Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 12 February 1914, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR

February 15, Sunday.—Sexagesima Sunday. „ 16, Monday.—St. Agatho, Pope and Confessor. » 'V . ~ 17, Tuesday.—St. Fintan, Abbot. ~ 18, Wednesday.—St. Hyginus, Pope and .1 Martyr. , , ’ *;‘ ~ 19, Thursday.-—St. John Chrysostom * . Bishop, Confessor, • and Doctor. ~ 20, Friday.—St. Martina, Virgin ... and ■ ' Martyr. . ~ 21, Saturday.-—St. Paul, the first Hermit, Confessor. St. Fintan, Abbot. St. Fintan, who was a native of the diocese of Leighlin, in’ la-eland, lived in the sixth century. Few details of .his life are extant. St. Paul, the First Hermit. St. Paul was a native of Egypt. Compelled to flee to the desert to escape the persecution of the Emperor Decius, in 250, he beame enamored of the solitude, and spent there the remainder of his life in prayer and meditation. He died at the advanced age of 119..• 1 . * GRAINS OF GOLD. SUBMISSION. O Heart of Jesus! Sea of Love profound! Ocean of Mercy ! since it please Thee, (And Thou in love hast made it known to me) To thus ray soul imprison, and build ’round My nights and days a sombre wall, uncrowned . ■By vine or leaf ! I ask not to bo free, Nor have I any wish’, dear Lord, to see Of move amid the roses that abound In wild profusion near the narrow cell In which Thy providence wills I shall dwell. In blind submission to Thy wise decree I bow my head and bend a willing knee Mv one desire, that Thou, my Keeper be ' Till Time has merged into eternity. — Western Catholic. The measure of love is sacrifice.’ If one loves the Blessed Sacrament one will make sacrifice to visit often the sanctuary wherein the Holy Eucharist rests. Let us never forget that an act of goodness is of itself an act of happiness. No reward coming after the event can compare with the sweet reward that went with it. _ , To each soul God gives the power to rise, if it will, even above the tyranny of inherited tendencies, and make its own destiny for good, for noble ends. Kind looks, kind words, kind acts, and warm handshakes-these are a secondary means of grace when men are in trouble and fighting their unseen battles. Character is what we are, not what we have or hold. And you cannot destroy what we are with a change like death, no matter what sort of change it turns out to be. Do not allow pride of intellect to get the upper hand of your love for religion. Mundane things do not count for much when the eternity of : the soup's welfare is considered. This world is not the home of perfect v physical ease. They, therefore, use it best, who use it with fortitude, one of the noblest things,in man. To the individual, this virtuA brings contentment. More than .this. it is not the least of the elements of •. social stability. ' . ' .... - ’