Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-09

Features of the annual Fe ss

Features of the Annual Festival.
In our paper of last Sunday, we gave
brief account of The origin and Institution
of the Feast of the Jewish Passover. The
Paschal Lamb which the.Jews killde, and
whose blood preserved them from the
hand of the destroying angel was figure
of the death of our Savior, and of his blood
split for our redemption. By his resur-
rection He put the seal to this great work,
which mystery the Catholic Church COM
memorstes on the Sunday after the four
teenth Of the Moon of March. This festi-
val is the Christian Pasch, and is
called in the English Saxon language
EASTER DAY
The feast of Easter is the regulator Of
all the other great movable festivals of the
year and has always been celebrated in the
Catholic Church with the greatest solem-
nifty, as the first among the principal feasts
of the Christian Religion. The forty days
fast Of Lent is instituted TO be prepars-
ton to this great festival st. Gregory
Nazianzen says it is the festival of festi-
walls, as far above all the other feasts in the
year as the sun outsbines the stars. The
Rev. Allan Butler writing upon this great
feast says:
Alteration, power and praise are due to
our great Conqueror from all his creatures,
but in q special manner from men redeem
ed by him, raised with him, his acquired
new people, rescued from sin and
the jaws of he'll, enrolled among
the sons of GOD ard made citizens of
heaven. God is more wonderful and adora-
hle in the renovation of the world, by the
redemption of man through Christ, than in
sent to ourselves the heavens, the earth,
and the whole creation, as conspiring in
Joint chorus to magnify in the brightest
strains of love and praise the infinite power,
mercy. wisdom and goodness of God in the
resurrection and glorious triumph of his
Son. In this most profound alteration, and
with the application of all the powers of
our soul to the majesty of our own Divine
Redeemer in his state of glory, We ought to
repeat and to invite all creatures to repeat
with Us with al possible devotion the words
of s.. John in his Apocalypse: The
Lamb which is slain is worthy to receive
power, and divinity, and wisdom, and
strength, and honor, and glory, and bene-
dictiUn, and every creature in heaven and
upon earth, and under the earth aud in the
sea, heard them al saying, to Him who
is seated on the throne and to the Lamb,
be benediction, and honor, and glory, and
power, for ever and ever. And the four
living creatures said amen.
From whas we have said the reader will
readily understand that the Catholic
church celebrates this feast with all the
p1mp and maguifcence at command.
One thing is always and under all
circumstances insisted upon, viz: that no
Catholic is worthy to sing the praises of
our Lord unless purified from sin; then
will their alteration and thanksgiving come
from a contrite heart, and such, however
humble, God will not despise. Exteriorly
the Catholic celebrates this day, first by
attention to bis religious duties, and
secondly by the outward expression Of q
soul filled with Joy and gladness beaming
in his counteDance and expressed in his
conversation. Il male or female possess
new garments on this day, they will GER
tainly be worn on Easter Day; and
we are mistaken if among the
poor-Gods special frieads-new ribbon
be not found upon old bonnets,
new hats outshiniDg seedy garments and
rice CCrsG But their best and cleanest
will be worn, and all who have faithfully
followed the precepts Of their church,
whether rich or poor, lame or blind, IN
health or IL sickness, will bear a smile
upon their cOuntenances TO add 10 the
general rejoicing. All earthly trouble will
for the tine being be laid aside, and moth
ing will be permitted to mar the general
10y Of ali at our Saviour's triumph over
death AID the grave. To those who can
not celebrate publicly the glorious and
stupendous mystery Of Christ's resurrec-
ton, we commend the reading of medits-
ting upon the simple and touching nara
tive OF the events II the Gospel.
The circumstances attending it are re-
lated markedly and plainly, without any of
the coioIiDg or hightenings of rhetoric, or
so much as a single note Of admiration;
without any comment or remark upon
them, or any conclusion drawn from any
circumstance We close our article with
ethe touching
II LEgBSD OF EASTER EGGS.
cit 80 Dearest papa" says my boy to me,
A. he msTrly climbs on his mothers knee
"Why are those eggs that you see me hold
Colorcd 50 finely wl,h blue and gOld2
AMI what is the wonderful bird that lays
such beautiful eggs upon Easter day.
you have heard. my boy, of the Man who
CrDwns. with keen tnorns and cruciaed:
And how Joseph wealJuv-whOm God reward
cared for the corpse Of his martyred Lord
Add pIOusly tomJrd 1t within the rock
and closed the gate with mighty block.
E-ow, close by the tomb fair tree grew
o,9itR pendu 'ous leaves and bios SONS of blue;
And deep Ia the zen trees shadOwy breast
4 beautiful singing bird sat on her nest
9 Which was bOrderet With r Ssses ike mala'
8 Aud held I5ur eggs Of An ivory white,
Now, when the bird, from her dim recess,
lBeheld he Lord in his burial dress,
And looked on the heavenly face SO pale, .
And the ttear feet pierced with the cruel nan
Her heart nigh broke with a sudden pang,
And out OF the depths OF her sorrow she sank
AHni .htlong, till the moon was up,
She sat and sang in her moss -wreathed cup,
4 song Of sorrow as wild and snrIll
As the pmeless wind when 1t roams the Mill
SO fun of tears, 50 loud and long,
That the grefOfthe world seemed turned &
song.
But soon there came through the weepin
4 glimscrlng angel clothed in white;
Aud he rolled She stone from the tomb away
Where the Lord of the earth and the heaven
And lnfi,t arose in the cavcrn's gloom,
And IN living lust came from the TOMB.
Now. the bird that sat in the heart of the tree
Beheld this Celostls mystery;
And its heart was fi'led with swee delight.
And it poured soug on the throbbing night
Notes Climb M notes, ii !, higher, higher,
They shot 10 heaven like spears of fire.
When the ghtterin,, whte-rCbed angel heard
The sorrOwinE song OF the grieviDg bird,
And heard the fol- wing chant of mIrth
That hailed Christ, risen again on earth,
He said, Sweet bird, be forever blest,
Tnyself, thy eggs, ADD thy moss wreathed nest
aud ev r, my child, nee that blessed night,
when death bowed down to the Lord Of Light.
The eggs of that sW Get bird change their hue,
And turn with red aud gold and blue
Reminding mankind, an CIR simple way,
" the holy marvel OF Easter day
4 young wOman's COMMUNICATIVE
our fayorilr Conan Acrol Marius,