National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-18
SACKCLOTh AND ASHES.
C0MKEycEMENTO OF THE PENTEN.
TXIL LENrLN s--LS0N.

ING "REMEMBER, MAN, THAT DUST
THOU ART AND UNTO DUST THOU SHALT
RETURN"
To-day lash Wednesday, commences the SOL
smn fast of Lent, which will close ON Holy Satur-
day, forty days hence. The ensuing six weeks,
both in the Catholic and Episcopal churches, will
be devoted in an especial manner to penitential
exercises. Balls, parties and receptions, which,
rom the opening of Congress up to tho present
lime, have kept onr fashionable society," in
continual round of gayety and pleasure, will he
less frequent, pnd even the theatres ard concert
aalls will be less numerously attended during
ihis long season Of fasting, prayer, mortihcation
md eelfdenial. Among the faithful
sAcKcLorH AND ASHES
win take the places Of the rich garments ana
kisterng Jewels Of fashion .s Dos,nre Of pen
tents. will receive ashes upon their neaSs VII. .
The Divine injunction, "Rcmember, man, thnt ausI
his ceremonial rich and poor, high and low5all
classes all nationalties-will be vividly reminded
.trana s aSs thsi the seaa Vii ali Ss
saught the lesson ofhumtlity and admonished that
IN that earthly power, grs5de9r and glory must
reisined that sooner er Inter he must leave his
wealth behind, and go ont Of the world, rs he
into it, empty handed, and helpless save in
he rirtues with which he may have enriched his
soul, and beautiful woman, although adorned
TiR, the graces OF her sex, and the object Of so
mach love and admiration, will be taught by
his significant ceremonial that she, after all,
,niy painted piece OF clay, and that fair am
fsarnini; though she be, from dust she came aad
ITO dust she must return.
THE ORIGIN OF LENT.
The Latin name qucdrasesiaa means the fast
Of forty days, and the English word Lent" sig
aifies the spriAg fast-lententide in the ancient
English Saxon language being the spring season.
The religious observanees of Lent can be traced
through every aye from our time up to the first
century. There are monuments and vouchers
that establish the obserra of the custom at the
early period when the Immediate dtscipiesof the
Fieaeh .csivinist minister, admits that the OBJ.
seryance was universally established In the
Church in the fourth ceI fury. But its universal
more ancient. AS early as the second century q
dispute as to the time when the solemn
last of Easter kept, which tho Asiatics
celebrated with the Jews on the 14th day of the
FIRST lunar month, most others with the Church Of
Rome on the sunday following; and it isrecorded
that.St. Polyearp went to Rome to confer with
Pope Anicetus Gbout it IN 15S, and that st. Ire
of this different custom of the Asiatics. About
the year 200 all the Churches agreed in keeping
the solesnn ante,paschal fast Of Lent: Some. In
at Vst instituted; for, according to St lrenaus,
diff, >gnt rules of discipline and practice were fol-
o af%ee; ore and some extended the fast to
forty DAYS Bread, salt, snd water. to
which were .Vmetmes added raw herbs, Were the
fna the Ienfen '.ason. Gradually this severe dis
cipline has been re taAod until now as VIII pc seen
FROM the ~se been already published
In TEE REpirRIIcAS. We repasts In which the
faithful may indulge are sed 10 tsG yuan
tity and quality, and not w discisiine is more
rigid, but in this scaSs:y s Church xsa d true
wisdom, adapts her requiem rs ~ associa,inns;
abtts, necessities and mixed relig.-
of the people.
TIE PHILOSOPHY AND MERIT OF rAsTl 70
consist in rendering satisfaction for past sins;
using it means to subdue the rebelIious flesh,
and regulate appetite and passion; in making . 9
ing victim to God; in disengaging the soul from
the sinful pleasures of the world, and fitting it
OF virtue. Fast because thou hast sinned, and v
fast to prevent the danger Of falling into sin"
SAYS the great St. Basil;
The number Of forty days allotted to the fast is
Christ himself The Redecmer tasted forty days o
received the Divine law on Mount Sinai and Elias 81
TASTED forty days before he was favored with the
wonderful apparition Of God on Mount Horeb.
On the first Sunday in Lent the Church invites
the faithful to contemplate the holy retirement
and fast of Christ in the wilderness, to put them
rior dispos;ion and Spirit upon this Divine model
Mid-Lent Sunday is called the Sunday Latare, =,
from the first word Of the introit Of the Mass, y
which signifies rejoce for in her penitentlal Office
Of this season the Church Acknowledgement fl
expressions of spiritual JOY for the ineomPrehen al
sieIe mercy Of redemption, accomplished by the L.
