Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 8 February 1917, Page 3

Friends at Court

February 11, Sunday.-Sexagesima Sunday i, : 12, Monday.—'The Seven- Founders, Con- | ■. , . fessors. ; --rv: - ~ 13, Tuesday. — Of the Feria. ~ 14, Wednesday.—St, Valentine, Martyr. ’: ~ 15, Thursday. — SS. Faustinus- and, Jovita, ' A Martyrs. „ 16, Friday. Of the Feria. . . „ 17, Saturday. —Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. • ' SS. Faustinus and Jovita, Martyrs. These two Saints were members of a noble family of Brescia ; the elder brother, Faustinus, being a priest, the younger, a deacon. For their fearless preaching of the Gospel, they were arraigned before the Emperor Hadrian, who, first, at Brescia, and later at Rome and Naples, subjected them to frightful torments, after which they were beheaded at Brescia in the year 120. ♦ GRAINS OP GOLD. OUR LADY OF THE SNOW. Meek Virgin Mother, more benign Than fairest Star, upon the height Of thy mountain set to keep Lone vigils through the hours of sleep. What eye can look upon thy shrine Untroubled at the sight ? These crowded offerings as they hang In sign of misery relieved, Even these, without intent of theirs, Report of comfortless despairs Of many a deep and careless pang And confidence deceived. To thee, in this aerial cleft As to a common centre, tend All sufferers that no more rely On mortal succor —all who sigh And pine, of human hope bereft. Nor wish for earthly friend. And hence, O Virgin Mother mild ! Though plenteous flowers around thee blow Not only from the dreary strife Of winter, but the storms of life, Thee have thy votaries aptly styled Our Lady of the Snow. Even for the man who stops not here, But down the irreguous valley hies, Thy very name, O Lady ! flings, O’er blooming fields and gushing springs, A tender sense of shadowy fear, And chastening sympathies. Wm. Wordsworth. MAXIMS BY ARCHBISHOP SPALDING. The end of reading (as of everything else we do) should be self-improvement. Though you think all the world’s a stage, learn to act well your part. Education which does not promote conduct bears within it a moral taint. It takes time and pains to learn what it is most profitable to do. The spirit and love of dogmatism characterises the ► imperfectly educated, v Live thy religion ; then, shalt thou not need to argue or dispute about it. We begin with studying how to learn, and end with learning how to study. Principle is more than knowledge ; a loving heart is better than much gold.