Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 15 March 1917, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK'S CALENDAR March 18, Sunday. Fourth Sunday in Lent. ~ 19, Monday.—St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. „ 20, Tuesday.—Of the Feria. ~ 21, Wednesday. —St. Benedict, Abbot. 22, Thursday.—Of the Feria. ~ 23, Friday.—Of the Feria, „ 24, Saturday. —Of the Feria. St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Joseph was chosen by God to watch over the infancy of Christ, to be a protector of Mary's chastity, and to secure her from calumnies in the birth of her Divine Son. So great a dignity, such familiar intercourse with the Deity, required a sanctity far above the common. That St. Joseph possessed this, we know from the inspired Word of God. He is styled in the New Testament ' a just man,' one, namely, endowed with all the virtues. From the fact that no mention is made of him after the finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, we conclude that he must, have died before the beginning of our Lord's public ministry. We cannot doubt that he was comforted and assisted in his last moments by Jesus and Mary. Hence his intercession is sought particularly to obtain the grace of a happy death. ORAINS OF OOLD. VENITE AD ME. Now His door is open wide Do not fear to be His guest, Hear Him calling: 'Enter in, Ye who bear the load of sin ; Tired with passion, mocked with pride, Come into My house and rest ! Who would close his raptured ears To the piercing cry of grace : See the portals open wide, See the Saviour's open side, See His Cross, His Blood, His tearsCome into His holy place. His breath gloweth like a fire, He will warm your frozen hands, He will clothe you with His grace. All the radiance of His face Falling on your cold desire Maketh sweet His high commands. Do not stay, the rain is falling. Be the Saviour's bidden guest : Leave the lonely, haunted, night. Hasten to the Light of Light : Hear the Master calling, calling ; ' Come, ye tired ones, come and rest !' Love is life, but hatred is death. So long as time is, is atonement. Home without love is quite impossible. Ingratitude is a species of bad memory. A good head often goes wrong ; a good heart never. Only he who has never tried has never failed. You are much nearer success when you are deplored v than when you are ignored. Faith is the silken garment of the soul ; disbelief the rag and tatters. The love of little children and the confidence of the poor are better than gold or lands. God's law is at the same time a burden and a comfort, a yoke and a stay.Bourdaloue.