The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1883-12-01
PRIESTLY VESTNENTS.
An Exposition of the Esoteric .Sign;f
caace Of Roman Catholic Robes.
What tie Surroundings Of liar,
Priest and Sacrifice Indisuts-
Their Historical UricIx.

xU(0 1AG0sSs s-0t OBst3
The eolem an mass at the opening Of a
synod is the ro.ive mass Of The Holy
Ghost. say t;- Catholic R-y;-w. #
the TEN pie i.se.fi- full Of I-.>oi. what
. wealth Os suggestion Is there in every
thing that Immediately sprro,Dd> al
tar, priest and sacrifice! Al the scs:r
tuse. al: the :heo:osy. the entire Ch-i.
tSan sradi:iaa. tf"n n,.r "xn days back
10 the M"-aic :snd ant--NIn>aic period.
Whe3 the Hss-:lh WAS Int a promise.
h.!s cfyst..iz-i in this altar, its
priest and il. rite.
The ceisb:ant, Icing a bi-hop ont
eiae D., iIoc-s-. sits at the eri>s'e size
II the foo; "t IA. altar on y portable
klswS as ,ha fad s.o.i. a WELL
knawn survival of the chair Of the b.
man ma:i-t.ary. H. is there Invested
with the mystic dress Of his order.
Every portion af it. Whatever iss"rigin.
whether in Mosaic type ~. in the neces
sity If the early Christian days. or in
the progress of the iitu,sical science.
has now. with its accompanying prayer
= spiritual aud aiiesor,cal meaning as
well as a historical; origin.
Attendant, Oh the bi>lss,p are an assis-
tant priest ard DEACON. who represent
the law aud tue p.op!ieis. Moses aud
Elias. that 10 the mountain of the trans
6gnration spoke with Jesus. His sub
deacon Is John the b spii-t. the precLT-
sor. The two deacpns Of hO::"r atteu-
4>~ r 81. -. 49, I1m- ..l
Abraham. TO w!.":n the promise Of in
earns,ion Was made. They are tn.
two columns whom The Kin. Of peace
has placed before the gate Of the vesti
bnle t. the temple.
The ves:ments Of tue Christian high
priest are TO he examined in q double
aspect, in their r-fesrnee TO Christ.
Ion, Tie mini >tes tcptes.nts. is well
~ 10 relation To The wnsk # the priest
him .rlf, aud these principle. animate
theeharcb. as Cardinal Lorfhaire points
c1t, in every acton that the pouiiE per
form. ja making ready for the sacri-
fee.
Preparing to announce tn Gospel 0:
Peace, the bishop pats on sandals and
ba.kin<, types Of The ihca.na:ioa, fos
oar flesh WAS as a shoe tn the feet Of
Christ. which H. a>-amed t. dis.ha-s-
the f.se,ians of HI. priesthood. Tn"
aandais are attached Ia the b1skias, re
ealing the human sou. watch serves
rs the intermediary to the divinity tn
unite :;self to cur flesh As the first
ssstains the body, SO does the divinity
---.- al. ~-..r -. ..,f-.- ~ n-ef -,
foot s.so The sandals further recall
the promise Of the scripture: ..IIsw
bean;.fal on the mountains =.e the feet
Of thnse who preach the gospel OF
peace
The 0pea sandal warns The minister
tat he who breaches the gospel must
be free from every faint OF earthly af
fec.ion.
In this spirit. too, the bishop washes
his hands, So that, spiritually, he may
be pure. 40 eat without purifyin.
the hands defile< I'D one. What def1e
him are the things that come from his
mouth and heart-bad thoughts, bomi-
eide., thef,s. impurities, false tes,imo-
nice. b!aspl,enies."
The amict, still called the helmet Of
salvation, was formerly a covering for
ehe head, and is even now worn as q
eowl by the Doa1inica0s while goiag
from the .acrisfy t. the altar. 1t il
placed fsst just 80 the head and t.eu
on tie .hoaadesr. Il s~epre-ests th.
etreoktb of good deeds. The strings
that 2,ten il in front are the i~ntentiOus
which aninsie our work and the end to
which NE. direct ihem. - that theTe
Dxy be no leavan of malice or injustice
in them, but that they should be accom-
paaie9 with the axym" Of sincerity aud
truth. Work 10 the n,ission Of the
psjess. Labor like q soldier OF Christ
Tke. alb type6es the new life Of
ChsiAk .Ciothe me. o Lord, with the
new man, who, according to God. is
eseeted in ;sstice and tho holiness Of
ezaGh." Great care 10 taken in fitting
Is to the shoulders aud to the body. to
sAew that the life Of the priest osght to
b we'll ordered and regulated. Ita
whiteaess expresses purity Of heart 1t
10 q linen, because linen represents the
justice and virtue Of saints. Still auo-
thsr nyaic reason the 6brs Of the FAX,
bs1ised aud torn. received from the
h1ooeher . whiteness that does not be
looG 20 it By psture. So tho flesh Of
mAn, ehasiised and mortified BY pen
nanee. receives . grace Of purity which
It cannot acquire by satare alooe. The
priest 10 bound 10 ehastise his body and
Iedsee it to snhjeetion, lest he who had
preached to others may become . cast
o~.v hinaAlf In the Iowieh nr;ost.
hood 20 alb VA straight because Of
tho spirit Of s@rvitode. which. in ,hose
day.. compelled souls By fear. Under
the rev law its ampi" folds Indicate
tho holy liberty in which are placed the