While the whole of the Lenten time is conse In
rated particularly to honor and commemorate W
last weeks Of Lent and especially the latter are
ievo;ed IL particular manner to these adorable E
mysteries. al
ON PASSION SUNDAY eii
he cross, and all pictures and images in the m m
churches are covered with purple or dark colored
Teis. BY this nakedness in her ornaments, the a,
Church appears more solemnly mournful. This e,
ated in the gospel Of the day. that Christ before
His passion, did not walk in public but lay for
ome time hidden for fear of His enemies. The II
loIologies, to show the excess Of her mourning. h
md to excite the faithful to the most serious o;
Until Easter Day the Church requires her children u
o turn their thoughts and direct their devo- =;
ions in particular manner to the honor and re- Of
he following Sunday. known as "
PALM SUNDAY, b,
he Church observes the ancient custom of u
olcmrly blessing palms or boughs of trees, and p
distributing them among the people who bear "a
hem in their hands in honor and remembrance fl
I the Saviour's triumphant entry into Jerusalem
II days before His passion, when the multitude a,
rees in the way others carrying branches of tr
'alms in their hands, and all enchanting. "Ho- DC
ometh in the name of the Lord; hosannah in the st
ghestn From this scene the Church teaches az
er children q lesson of profound humility; for.
Though the Saviour was Lord of Heaven and m
arth, He chose to ride upon ass, the meanest tn
all beasts, in order to correct the pride Of men
he grandeur and honors of the world, which are
o vain and transient. WI
With Palm Sunday commences nj
HOLY WEEK,
allied the great week, the painful week. the week tn
he cross of sufierings. The golden-tongued sa
says that this is called the Great fri
OF days that the days in it arc longer but ri
n account OF the great things which God hath pr
rought in it; for on these days was the tyran- FL
nd its curse taken away, Heaven opened and to
ade accessible, and men made to follow with the
ngcls." On Wednesday of this week and the wi
blowing days in
THE OFFICE OF TENEBRR l..
said. This word signifies darkness; for towards Nv
ne close OF the office all the lights are extin- do
uished, both to express the deepest mourning yo
hole earth at the time of the crucfction. The hiI
oise made at the end Of the service represents AM
he convusive agonies which even nature felt at SA
he death of the Goldman. This Office is very sol.
nm and impressive In triangular candlestick
laced on the epistle side of the altar are set 6f
en- candles, seven on each side and one on the I'M
p. The candles on each side are put opt, one
ard the gospel side, then on the opposite. After
fourteen, the white candle the top being ths
II burning while the benediction is sung, the Oh,
candles on the altar are put out, after each
,rse. At the beginning of the verse, after =
e benedictus, the white candle is taken down offi
ON the tOp Oh tne triangular cQndlestfck and ~ Y
d under the altar while the psalm ",~-r.sn u not
ID the prayer are recited. amonr the inter. ami
eters of say rites, some tell Us that these tic
,orcs yapresent Chrjrt and thrir cy,nc,;on Az fist
nnrnf,i deoth nj Hin Eho 10 tho iiSa .nd ~ bul
yht Of the world Others say that the candles o.
present the eleven apostles, the Blessed Virgin, "
e other holy women and all the disciples and ~,
&c extinction Of the lights their flight or mourn pc
e; but the white candle on the top OF the tri- A.,
lgular candlestick represents Christ himself eo'
hich account 1t is only hid under the altar, and NJ
gain produced, to show that Christ only hid "
the sepulchre for short time, and rose ayain. "
D the succeeding day, o.
MAUNDAY-THuRsDAY, Rei
10 Cburch commentaries IN. No, Srn,o. nth col
&c institution Of the Eucharist and the washing
the feet of the apostles The holy oils are also oI
by the bishops this day. The re- eas
ainder Of the office Of the Church lie commence Il
tive Of the passion of the Saviour. On this day ten
10 Mass is said In white in Thanksgiving for the kfn
stitution Of the sacrament Of the Eucharist cep
ut in the High Mass the peace IL not given as tio
'ual in detestation of the treacherous kiss of git
,ace, by which Judas betrayed his Divine Mas sis,
into the hands ofHis enemies. After Macs the sis,
cred host is Ns1oved from the main altar TO a roa
pository prepared for 1t in another part of the me
urch. These repositories are generally elabo- l;
tely decorated with the richest flowers and 7
ightest gems. $50
Ancientiy the blessed sacrament was never kent 20
the high altar, but in rich tabernacle in some ~