Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 6 March 1913, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR ■ 111 I - ■■! . March 9, Sunday.—Passion Sunday. „ 10, Monday. The Forty Martyrs. „ 11, Tuesday.—St. John of God, Confessor. ~ 12, Wednesday. —St. Gregory the Great, Pope, Confessor, and Doctor. ~ 13, Thursday.—St. Raymund Pennafort, Confessor ~ 14, Friday. —The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ~ 15, Saturday. —St. Zachary, Pope and Confessor. St. John of God, Confessor. St. John was born in Portugal, of poor parents, A.D. 1495. He spent the greater part of his youth as a servant, his principal duty being to tend the flocks of his master. Having, at the age of twenty-seven, enlisted as a soldier, the evil example of his companions had the effect of lessening his fervor, and causing him to give up some of his devotional practices. For this remissness he afterwards endeavoured to atone by a life entirely devoted to the care of the sick poor. His charity and humility, his untiring activity in doing good to all, were such as to win for him the admiration of the city of Granada, where a considerable portion of his life was spent. St. John died in 1550. St. Gregory the Great, Pope, Confessor, and Doctor. St. Gregory was born in Rome about the year 540. In 590 he endeavoured in vain to decline the dignity of Supreme Pontiff, to which he was elected at the death of Pelagius 11. In the calamities which befell Italy in consequence of the invasion of the Lombards, St. Gregory showed himself a father to all in distress. He was most successful in maintaining the purity of Catholic doctrine in some of the countries where heresies had arisen. In 597 he sent a number of monks, with St. Austin at their head, to preach the Gospel in England. He died in 604, having by his eminent holiness, great erudition, and illustrious achievements earned for himself the title of ' The Great.' GRAINS OF GOLD A PILGRIM'S PRAYER. Lord, make me gentle. Since the ways Of earth are filled with needless strife,. Let me be gentle all the days Of this my life! Let me go softly, so my feet, Noiseless, their mission may fulfil— A tranquil farer in the street And on the hill. Let me speak low, that they who hear May listen, glad of tender tone, And they who answer, drawing near, May calm their own. Make my touch light, so what I touch May take my mark and bear my sign . Yet be not branded over much i With name of mine. With temperate joy when blessings flower, With quiet grief when sorrow falls, With wordless conflict, when the hour Of battle calls Lord, though a tumult of distress And noise and clamoring be rife, Let me move down with gentleness My path of life!