Friends at Court

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 42, 26 October 1922, Page 3

Friends at Court

GLEANINGS FOR NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR. October 29, Sunday. —Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost. „ 30, Monday.— the Feria. „ 31, Tuesday.—Vigil of All Saints. Fast Day., 1 November 1, Wednesday. Feast of All Saints. Holiday of Obligation. ~ 2, —Commemoration of All Souls. ~ 3, Friday.Of the Octave. ~ 4, Saturday.—St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop and Confessor. 9 Commemoration of All Souls. The month of November is also known as “the month of the. Holy Souls in Purgatory.” According to the Church’s teaching, not all who die in God’s friendship are at once admitted into heaven. Some have not paid the full debt of atonement which Divine Justice sometimes requires after the guilt of mortal sin has been forgiven, or are still stained by lesser faults, which do not merit everlasting punishment, but at the same time debar the soul from entrance into the pure presence of God. These are they of whom St. Paul says: “They shall be saved, yet so as by fire.” They suffer in Purgatory in proportion to the number and gravity of the faults they have • committed. In commemorating these holy souls, the Church invites us to pray fervently that God in His mercy may shorten the term of their atonement, and admit them to their reward. St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop and Confessor. This great reformer of morals in the north of Italy was born of an illustrious Milanese family in 1538. From his youth he gave evidence of great talent, combined with a well-grounded piety. At the early ago of 26 we find him discharging the arduous duties of Archbishop of Milan with a zeal and prudence which evoked the admiration of all Italy. The wise provisions which he made for the education of the clergy and the advancement of religion in his province have ever since served as a guide for those whom the Church has called to the episcopal office. That he possessed the good shepherd’s love for his sheep was shown by the heroic charity with which he ministered to the sick and dying in a terrible pestilence which visited Milan during his episcopate. Compelled as CardinalArchbishop to maintain a certain exterior state, his private life was simple and austere. The death of St. Charles, which occurred in 1584, was in perfect keeping with his saintly life. Grains of Gold THE SOULS IN PURGATORY. They lived with us on earth; they loved the sun On golden mountain peaks; the shining sea Sang them its olden music murmurously; Mayhap they were our loved ones and had won Our hearts by, deeds unselfishly, nobly done Parents who toiled and moiled that we might be From pain and sorrow'' and ill-fortune free — To shelter us, Fate’s blows they did not shun I Now are their souls immersed in cleansing fire, > They cry to us “o, friends, our groanings hear, Pray for us that the Heaven of our desire Be not denied for long. Assuage our fear Hfire where we tremble 1 ’neath Jehovah’s ire— And bring the day of our deliverance near.” —Rosary Magazine. REFLECTIONS. ", Write, 0 Lord Jesus Christ, Thy wounds on my heart y in Thy precious blood, that I so may read in them : Thy sorrow, as to bear all sorrow for Thee, and that I may so read in them Thy love, as to despise all wrong love for Thee.St. Augustine. If you desire to see me, seek me in the wound of the side of our sweet Saviour; for as it is there only that I ; < dwell, it is there that you shall find me; if you seek me r elsewhere, you will search in vain.—-St. Elzean.