Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-03-01

/ ling The nenu WIN hohNas AhN hAniN VI AhN
day is memorial Of ancient manners. To
roll oneself In the dust, 70 cover tho head
with ashes, was, in primitive times, a mark
| Of profound grief. A man who appeared
with bis body, hair and dress covered with
dust announced by such exterior his mourn.
Ing aiiilction. Examples Of this are frequent
10 scripture, being mentioned In Job, the
Kings, the Prophets, aud also the Gospels.
David, to express the bitterness Of his grief,
says that he ate ashes like bread. In the
frat centuries OF Christianity, when public
pennnce was imposed, ashes were cast upon
the heads Of those who were condemned,
and they were obliged TO stand without the
gate Of the church, amid the lamentations
Of the people within.
The ceremonies OF Ash Wednesday in the
Catholic Church are n continuation of this
primitive usage. The old linen Of the altar
and fragments OF consecrated wood arc
burned, and the aIhes carefully collected.
Before the celebration Of the Mass the priest
In mourning robes recltes penitentAl psalms
aud solsmnly blosses the sacred ashes. Then
all the faithful approach and PROSTATE them
selvcs, while the priest marks a Sign of the
cross with the ashes upon the forehead Of
each Of them, repeating each time the words
Of the anathemA pronounced upon Adam for
bis slni Remember, man, that thou art
dust, and unto dust shalt thou return" The
people, having thus listened TO the sentence
of death, and leaving upon their brows the
prophetic ashes, return 10 their places. Il
Is the overture to forty days OF penitenLi al
mourning, and follows lmmedi .tely the wild
eXcltements OF the carnival. In the Anglican
Church the maledlctions denounced against
impenltent sinners are read on that day, at
the end OF each Of which the people repeat,
Amen. I
1t lie an ancient custom Of the Christian
Church to hold as period Of fasting and
solomnity the forty days preceding Easter,
In COMMUNICATION Of the miraculous abstl.
nence Of Jesus when under temptation.
From lengthen-tlde, a Saxon term for spring,
(as being the time Of the lengtheulng Of the
days,) came the familiar word for this
period-Lent. Originally IL began on what
Ia now the first Sunday 10 Lent; but Il being
found that when Sundays, as Improper for
fasting, were omitted, there remained only
thirty.slT days, the period was made by
Pope Gregory to commence four days ear
lier-namely, on what has since been called
Ash Wednesday.
The Catholic Church observes the solemn
season not only by the putting on OF gar
ments emblematio Of deep contrltlon, but
rules are prescribed whereby her children
are governed, aud the passions Of Jesus are
brought Into remembrance. The first four
Sundays OF tho season do not belong wholly
to Lent, aud the services thereon arc not
different from those OF other Sundays, eK-
cept that the purple Vestments arc worn,
and appropriate prayers are inserted In the
masses. The Catholic must observe the
Lenten season strictly and sacredy, with a
penltent heart.
In the Episcopal Church the devotional
exercises set down In the ritual are most i'm.
pressiye. Tho prayers, collects and psalter
are r1plete with the most beseeching entrca-
ties for forgiveness OF past misdecds, tho
glad hymns are hushed, aud instead arc set
apart the solemn hymns set apart for Lent,
such aAi
saviour, when 10 dust, TO Thee,
| Low we bow tn AdoIing kneoi
| when, repehtant, to the skies
| Scarce We INT our streaming eyeBi
o, BY all Thy pains and woe,
Suffered once for man below,
| HendinE from Thy throne on high,
| Hear our solemn litAny.n
To day is known as Shrove Tuesday, de.
irving It's name from the ancient practice OF
| the Catholic Church Of RbsolVlng the penl-
tents on that day from their aims. Being
the day prior to the beginning Of Lent, It
may occur on any one between the I'd OF
February on the 9Th OF March. The eharac-
ter of the day az a popular festival Is mirth.
full; 1t is q camlyRi-like Jollity and drollery.
The merTiment began, strictly speaking, the
day before, being what was called Collop
Monday, from the practice Of eating collops
OF sailed meats and eggs on that day. When
shr0ve Tuesday dawned, tho bells were sci
a ringing, and everybody abandoned himscl
to amusement and good humor. The pan
= cake and this day are inextrieably associs.--
In the popular mind ard l. ~'~ nL LS, ",
= shakspeare malss hls clown In "Alps Wei
= tbat End'S Well" speak of something belDl
e Was at as a pancake for shrove Tuesday"
II But apart from tho religious Significance
} attached to the Lenten ceremonies, the Gus
: tom at this season Of the year Of changing
d. ones diet-of fasting and abstainlng from
n free use OF ments--ls founded upon a ply
= Biological law. It Is true that a5stlnenc,
= with the devout Catholic and Episcopallan
= and indeed with the fervcnt Christians o
C other denominations, Is n matter Of religion,
$ discipline. The laws prescribed by Almighty
! God for the government OF the Jewish ma
tlon did not alone relate to the spirituality
OF their future life. The details even OF the
most domestic duties were prescribed and
the chosen people Of Israel were commanded
to observe even the least Of these things. Il
ls said the penltentlal season OF Lent Is
founded on the example Of the Saviour OF
mankind who, previous TO entering upon
His ministry, prepared for the work by a
fast OF forty days and nights. But fasting
at that season Of the year was a custom oil
the Jewish people, In fact q requirement OF
the Church, and we believe, without enter.
Ing too deeply into the details Of the history
OF that peculiar people," that they have
pcrpetuated the sRlutary regulation Of pre-.
pairing for q change Of tho season by tenn.
porary Jeason Of fasting.
By the impressive teachings Of the Lenten
season, the Church draws her children nearer
to her, and many a wAnderer-almost prey
TO "tho vain pomp and glory Of the wor.d"-
returns, during these penltentiAl days, to the
protecting arms OF the Mother. The glad
story Of His birth, which was told but few
weeks ago, 10 sileneed by the powerful Voict
that tells Of ali His SufeTings aud woe Will
yet making his browning sacrifice Of love
} and proud man kneels In dust ut the foot o
{ the Cross and implores tim mercy Of tina
I same rejected Prince and Saviour.
To this end amusements, worldly pleasure
and the ordinary ciVillties Of society are dis
\ pensed with. The reception season, there
K fore, Is at an end, and though the worldly
0 minded may not be governed by these rules
s custom compels them to respect Its dictates
, The services In the Catholic churches o
: the city tomorrow will consist OF the sprlnk
ling of ashes as usual on Ash Wednesday.
, IRIsH NATIONAL REPUBLICAN AssocIA
rIoN.-The regular monthly meeting Of thl
, association was held at Trades Union Hal
, yesterday evening" Mr.. Daniel Grady, vic,
president, In the chair 10 the absence OF Cap
= | tain ID. Mcmahon.