there gained the crown of martyrdom. St. Cyprian was verging on old age when converted from paganism. He was consecrated Bishop of Carthage in 248. During ten years he labored unceasingly to promote the spiritual interests of his flock. He was the author of several treatises on doctrinal and devotional subjects. He was martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

On this day we commemorate the recovery of the true Cross, which was left at Jerusalem by St. Helena, and which, having been carried off by the invading Persians, was regained by the Emperor Heraclius in 628.

St. Sergius 1., Pope and Confessor.

St. Sergius, a Sicilian, showed his zeal for the propagation of the Faith by sending missionaries to the then uncivilised peoples of Germany. Notwithstanding the threats of the Greek Emperor, he constantly refused to sanction some disciplinary regulations which were opposed to the best interests of religion. He died in 701, after a pontificate extending over thirteen years.

GRAINS OF GOLD THE STARS. Ay, there ye shine, and there have shone. Each rolling burningly alone, In one eternal ‘hour of prime,’ Through boundless space and countless time. Ay, there ye shine ! the golden dews That pave the realms by seraphs trod, There, through yon echoing vault diffuse The song of choral worlds to God.

Ay, there ye roll —emblems sublime Of Him whose Spirit o'er us moves, Beyond the clouds of grief and crime, v Still shining. on ; the world He loves.,. X;.-\ Nor is no view to mortals given That more divides the soul and sod, . Than yon proud heraldry of heaven Yon burning blazonry of God ! Exchange.

God's pity is not as some sweet cordial poured in dainty drops from some golden phial it is wide as the whole scope of Heaven it is abundant as all the air.

Thousands that are capable of great sacrifices are yet not capable of the little ones which are all that are required of them. A multitude of successive small sacrifices may work more good in the world than many a large one.