Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, 30 March 1922, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR. April 2, —Passion Sunday. ~ 3, Monday.Of the Peri a, „ 4, Tuesday.—St. Isidore, ' Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor. ~ 5, Wednesday.—St. Vincent Ferrer, Confessor. Abstinence. ~ 6, Thursday.—Of the Feria. ~ 7, Friday,—Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary. „ 8, Saturday.—Of the Feria. V ST. ISIDORE, BISHOP, CONFESSOR, AND DOCTOR. St. Isidore was born in the south of Spain about the middle of the sixth century. In the year 600 he succeeded his brother, St. Leander, in the See of Seville, which he occupied for 36 years. His learned writings in defence of religion have caused him to be numbered among the Doctors of the Church. ST. VINCENT FERRER, CONFESSOR. St. Vincent was born at Valentia, in Spain. The austerity of his life, the gift of eloquence which he possessed in a remarkable degree, and the miracles which signalised his labors, rendered his preaching most effective. Wherever he went the people were aroused, and the most hardened sinners sought to be reconciled with God. His labors were not confined to his native country. He traversed Italy and France, and at the invitation of Henry IV. visited Ireland, England, and Scotland. He died in Brittany, in the 63rd year of his age, A.D. 1419. THE SEVEN DOLORS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, To drink of that chalice of suffering which the Redeemer of mankind drained to the dregs has fallen to the lot of all the saints, but most of all to the Mother of God. Owing to the closeness of the sacred tie which bound her to her Divine Son she felt most keenly every danger which threatened Him, and every pang that wrung His Sacred Heart. Her seven principal sorrows, commemorated today, —the prophecy of St. Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child Jesus, the meeting with her Divine Son on the way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the taking down from the Cross, and the burial of Our Lord.

GRAINS OF GOLD AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS. Our Lady as she stood beneath the Cross in anguish keen, Ah, who so cold but what that picture stirs! Through all the previous centuries no mother e’er had seen A son so dieand such a Son as hers. No wonder earth protested and the sun withdrew its light, No wonder wailing breezes moaned her loss; They never since creation’s dawn had viewed so sad a sight— Our Lady as she stood beneath the Cross. Our Lady as she stood beneath the Cross evokes our tears, Our sympathy goes out to her amain; Ah yes; but in our daily life what evidence appears That we shall nevermore renew her pain? The sins by us committed helped her Son Divine to slay. Oh, when temptation’s waves around us toss, God grant our thoughts revert to her, all martyrs’ Queen for aye—• Our Lady as she stood beneath the Cross! —Arthur Barry O’Neill, C.S.O.

REFLECTIONS. When we are at peace books are our treasure and delight; when we are fighting they are our arms; when we are hungry they are our food; when wo are sick they are our remedy,—St. Hugh. Now to be a true Christian, three things are necessary: Charity in the heart, truth, on the lips, and purity of life if we are wanting in these, we are unworthy of the name of Christian. Hugh.