Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 12 February 1920, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR. February 15, Quinquagesima Sunday. „ 16, Monday. —Of the Feria. 17, Tuesday.Of the Feria. ~ 18, Wednesday.—Ash Wednesday. ~ 19, Thursday.Of the Feria. „ 20, Friday.—Of the Feria. ~ 21, Saturday.—Of the Feria.

Ash Wednesday.

-Ash Wednesday, the Wednesday after Quinquagesima Sunday, is the first day of the Lenten fast. The name dies cinerum (day of ashes) which it bears in the Roman Missal, is found in the earliest existing copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary, and probably dates from at least the eighth century. On this day all the faithful according to ancient custom are exhorted to approach the altar before the beginning of Mass, and there the priest, dipping his thumb into ashes previously blessed, marks upon the forehead of each the Sign of the Cross, saying the words; “Remember, man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return.” The ashes used in this ceremony are made by burning the remains of the palms blessed on Palm ; Sunday of the previous year. In the blessing of the ashes four prayers are used, all of them ancient, and the ashes are sprinkled with holy water and fumigated with incense. The celebrant himself, be he bishop or cardinal, receives either standing or seated, the ashes from some other priest, usually the highest in dignity of those present. In earlier ages a penitential procession often followed the rite of the distribution of the ashes, but this ia not now prescribed.

GRAINS OF GOLD

TO CALVARY. • Lord, from the Valley of Despair I lift mine eyes to Thee! The -world goes —the path is nigh That leads to Calvary. Prom many a heart bowed down with woo • Thy love hath cast out fear, So why should I from Sorrow fly If only Thou art near? *■ Thou Who has trod the stricken road, r Be with me lest I stray. The cross-crown’d height shall glow with light If Thou but lead the way. ? Up to that green and holy Hill ' I lift my tired eyes; ' A voice is heard — old, sweet word, “0 weary one, arise!” • Alone, yet not alone, I walk ; v * Be Thou but near to me, Lest I should lose, lest I should lose The road to Calvary! —Marie F. Swift. PRAYER AND ITS ANSWER. Unanswered yet the prayers your lips have pleaded, In agony of heart these many years? Does faith begin to fail? Is hope departing? And think you all in vain your falling tears? Say not the Father hath not heard your prayer; You shall have your desire sometime, somewhere. Unanswered yet? though when you first presented, This one petition at the Father’s throne, It seemed you could not wait the time of asking, So urgent was your heart to make it known. Unanswered yet? Faith cannot be unanswered. Her feet are firmly planted on the Rock; And mid the wildest storms she stands .undaunted, Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock. She knows Omnipotence hath heard her prayer, And cries, “It shall be done, sometime, somewhere!” —E.J.R. ■ j Regard your weak points as something to conquer, not as something likely to conquer you. .Our sins are as a grain of sand beside the great mountain of God’s mercies—Ven. Cure d’Ars.