Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-28
THE CLOSING LESTEN SEASON.
Ceremonies Of the Catholic Church
Services Here.

After to-day, with the exception Of the
one cclebrant, all the priests abstain from
saying mass, not only as manifestation
of sorrow and mourning but to initiate in
some manner our Lords Supper, when for
the frstt time He performed the function OF
high priest. He was the only celebraut,
aud the apostles received communion
from His hands. Therefore, tomorrow is
the only day in the year on which priests
receive communion like the laity.
After tomorrow communion is given
to no one except to the dying, as Via
ticum. until Easter-Sunday.
This evening the aItars arc dressed
with more ornaments than usual during
the season of Lent for the celebration
Of The Mass of the Last Supper, which
will be sung by Bishop Keane, assisted by
nearly all the priests of the Diocese of
Richmond, who yearly come to the Ca
thedral on Maunday- Thursday to get a
supply of Holy Oils for the administra-
tion OF Baptism and Extreme Unction in
their parishes. AS it is prescribed in
the ritual of the Church that new oils
shall be blessed every year the Bishop
will tomorrow perform the ceremony
with great solemnity during the morn
ing services. which will commence at s
o'clock.
At the end Of the Mass and the bless
ing of the Holy Oils Bishop Keane, pre-
ceded by about forty acolytes and all
the priests present, will carry the Blessed
Sacrament III solemn procession TO the
repository, which represents the tomb Of
our Lord. This place has been prepared
in the chapel on the gospel side of the
church, and Is adorned with hanging
lights and natural flowers. Later in the
day the altar, which is the symbol Of
Christ. is stripped of its ornaments.
Among the several circumstances of His
passion by which He was to be known
was this, that His executiOners would
strip Him Of His garments and draw lots
for them. Therefore the Church sgni-
ties by the divesting of the affairs the
nudity Of Jesus crucitied.
For several days past large chorus Of
male voices have been IeheaTsing for the
Office Of tc1le6rG, representing the OBJ
seQuies of the Redeemer.
The altar, which looked beautiful in
the morning, las now desolate appear
ance, the only ornaments on 1t being a
crucifiX covered with a veil on each side
of which are three tall candlesticks. In
stead OF beautiful white candles which
adorn the church during all the services,
fourteen candles made OF natural un-
bleached wax are placed on a large tri-
angular candlestick, which is placed in
front OF the altar with white candle on
its summit.
These candles are extinguished one
after another at the end of each psalm,
because at the approach of our Re
deemers death the fevor OF His disci
pies cooled, and almost all seeking safety
IN flight abandoned their Master. The
white candle that remains IL, and is
finally concealed behind the altar, is a
figure OF Jesus Christ, who when His
enemies after putting him to death fan
cied they had succeeded in their at
tempt, rose from death to an immortal
lite more glorious than the former.
The use Of the triangular csndiestick
has the following meaning As Chris
tians in the first ages of the Church as-
sembled for the celebration of the Di-
vine Office before dawn, and on account
Of the prosecutions were constrained to
meet in subterlanean and obscure places,
they could not see without the assistance
Of lamps and candles, they generally
made use of large triangular candle
sticks suspended from the ceiling or fas.
tened TO the altar.
The tcncbrG will begin at y o'clock
P. NJ. After the singing of the Psalms
,, 81, and 2G, and the three Lamenta-
lions of jeremiah the Prophet, chapter
H., Rev. Joseph Frioli of Keyser, Va,
will preach on the Eucharist. After the
sermon the Office will be resumed by the
singing Of the Psalms 80, 142, 62. 66,
he Canticle of Habscuc, chapter ill.,,
Psalms 14S, l49, and $50.
The Church concludes the Office with
he solemn singing of the Canticle OF
Zachary duke ~ 1t is not without
reason that the Church concludes lsuds
with this canticle
In primitive times lauds were sung
when night had passed away and the
sun was about to rise, and this canticle
vas sung by Zachary when the Sun of
Justice was about to dawn. st. John,
1laced between the confines of night
md day-that is, of the Old and New
estament-destned TO precede and
prepare the way for the Messiah, dis
covered the first ray Of that Sun, which
n our day is setting.