Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 13 May 1920, Page 3

Friends at Court

4LEANINGS FOE NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR. ■ ,1 > (lay 16, Sunday. Within the. Octave of the Ascension. i „ 17, Monday.—St, Paschal Baylon, Confessor. ~ 18, Tuesday.— St. Venantius, Martyr. ~ 19, Wednesday. St. Peter Celestine, Pope and Con--1 fessor. ■,, 20, Thursday.— Octave of the Ascension. ~ 21, Friday.—Of the Feria. ~ 22, Saturday.—Vigil of Pentecost. Fast Day. No Abstinence. S . St. Paschal Baylon, Confessor, j This saint was born in the north of Spain, of parents bo, if they could not endow him with worldly possessions, ideavored, what was of more consequence, to instil into Is mind principles of solid piety. On entering a monas)ry of Franciscan Friars, he showed himself proficient a every virtue, but was especially remarkable for an arent devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. He had attained ae fifty-second year of his age when he died in 1592. i St. Peter Celestine, Pope and Confessor. . St. Peter, a native of Southern Italy, spent the renter part of a very austere life in solitude. In his old go he found himself unexpectedly’ elected Pope. He enfavored in vain to decline the proffered office, but at ngth yielded to the importunities of kings and cardinals, 'Considering, however, that, through inexperience of the jorld he was unfitted for the government of the Church, e resigned the Pontificate after four months, with the >ject of spending the remainder of his days in the recrement of his monastery. He died about 18 months after is resignation, A.l). 1296. Vigil of the Feast of Pentecost. i After -the Ascension of Our Lord, the Apostles retained in Jerusalem, preparing themselves by prayer and for the coming of the Holy Ghost. By comiemorating this fact, the Church invites us to dispose urselves for the. worthy celebration of the great feast of |entecost. I GRAINS OF GOLD \ OPR LADY OF MAY. 1 Flower of Flowers, Our Lady of the May ! j Breathe from God’s garden of eternal flowers Bossing, when we thy little children pray ; ( Let the soul’s grace steal gently over ours. 1 Send us dew and rain, | That we may bloom again, Cor wither in the dry and parching dust. \ Lift up our hearts, till with adoring eyes, ! 0 Morning Star !we hail thee in the skies : Star of our hope and trust ! ■j Sweet Star, Sweet Flower, there, bid thy beauty stay, i O Flower of Flowers, Our Lady of the May! i > Flower of Flowers, Our Lady of the May ! ' : Thou leftest lilies rising from the tomb; They shone in stately and serene array, s lmmaculate amid Death’s house of gloom. j Ah, let thy graces be r- ' Sown in our dark hearts! We j Would make our hearts gardens for thy dear care; Watered from well of Paradise, and sweet With balmy winds flowing from the Mercy-seat, And full of heavenly air; ' . Whilst music ever in thy praise should play, | O Flower of Flowers, Our Lady of the May ! —Lionel Johnson. j REFLECTIONS. V A man lives by believing something, not by debating id arguing about many things.— Carlyle, j Martyrs are spiritual heroes. Every man has some air of martyrdom in his existence. The Saviour of all is the great martyr of the human family, and through ch a prototype all martyrdom has become unspeakably essed and sacred. _ Ah, many priceless graces pass us by Like quickening rains from gracious summer sky • : Vy While thus we vainly mourn the deedless past ! • j ; Take heed ! The winged present fleeth us as a sigh, j —Father Francis X. Doyle, S.J.