The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-16
Holy Wednesday - Maundy
Thursday-Good Friday
Holy Saturday.
The Ceremonies, SOIemnities.
and Traditions Peculiar
to the Last Week
of Lent.
Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc., Etc

than those of any other season of the year.
Before the Reformation they were common to
the whole Christian world, but since that date
they have been mostly restricted to Catholic
countries, although by the Protestant Episco-
pal Church many Of them have been preserved,
in a somewhat modified form. This great reli-
Eious season commences on Palm Sunday, and
closes with the festival of Easter. The ceremo-
nies and traditions of Palm Sunday we're de.
scribed at length in THE EVENING TELEGRAPH
of Saturday last. This afternoon we give some
account of those pertaining to the last four days
of the week known as Holy Wednesday,
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy
Saturday.
The "Tenebr0e" Of Holy Week,
After the ceremonies of Palm Sunday, the
next noticeable event of the week is the
singing OF the first MiSerere, a service which
is frequently known as the Ienebrg, from the
darkness which pervades the sanctuary during
its celebration. 1t consists in the chanting, at
the close of the services, OF the vulgate version
of the 50th Psalm, commencing with the verse
"MaseTeTe mel, Deus, Secund1tnn n1dg'1dnl ntSeri-
cordIdnl fudm"-"Have mercy on me, . God !!
according to Thy great mercy.' The first per-
Torrance of this ceremony takes place to-mor-
row "wednesday afternoon, at about tour
O'Clock, ana IL Is repeated successlVely on
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the two
folio wing days.
AS performed at the great Cathedral of st.
Peter at Rome, this Is an exquisite musical
composition. the accompaniment of the organ
and the voices of one OF the finest choirs in the
world rendering IL extremely grand and i'm
pressive. At st. Peters alone has it ever been
presented In a manner that was successful
without any qualification. The present rendi-
tiOn of it originated on Holy Wednesday, in
the year 1919, when tho customary service was
cnanted in a ne and entirely unusual manner,
the verses being sung alternately IN symphony.
n1 frnah
adaptations OF the MtSPTeTe but for a long time
the most successful was that OF Gregorio Allegri,
a. Roman who entered the papal college OF
singers in 1929. II was finally eclipsed by toe
composition of Bai but since 1921 those OF
Bainl, Bal, and hllegr have been sung success
siVey on the three days of 1enesrB, the latter
two, at times, being blended together. The
different verses are sung alternately in harmony
and plain chant from the beginning to the end.
The performance OF the Miserere is accom-
panied by the following solemn ceremonia:-
in addition 10 the six lights which are always
to be found on the altar, triangular candela-
brum supporting fifteen tapers is placed upon
the epstle side, the three branches OF the can
dlestick being typical Of the Holy Trinity, and
the fifteen lights OF our Saviour and the Prophets
who preceded Him. At the conclusion of the
recital of each Psalm, one of the fifteen lights
is eXtinguished: and, finally, during the singing
of the BenedtctuS, the lights on the altar and
those above the rail are also eXtinguised, that
at the top of the triangular stand alone remain
ing, to typify our Saviour as the lignt of the
world. The Benedictus concluded, the only
remaining light is hidden beneath the altar for
tlme and during the gloom which
then pervades the sanctuary, the solemn
service of the MiSeTere is performed. A short
prayer follows, and then is heard rumbling
noise to represent the commotion which all
nature underwent at the CrucihXton OF Che Son
OF God. The eXtnguishing ofthe fourteen lights
represents the death of the prophets, and that
of the other lights on the altar the moral dark
ness into which the Jews were plunged by the
death of Christ; while the candle which typides
our Saviour is not eXtinguished, bat merely
hidden for time, in token OF the tact that
although His humanity underwent the pains OF
death, His divinity was not thereby subjected
TO a similar penalty, but enabled Him to rise
again from the dead-to typity which resurrec-
tion, the hidden candle is restored to its place
on the altar, at the end OF the service.
In order to declare more appropriately her
concern for the sufferings of the Saviour and
the sins nt the human race, In the Office of the
IenebrB the Church lays aside every expression
OF JOY and testivity. Those impressive inyoca-
tions in which the Lord is sought to open the
lips OF His people to sing His praise are omitted
as is also the doXology Gloria Pab1. The
blessing OF God upon His people, 10 the Doma
mus Uo6lScIHn, is not asked nor are the people
invited to unite in the penitential PRAYERS or To
express their assent thereto by the CUSTOMARY
acclamation of Amen.
In this city, although the lenebre will BIZ
celebrated especially at the Cathedral, Will
great solemnlty, no attempt is m ade to chan
the version of the Miserere in use at St P.terjs
Rome. Neither does the choir participate il
the ceremony, as is there done, the entire ofic,
being performed at the altar by the students O
the Theological Seminary.
Maundy Thursday.
The day before Good Friday, which is pro
perly STYLED Good Thursday is genaraIl
known as Maundy Thursday, from the distribu
tion of food in baskets, or "maunds." 1t i
likewise in England sometimes designated
''SheTe Thursday from former custom OF tn
priesthood of sheariug their hair on that day
The old-time ceremonies of the day are thu
irreverenty described by GooRe, in his transls
tion of the ''POpish Kingdom" of Neogorgius;
sand here the monks their maundes make with SUI
And signs Of great humility, and wondrous pleasar
Each one the Others feet d,th wash, and wipe ther
with hateful mind and secret fraud, that In the
AS If that Christ, with His examples did these thin
Ana not TO help our brethren here with zeal aud fr
Each one supplying others want, in all thI gs tn
AS He himself servant made, to serve US eve
Then stfaight the lqaves do walk, and pots in eve
Wheiewith the holy fathers oft to pleasant damst
drink"
The priesthood of England, prior to the r
formation, were, indeed Jealous observers
the ceremonies peculiar to Maundy ThuIsda
An old writer, speaking of Cardinal Wolse
says that IN 1880, at Peterborough Abbey,
made his maund in our Lady's Chap
having hity-nine poor men whose feet he wash
and kissed; and after he had wiped them.
gave every one of the poor men twelve nen
in money, three ellis of good canvas to ma
them shirts pair of new shoes, cast of r
herrDgs, and three white herrings; and one
these had two shlilngs." The number of po
men selected by the Cardinal on whom to d.
form this huluiliating Office. was in corresp(