St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-06
HOLY WEEK.
The Roman Catholic Observance of
Palm Sunday.
Tenebrae, Holy Thursday, Good Friday
and Holy Saturday.
Programme for the WeeH; IN the Catholic
Churches.

| solemn season OF the eccleSlaStlcal calendar.
On Palm Sunday the church commentaries
the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusa-
lem few days before His passion. Christ
had been at the house of Lazerus whom he
had risen from the dead, and as the time for
His crucifxion approached He returned to
Jerusalem. His entrance into the city is
very clearly described by st. Matthew in the
21st chapter of his gospel He says: "Apd
when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, and Wet
come to Bethphage, unto Mount Oliyet, then
Jesus sent two Disciples saying to them, go
ye into the village that is over against you,
and Immediately you shall find an ass tied,
and a colt with her. Loose them
and bring them to me, and if any man shall
say anything to you, Say We that the Lord
hath need of them; and forthwith he will let
them go. And the disciples going did as Je-
sus command them, and they brought the
ass and the colt, and laid their garments
upon them, and made them sit thereon. And
a very great multitude spread their garments
in the way; and they cut boughs from the
trees and strewed them in the way. And the
multitude that went before and that followed,
|
Blessed is He that ,cometh in the name Of
the Lord, Hosanna in the highest 1t is this
event which is commemorated to-day.
Palms, or green branches of trees, when
green palms cannot be had, are blessed at
all the Catholic churches and distributed to the
congregation who carry them home as re-
membrance Of the occasion. The origin of
this custom is very ancient and is said to
date from the time of the emperor Constan-
tin, under whose reign Christianity became
the religion of the Roman world. In Catho-
lie countries it is customary for the congre-
cation, headed by the clergy, to proceed
around the church in procession, bearing
the blessed palms, and this ceremony is also
observed in some parts of the United States.
Another notable feature of the services on
this day is the chanting of the gospel de-
scription of the passion by three priests, as
an appropriate preparation for the events
which are to be commemorated during the
week.
TENEBRAE.
On the evenings of Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday is recited the tenebrae,
name derived from the Latin and
signifying darkness. The tenebrae
consists in the singing of psalms,
the chanting of the Lamentations of Jere-
mias and the Rotations of a number of
prayers appropriate to the solemnities of the
passion season. At the beginning of the Of
flee thirteen lighted candles are placed on a
triangular candelabrum, and at the end of
each psalm one is put out, until only single
candle is left lighted at the top of the triangle
The Hymn BenetlictoS is then sung and at
each verse one of the six candles on the altar
is extinguished. The object of this cere-
mony is to recall the growing darkness of the
world, when Christ the light of the world was
taken and to represent the sorrow of the
church at the contemplation of His death and
sufferings. Finally the candle still re-
naming lighted in the triangle
is removed for short time
behind the alter and then brought back again
to show that death could not really obtain
dominion over Christ, though for a time it
might appear to do so.
HOLY THURSDAY.
The-ceremonies of Holy Thursday, espe-
cially at cathedral church where bishop
officiates, are very elaborated. interesting
and instructive. The day is the special feast
of the Eucharist and the services are par
| ticularly designed to commemorate its estab
lishInent To mark this fact in a forcible
manner, and to recall the last supper of
Christ and His apostles, only one mass is
celebrated in each church on this day. At
this service white is the all prevailing color.
Music and singing is ont permitted until the
gloria, during which the BELLS of the church
are rung. At its close the custom
airy responses of the choir are simply chant
| ed, and the bells are not again heard until
the gloria of the mass on Holy Saturday. A
side altar or chapel is decorated with flowers
and lights, and to it is borne in procession
the Blessed Sacrament, which is deposited
there, while the main altar is stripped of all
of its decorations. The ceremony is intend
ed to represent the burial of Christ, and from
this fact the altar or chapel used is known as
| the ''Repository.n 1t is customary in Eu-
rope, and in some parts of the United States,
for some prominent ecclesiastic bishop, or
| at Rome the pope, to wash the feet of thirteen
poor persons, in imitation of the Savior, who,
''rising from supper, and laying aside his gar
ments, and having taken towel, girded
himself. After that he putteth water into
|
disciples, and to wipe them with the towel
wherewith He girded," (John, XIII, 4, 81. In
| Cathedral churches, it has been customary
since the seventh century, for the bishop to
bless the oils used at baptism, ordinations
of priests and at the administration of the
last sacrament to the dying, on Holy Thurs
day. Twelve priests and seven deacons at
tend as witnesses and assistants of the cere-
mony which is quite lengthy and impressive.
GOOD FRIDAY.
In contrast with the white vestments and
decorations Of Holy Thursday, the entire
church and the officiating clergymen on
Good Friday are arrayed in black. No mass,
properly speaking, is said on this day. The
service consists of the reading of passages
from the Old Testament, the prophecies fore
telling the adyentof the Savior, the chanting
of the history of the passion itself as found
in the gospel of st. John, and the recitation
of number of prayers for all classes of
mankind, including Jews and Pagans. The
blessed sacramento born both from the Ere
pository'' where it was placed the day before
and a few passages from the usual Office of
the mass are recited, the priest communica-
ting. This service, known as the mass of
the presanctified from the fact that the Lord
had been previously consecrated, is of very
ancient date. Its observance on Good Fri
day is mentioned by Pope InnocentI in his
letter to Decentius, in the year 416. A nota-
Bile ceremony in connection with the services
of Good Friday is the kissing of the crucifx
by the priests and members of the congre-
CATION, who approach the altar rail for that
purpose.
HOLY SATURDAY.
With Holy Saturday the solemn week of
the passion closes. The ceremonies are very
long, and generally commence at an early
hour in the morning. 1t was anciently the