Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-07

iss origin, ceremonial., Etc.

10Th day Of April Easter Sunday,) making q
total OF forty -six days. Six days of this term
are Sundays. on which no fast IS required. leav-
log forty full days for the observance Of fast on
ours annuslly. vas established originally, among
tie early Christians. as a reminder Of The forty
days' fast instituted By our Savior. when. as the
scriptures tell us. Jesus vas led up 20 the
spirit into the wilderness TO be tempted OF The
devil. And when he had tasted forty days and
forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered.
Matt. ". VI and 2. King ia version
There can DC no doubt. however, that after the
conversion Of the Emperor Constantine, when
the church began 70 exercise its mission with
more freedom than bad been granted her during
the era when bis predecessors ssayed the scepter
Of The Romsn Empire. the fast of Lent was In.
sisted on BY the church as q means Of humbling
= the pride OF the proud patricians who had been
coytrted from pagaDism. and by placing an IN
terdiet on the Bumptuous living In which they In
dulged, brought them more fully 10 a considera-
ton OF the eternal destiny which awaited them
in the great hereafter" However this may be,
10 Is certain that the early writers, both religious
and profane, speak of the Lenten institution
exercising most beneficial effect both as to the
morals and the general health Of the people of
those ages
As time advanced, and christianity spread it.
self over the world. the severe susteriiies which
"a carrier days characterized the observance of
Lent. were somewhat mitigated, and the season
was made 70 consist OF the prescribed fast vary
ing Ia rigor IN different countries) aud the cher
ishng Of that internal religious spirit of the sea
son, without which. the church asserts q mere
compliance With the fast is useless. Both the
Catholic and Episcopal churches observe the
Lenten season. and have peculiar religious exer-
cises adapted 10 il (those OF the latter church
being laid dosn IN the book OF common prayer !:
but the fast is, except in The case OF High Church
Puseyites Of the episcopal denomination, practi
cally and generally observed only among Catho
lies In the countries of southern Europe. more
especially in Italy, a short time previous to the
commencement of Lent is devoted to sports and
pastmes. and this season Of enjoyment. popular
~ known ss the carnival is made the most of
by all classes and conditions OF society. Venice
and Rome have ever been particularly noted for
the observance Of this pre- Lenien season; and in
the latter city. the Corso is the scene where fun
and frolic, up 10 the hour Of twelve on Shrove
Tuesday night Immediately preceding Ash Wed
nesday, or the first day of Lent, are wild, fast
and furious" Every one who appears the
Corso 1.-THE great Roman thoroughbred or this
evening. is masked, and bears In bis hand
lighted candle. the flame OF which be tries TO
preserve while he endeavors to extinguish that
Of his neighbor At midnight precisely, gun
fired from the Castle Of ST. Angelo. announces
that Lent has commences, when instantaneousy
all the lights are extinguished. the jewellers re
tire, ana gloom and silence take the place of the
previous light and hilarIy, and SO ends the car
nival
On Ash Wednesday morning the religious ser
vices of the season commence. The prefix Ash
Is derived from the custom, universal throughout
the Catholic church, of the priest marking the
foreheads of the faithful with ashes blessed for
the occasion. announcing to each one he does
so the msmfRto mort, or. as it is generally rem
dered in English, Remember man, that thou
are dust. aud unto dust thou shalt return :"
Throughout the entire season the churches are
kept open TO give an opportunity to all who are
disposed to visit them. and by frequent prayer
and earnest contrition, to prepare themselves to
receive worthily the sacraments OF penance and
holy eucharist, /. e. confession and communion
At this season. too, the most powerful preachers
exercise their efforts TO turn their hearers away
from things of earth to things eternal. and TO i'm
plant within them the seeds of repentance for
the evil they have done. Passion Sunday fall
Ing this year the % of April is the first prn-
cipai festival following Ash Wednesday. The
color OF the vestments en- this day is purple. and
all the decorations of the altar and church are
then covered with cloth Of the same hue. The
exercises Of the day and the covering Of these
decorations are premonitory of the passion of
our Divine Lord. which the church is. within two
weeks 20 celebrate after the manner "a In were Of
ascrei drama.
The following Sunday Is Palm Sunday; so
called from the custom observed throughout the
eastern church, where the priest on this day
blesses leaves OF palm and distributes them
among the faithful, who bear them home with
them In countries where palm cannot be ob.
tanned (as in the United States) boughs of cedar
or some other evergreen are blessed and dlstribu
ted. Many of our readers have doubtless noticed
our Catholic fellow citizens - men. women and
children-returning from worship on this day,
each bearing green twig, and have wondered as
to its meaning. The fact above narrated will at
ford an explanation. The derivation of this
custom is claimed to be found in the scriptures.
where. as the apostle tells US Matt. xxi. " and
9. King James, version. when our Savior en-
tered Jerusalem riding on an ass. "a very great
multitude spread the garments in the way; 9th
ers cut down branches from the trees and strewed
them in the way. And the multitudes that went
forth and that followed cried saying, Hosanna
to the Son of David: blessed is he that cOmeth
in the name Of the Lord: Hosanna in the high
est
This latter joyous exclamation is preserved and
rected in the mass. in Latin. at all times il is
the BenedictHs 9ui cent IN n0mins Dominic. aud
at high mass is always oDe OF the choicest selec-
tons of that grand music which accompanies the
ceremonial of the altar.
Following Palm Sunday is Holy Week, or that
peculiar time more especially than any other in
the year devoted to typ6csionot the sorrows and
sufferings OF our Divine Redeemer, which cu-
minated 10 the crucifxion on calvary and the
disenthrallment of mankind from the bondage of
Satan ard siu On the ThuIsday of this week
known as Msundsy Thursday or Holy Thursday.
these typical religious exercises begin. The
Sacrament of the Lords Supper. or Eucharist
Is commemorated, and in all the churches a sep
arate altar is erected, known as the repository
to which ia transferred from the main altar the
sacred species. accompanied by procession of
priests, acoytes and commandments, chanting the
the hymn PanSs lnsua elOyiOs0. This reposi-
tory is always adorned ia a manner as tasteful
and costly as the wealth OF the congregation
will afford Before the altar also. until the host
Is transferred back on the following dsy 10 the
main altar. there is kept up what IS called the
continual alteration" throughout the whole
night that is, two persons. generally aleolytes.
dressed in csssock and surplice. always
kneeng before this altar engaged in prayer; the
first two being relieved at the end Of an hour.
and so on until the sacred species are removed
Thousands OF the faithful also visit the churches
during this dsy and night. each adult making Il
q point TO visit and pray before different reposi-
tories
Good Friday follows Monday Thursday, snd
this day is the only one during the year on which
q sacrifice of the masses - net offered up; that
IA M ron<errsfion of thn broad ard vine "a made