Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 19 January 1922, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR. January 22, Sunday. Third Sunday after Epiphany. „ 23, Monday. —St. Raymond of Ponnafort, Confessor. • „ '24, Tuesday. —St. Timothy, Bishop and Martyr. ~ 25, Wednesday.— of St. Paul, Apostle. ~ • 26, Thursday.—St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr. ~ 27, Friday.St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor. ~ 28, Saturday.— St. Francis de Sales, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. ¥ ? ST. TIMOTHY, BISHOP AND MARTYR. The name of St. Timothy frequently occurs in the New Testament. Born of a Jewish mother, he made from his childhood a special study of the Sacred Scriptures. After his conversion, St. Timothy became the faithful companion of St, Paul, two of whose Epistles are addressed to him. For more than 30 years he governed the diocese of Ephesus, and finally crowned his saintly life by a martyr’s death, A.D. 97. ‘ FEAST OP THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL, St. Paul was at first a violent persecutor of the Church. In fact, at the very moment when the grace of God touched his heart he was on his way to Damascus, with authority to seize any persons Whom he might find professing the new faith, and send them in chains to Jerusalem. After his conversion, St. Paul devoted all his energies to the propagation of the Christian religion, and spent his life in carrying the glad tidings of redemption to the nations that till then had sat in darkness and in the shadow 'of death.” ST. POLYCARP. BISHOP AND MARTYR. * St. Polycarp, a disciple of St. John the Evangelist, governed the important See of Smyrna for 70 years,. He is believed to have been the Angel or Bishop of Smyrna commended by Our Blessed Lord in the Apocalypse (chap, ii.). He was martyred in 169, being then about 100 years of age. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP, CONFESSOR, AND DOCTOR. This saint was born in Savoy in 1547. Naturally of a passionate disposition, he succeeded in obtaining such perfect control over himself that his name is a synonym for meekness and patience. Ordained priest, the sanctity of his life, united to a gentle, winning manner, enabled him to bring back to the Church numbers of his countrymen who had been imbued from childhood with the heretical tenets of Calvin. In 1602 he became Bishop of Geneva. He died in 1622, after having shown himself the model of a bishop, as he had been that of a layman and priest. GRAINS OF GOLD s BEFORE EACH DAY. I offer Thee this day O Lord All suffering I bear; My thoughts and deeds, I fain would turn Into a silent prayer. Let not this tongue pronounce Thy Name In aught but piety, And keep this poor unworthy heart Aflame with love for Thee. , Oh, let me not unmindful stray, Where sinful pleasures lie, But guard my steps, that I may stay And with Thy Will comply. / And if temptation proves too strong, v That I perchance should wane, I beg Thee in Thy mercy Lead me quickly back again. V —Bernard A. o’Hea.<