The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-14
RELIGIOUS RITES.
The present week and its
Feasts and Festivals.
Good Friday. Easter Sun
day and the Jewish
Passover.
How the events will be observed in
this City.

The present week is one dedicated by
the churches TO a com enumeration Of the
resurrection of Christ. and as such will be
properly observed by both the Episcopal
and Catholic societies of this city. The
same period contains day that has been
celebrated by the Isralietes for several
centuries, although the observances have
charged somewhat from the olden time,
and are not as vigorously kept as was the
custom many years ago.
PASSION WEEK,
The present period com mencing last
Monday morning, and terminating the
latter part of the week is known as Passion
week, aud is usually described as the
week Immediately preceding Easter,
Another name by which this period is
designated is Holy week. The latter
term is said to be correct and approprl"
ate. as by the proper rubrical usage.
Passion week IS that which precedes Holy
week commencing on Passion Sunday
which is the fifth Sunday IN Lent. In the
of Lent is known by the name ofPassion tide
All the services of that period differ 10
many respects from those, alone of the
rest of the year. but also of the rest OF
Lent. A certain portion of the service is
discontinued is customary to veil ali
the sacred representations during Passion
tide. The week is prolific in religious
teasts.
GOOD FRIDAY.
To morrow will be Good Friday, and is
sacred as the commemoration of the cruel
fxiou of Christ This day has been kept
as day of mourning and of special prayer
from a very early period. 1t was one OF
two paschal days celebrated by the Chris
tain Church. 1t was originally observed
as a day of rigid fast and of solemn and
melancholy ceremonial. When Christian
ity was established in Rome. Constantine
forbade the holding of courts, markets and
other profane business,
10 the Catholic Church the altar is
stripped of its ornaments; the priests are
robed in black; the kiss Of piece is omitted
In detestation of the statue of the traitor
Judas. The most striking part of the
ceremony is the so-called Alteration of the
cross
10 England, Scotland and in all Catholic
countries Good Friday is legal holiday
and as such all business is suspended. In
tie United States however it is not legal
holiday.
Next Sunday will be Easter, which is the
festival of the resurrection of Christ. In
ancient times the poor and needy were
even Toasted 20 the churches at this festi
val. It was the favorite time for bablism,
and is still generally employed for con"
frmatiop Slaves also received their free
dom on this day. and as the austerities o.
Lent were over the people gave them
selves up to eDjoyment.
The proper time for the celebration Of
Easter has ocoasioned no little controversy.
AS early as the second century a dispute
arose as to the time for observing this
festival. A portion of the dominant
church celeb- ated it on the 14th day ct
the first Jewish month, while another por
ton commended that the Sunday following
Che above noted day should be observed.
The council of Nice decided that Sunday
was the proper day for its celebration,
The most characteristic Easter rite and
the one most widely diffused is the use of
what is termed Easter eggs. The use of
these eggs was originally symb0!ical of the
revivifcation of nature-the sprInging
forth of life 10 the spring. This practice
is not confined to Christians. as they we're
used by the Jews, and it was also Gus
tom among the Persians.
PASSOVER
Today is observed the greatest and first
of the three annual feasts instituted by
Moses. Originally it was incumbent upon
every male lsraelite 10 make pilgrimage
to the house of the Lord. 1t was celebrat-
on the anniversary of the exodus from
Egypt, being the period of the first full
moon in the spring, and lasted eight days.
In commemoration of the incidents con-
nected with the great event in the Gbora-
ton of the Israelites. it was ordained that
bread only. should be eaten
during this period. From this fact it is |
termed the Feast of the unleavened bread. |
In its original purity. the feast was cele-
brated by the sacrifice of lamb, free
from all blemish. Prayers and thanks.
givings, all bearing evidence to redemp-
ton from bondage, accompanied the re
past, at which the members appeared in
garb. The Paschal meal, as at
present, celebrated among the Jewy, has
more of the character of q hallowed fami-
y feast Due re ence, hewever, is pal |
to the greet national event which 1t cele>
bratss.
The Passover is regarded by christian
theologians as a sacrifice and sacrament.
In its former character il is held as an emf
nent type of the sacrifice of Christ. The
death of Christ at the very same time of
the Passover is regarded as coroboraive of
this view.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
Tho oxaoutiva cor, m itfao IF fha fNounfv