The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-04-14
Palm Sunday.


its name from the ceremony of blessing and
distributing palms to the faithful, in comme-
moratiou of what was done by the Jews when
Jesus entered into the city of Jerusalem.
The Hebrew children, carrying olive
branches, met our Lord, crying out and say
ing: "Hosanna in the highestl Blessed is he
that cometh in the name Of the Lord"
The Church, which not only remembers, but
reproduoes, az far rs possible, every scene in
the life and passion Of her Spouse, presents to
us on this day most vivid description of what
took place upon the streets of Jerusalem more
than eighteen centuries ago.
In her consccrsted edifces she reacts the
the whole solemn pageantry, bringing to the
very eye, as 1t were, the mysteries of our re-
demption, while ut the same time che inn
presses them upon the heart, by unfolding
their wonderful and sublime Significance.
The procession seen to-day in every church
throughout Christendom, not only common
crates the past but also foretells the future. 1t
shows us the Divine Saviour in His triumphal
entry into Jerusalem, surrounded by multi
tude of people who pay the homage due to
conqueror and king: and it also makes MS
see Him entering into Heaven with His elect,
bearing palms and clad in the garments of VIC
tory.
II is figure of life-our earthly pilgrimag ge
in which our Lord must be the guide, and
before Whom we must not only bear the palms
of faith, but cast the garments Of good works.
1t is also q symbol of the final day of Judg-
ment when the followers of the Cross shall
enter after the risen Lord into that eternal
kingdom whose gates His hands threw open TO
them.
1t is on this day that the Church bids us
behold our King, reiteratng in all her sublime
psalms and canticles: "To Thee, o Christ, our
King be honor, glory, praise"
And yet if Christ be the King of Christian
souls, where do we find His Kingdomf where do
we look for that glorious Court in which all
honor, worship, praiae are offered mp to Him
The Catholic Church is the true Kingdom of
Christ upon earth, in which He reigns visibly
in the person of His Vicar, and whose grand
est hymn and simplest song pay fullest homage
to His name. Nowhere else to-day, except
within her eonsecrsted walls, d. we find that
royal retnue of palm.crowned subjects, sing
ing hosannas to their King. Nowhere else do
we hear His very words chanted in sweet and
mournful cadences, linking throughout all
ages the Divine Heart and the hearts OF the
r III Uucec Ay LnA5 "a l4O p5Sb,
and these joyous canticles of the future.
Strange that the world which acknowledges
Christ as a King, does not see that the Catholic
Church is His kingdom here on earth, thai
throne, before. which "ten Thousand thousand
horsemen stand, equipped with breastplates OF
sire, sulphur and jaointh !" viz: faith which
consumes, charity which cleanses, and hope
which enduresi
: There is no time of the year which more
vividly displays the beauty and glory of thit
kin gdom and it's ineffable union with its Divine
| Founder and Rnler, than that which is called
Holy week-a period entirely devoted to the
| recollection and representation of His Passion
| and Death. During this mournful time, every
scene in the fearful drama of Redemption il
! unfolded to the mind. a priest, whose yer!
| robes recall to view His agony and sacrifice
chants the long and fearful history of the past
as told by esch of the four Evangelists; while
on different days the pathetic lamentations o.
Jeremiah, so applicable to the Saviour and tn
solemn prophecies Of Baruch, Ezekiel, Isaia
and others recount the sorrowful vicissitude
| of the Jewish people and foretell the heavenl.
peace and eternal life of the beloved house o
Jaoob-the Church,
faithful and intelligent observance of tn
ceremonies alone Of Holy Week. would nm
doubtedly convert any sincere soul who earn
estly desires to find the one, true and visible
Kingdomof the Saviour. The language of tn
Church, "a universal language for an Universe
Church." as says DeMsistre, shows this SOW
reignty of which we speak. "The Lati
tongue spoken by the sorereign people, is staml
ed with ttat character of grandeur whic
stands alone in the history of human languog
and which even the most perfect tongues hay
, never been able to appropriate"
The garments of her ministers and aoolyt
, are those of royal court, varying with Il
mystery they recall and always symbolical
the Life or Death, the joy or sorrow, t.
triumph or the humilistions of Christ, b
King.
The ceremonies and prayers of her msgni
cent ritual are those of an imperial peopl
q whose bowed head and bended knee are toke
y of an homage paid to One at whose name t