Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 13 February 1913, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR February 16, Sunday.—Second Sunday in Lent. „ 17-, Monday.—St. Fintan, Abbot. „ 18, Tuesday.St. Marcellus 1., Pope and Martyr. „ 19, Wednesday.—St. Martina, Virgin? and Martyr. „ 20, Thursday.—St. Ignatius, Bishop and Martyr. „ 21, Friday.—The Winding Sheet of Our Lord. „ 22, Saturday.—The Chair of St. Peter at Antioch. St. Ignatius, Bishop and Martyr. St. Ignatius was a native of Antioch, a city which he afterwards governed as Bishop for forty years. He was an intimate friend and disciple of St. John the Evangelist, and of the Apostles SS. Peter and Paul. In his old age he was apprehended by order of the Emperor Trajan, and conveyed to Rome. .On 7 his arrival he was exposed to wild beasts, and thus crowned a long and saintly life by a glorious death. The date of his martyrdom is not quite certain, but is commonly supposed to have been A.D. 107. Chair of St. Peter at Antioch. On this day we commemorate the establishment by St. Peter of his Episcopal See at Antioch, where for seven years he ruled the Church as Universal Pastor, before finally fixing the seat of his spiritual government at Rome. St. Fintan, Abbot. St. Fintan, who was a native of the diocese of Leighlin, in Ireland, lived in the sixth century. Few details of his life are extant. - St. Martina, Virgin and Martyr. St., Martina is one of the principal patrons of Rome, where she suffered martyrdom in the third cenher life and sufferings. GRAINS OP GOLD LOSS AND GAIN. ' Thou with the hollow eyes of care, Thou with the wrinkled brow, — What is it that thy hands would dare To rob my breast of now ? The captain jewels of my heart Thy rude arms bear away: I see both Youth and Joy depart For ever and a day!' 'Yea, Soul, I take this wealth of thine, But in its place I bring Old Age, whose stars with promise shine; And Grief, whose hush doth sing. I change to gold your earthly dross; I give you peace through pain. „ Behold my face ! Men call me Loss, But I am heavenly Gain.' — Ave Maria. Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things in which smiles and kindness and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort. ; What we call a turning point is simply an occasion which sums up and brings to a result previous training. Accidental circumstances are nothing except to men" who have been trained to take advantage of them.