The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-04-04
Holy WErk And LIS OpsEnrANcE.-To-mor-

HOLY WEEK AND IT'S OBSERVANCE. To-mor-
row will be Palm Sunday, day of unusual in
terest among the members of the Catholic
Church. 1t is 30 called from the blessing and
distribution Of palms, which takes place on that
day in every Catholic Church throughout the
world. The ceremony precedes the High Mass,
and during the reading of the Gospel relating
the passion OF Christ, the attendants hold the
palm branches in their hands as typical Of the
victory which is commemorated on Easter Sun
day. The custom of blessing palm branches
has been observed in the church from time
immemorial, also in commemoration of the
Jews, who, in going forth to meet our Saviour,
strewed the road whereon he walked with their
garments, olive branches, &c.
Palm Sunday is the beginning Of Holy Week,
and the services of the Catholic Church will be
as usual on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday evenings, when the Office of the 1eae-
brae (darkness) is chanted. This consists of
the mathis and lauds for the following morn
1ngs, which it is customary to recite over
night. On Holy Thursday the institution Of
the Lords Supper is commemorated, and in
some places the priests wash the feet OF
twelve poor persons, in imitation of the act
performed by Jesus in washing The feel Of the
Apostles. 1t is done by the Pope to thirteen
priests. A consecrated host is carried by o
procession to some temporary altar prepared
for it, and kept there until the next day, when
the priests carry it back to the main altar
and consume it, There is no mass on Good
Friday, and the altar is stripped Of all its Or
naments. The ceremony of kissing the cross
is perforr ed on this day by all the faithful.
On Saturday the services begin by the bless
ing of fire and water, and of the paschal can
die, an emblem of Jesus Christ, which is
lighted in token of His resurrection, and
burns during part of the mass from Easter
until the Ascension.
FRIDAY, the anniversary of the cru oi6xion OF
the Saviour, is called "Good Friday" in allusion
to the benefits conferred by his death. The
Saxons named it ''Long Friday" because of the
protracted religious services on that day; and
the Germans term it StiQea' Freitag, on account
of the solemn silence observed in the churches,
or Char Freatdg, from an antiquated word
signifying penitence. During the first two or
three centuries Of christianity it was called the
ePasch," because then Christ, the Paschal
Lamb, was slain.
In the Episcopal Church the services during
the Passion week are characterized by more
than ordinary solemnity. There is special
Gospel" appointed for each day, embracing
the sacred record of all the events incident
upon the saviour's passion. The penitential
psalms are usually introduced, moro or less,
into the services, and their whole character is
made to partake of o deeply penitential tone.
The week ends with the "Easter Even" service,
which tells of the deep mystery of the rest OF
the Saviour's body in the tomb in anticipation
of the Resurrection. This week, of course,
concludes the season of Lent, which will be
succeeded by the great festival of Easter, when,
in keeping with the joyful teachings of The day,
all the religious services are made to partake
Of the mos. jubilant character.