Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 22 December 1921, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT CALENDAR.

December 25, Sunday.—Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. „ 26, Monday.—St. Stephen, Protoraltrtyr. „"■■ 27, Tuesday.—St. John,' Apostle and Evangelist. „ 28, Wednesday.—Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs. „ 29, Thursday.—St. Thomas, Bishop and Martyr. ~ 30, Friday.—Of the Sunday within the Octave. ~ 31, Saturday.—St. Sylvester, Pope and Confessor. / St. Stephen, First Martyr. St. Stephen was one of the seven who were chosen to assist the Apostles in the daily distribution of alms, and who, by the imposition of the Apostles' hands, were raised to the Order of Deacons, and qualified to discharge some of the inferior duties of the sacerdotal office. By his zealous efforts for the propagation of the gospel he stirred up the hatred of some of the Jews, who stoned him to , death. He thus had the honor of being the first among Christ's disciples to seal his faith with his blood. St. Sylvester 1., Pope and Confessor. St. Sylvester, a native of Home, was called to rule the Church during the 21 years which followed the accession of Constantine. One of his principal cares was to provide churches faithful, who were now, for the first time, allowed perfect liberty in the exercise of their religion. The most important event in the pontificate of St. Sylvester was the celebration of the First General Council, which was presided over by the Papal Legates, and in which the errors of Arius were condemned. St. Sylvester died in 335. GRAINS OF GOLD CHRISTMAS BABE. Heaven's gates flew ope one even tide, «As the God of Love left His Father's side; And journeyed below, amid angels' strain, To our poor world of sin and pain. Mary, on earth, at the city's gates For a place to enter, stands and waits, But there's no place, save a stable grim, For her Babeher God, to rest within. *• The shepherds, their flocks on the hillside keep, And dream of the promise 'mid slumber deep; Of Him Who will come; when lo! a light Has changed their night into day so bright. A wondrous light, all around they see, Which spreads over sky and land and sea; And angels' voices, through the stillness ring, "Our Christ is born; come praise our King." N Now quickly spreads over hill and dale The news of the Light and the Angels' tale; -And kings from East and wise men afar, „ Follow, with hope, the Moving Star. §r . . Till it stands o'er a stable, old and grim, And beckons and sparkles "Your Lord is within." His cradle is poor, but the angels sing The Kings, from afar, their rich gifts bring; And a cry from their souls, as ne'er before,' Calls out in its place, "We adore—we adore."

REFLECTIONS. Christmas! What a good/glad season it is—the childhood of the year! All things hopeful, everybody kind, the whole city one big Christmas tree, illuminated, grift-laden ! —Sister M. Fides. V. Christian parents and, children, behold your models! Nazareth is the true picture of an ideal home! If the - picture be not Christian, be not pure, be not in a measure ■ like the life of the Holy Family, then it is fast hurrying to .. ruin and decay! f