New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-17
CHURCH SERVICES.
Last Sabbath was Palm Sunday, dal

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Last Sabbath was Palm Sunday, da
celebrated by the Church to commend
rate the entry of Christ into Jerusalem
10 this city it is universally observed b.
| the Catholics, for it is the commencement
of the closing week of Lent. The liitl'
girls, orphans of the asylums belonging
10 this order of Christians, clad in white
bonnets and neat pink gowns, decorated
with sprigs of arbor vita, 10 imitation O.
palm branches, marching to the various
chapels under the guidance of the meek
Sisters of Charity, present charming
spectacle. The week following Palm Sun
day, is called Holy Week, and memorial
ICES the grandest event-in fact the germ
of the Christian Era-tho cruci6ction, the
| Death, burial end ascension of the Lord
Jesus Christ
On Holy Thursday We visited the va
rious places of worship open to the
public On that day. and saw the affairs
beautifully adorned with flowers Of every
| hue, and crystal ornaments Illuminated,
| in which the shrine of the sacred Host
was made particularly conspicuous. The
| choirs composed of children, to whose
sweet intantie voices the sacred chorals
seemed especially appropriate; the throng
Of devout worshippers. old and young,
bowling in humble alteration at the foot of
the Gross; the numerous priests clad in
7estments Of violet hue. ready to impart
| absolution to kneeling penitents, crowded
the various temples of worship.
On Friday-GOod Friday, as it is styled,
all these bright decorations were laid
aside-for it memorialized the death and
burial of the Saviour. The violet drapery
was taken from the cross, and it appeared
shrouded in sombre black, while priests
and prelates replaced their gay attire with
the same funereal shade, more fitting to
the melancholy scene. But to-day-being
Easter Sunday, on which it is supposed
the Lord arose, the gardens and lawns are
riled of their richest floral stores to
decorate anew each church aud altar, to
celebrate the Saviour's return from the
dark abyss of the grave to the celestial
home from whence he came.
At the the dawn of the reformation, all
the holidays of the Romish Church were
abolished by the Professionals, in order
more definitely 10 signalize their utter
separation from the Papel See. No days
were observed by the new church. Except
by the more conservative EEpiscopalians).
but Sundays, and now aud then day of
thanksgiving or Of fasting and prayer pro-
claimed by the Government. Latterly,
however, Christmas (thc birthday of jesus
has been more universally celebrated by
all Evangelical denominations, and as
time progresses, His death and burial may
be alike remembered.
The majority Of mankind believe in
Supreme Beips-in God-because they
ire not believe otherwise, but few, COM
pared to the entire population of the
world, believe in His Son. Those who
profess Christianity can never sufficiently
impress upon their minds the grandeur of
the sacrifice which committed the Son of
God to an ignominious death, and the proof
of His divinity which rests upon His resur-
rection.
Let all, then, who believe in Jesus as the
Saviour of men attend church to-day, and |
evince by their devotion their appreciation |
Of the glorious oblation offered by Him.
There is much irreligion and iGfdelity |
in our midst, but few disbelieve in the
Immortality of the soul, and almost all |
hope to be heirs of eternal bliss, and hope |
to merit the favor of the Almighty. To
these We would say, where can you find
better example than the perfect and spot
less character of Jesus2 What belief that
contains so much comfort for the DESC
ate, such rest for the weary, and the
promise of such unalloyed future hap
oiness as Christianity