St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-20
The Lenten Fast Will Give
Place to the Easter
Feast. so
How the Early Christian Fa-
theirs Arranged the Pass
chal Limits.
Programme of Musical Serv-
ices Tomorrow in st. Paul
Churches. NJ

Yesterday was Good Friday. the
day which the church through
out the world observes as the
anniversary of the crucifxion of
Christ. Tomorrow will be Easter, the
day on which his resurrection is cele-
brated. To-day is Holy Saturday, the
last day of Lent. These tbree days are
the eliminating point of all the religious
services of the year. The Christian
year is in some sort typical and COM
memorative of Christ's life. death and
resurrection. The forty days fast of
Lent are not only disciplinary, but COM
memorative of His forty days fast aud
temptation in the wilderness. Lent
commences on Ash "Wednesday, which
is forty days before Easter, and the
latter day falls on the first Sunday after
the new moon, which occurs on or next
after March 81. In this way Easter
may come as early as March %,
or as late as April 25, these days
being known as the paSchal limits.
The precise date of Easter was matter
of hot controversy in the early Christian
days, and Popes Anicetus, Victor and
others tried to fix the matter without
causing Schism. The quartodecimans
during the early part of the second cen
fury maintained that as Christ was
Passover, this was the date to be OBJ
served. Polycarp, a disciple of st.
John, maintained this, and went to
Rome III 15S to consult Anicetus, who
was then pope or bishop of Rome.
After the present manner of celebrating
the event had been decided Blastus, in
1872, revived the discussion, and
Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus had
council called, which made Easter the
Sunday Immediately following March
IA. Emperor Constantine had the mat
ter finally settled by the council of
Nice, in 325, and no trouble has since
arisen. The name Easter is derived
from that of the
TEUTONIC GODDESS OF SPRING,
Eostre, but the names by which the
feast is known by almost all nations are
derived from the HebreW-Greek work
pascha, signifying slain lamb. Good
Friday, according to our reckoning, is
only two days before Easter Sunday.
but according to the Greek and Jewish
reckoning, in which every part of day
was counted as day, it is three days
before. The Biblical account of Christ
being three days in the tomb is ac-
counted for by this method of calcula-
ton. The ritual of the Roman Catholic
and Greek churches has special refer
ence TO Christ's sufferings, burial and
resurrection. On Thursday the Con-
secrated Host is borne in solemn pro-
cessiOn to an altar in separate chapel,
which has been specially decorated and
prepared for its reception. Here it
is visited and venerated by crowds
of wOrShiperS. until it is brought back
on Good Friday to the high altar in
cenSed, offered for alteration and con-
sumed 10y the celebrating priest. The
encharistic elements are not consecra-
ted Oh Good Friday, and this mass is
known as the ''MasS of the Presancti-
fed" Before this ceremony the pro-
chanted, and the story of the Passion is
read from the Gospel of st. John. Then
a crucifiX is placed on the high altar
steps, the choir sings the improperia,
while the officiating clergy and attend
ants approach barefooted, each making
three low prOStratiOnS before they kiss
the feet of the cross. The celebrant
then presents the sacred symbol to the
congregation for veneratiOn at the sane
tuary railing. In the early days Good
Friday was day for liberating public
penitents from their probation, and ex-
communicates from their ban. In
honor of the redemption of the world
accomplished that day, the Roman en-
perors were wont to liberate prisoners.
recall eXileS and manumit slaves. A
number of quaint customs have still
great prevalence, both in Europe and
America. such as
EATING HOT CROSS BUNS
for breakfast. rolling pace-eggs and so
on. In Ireland a vulgar error is still
commonly believed that the sun dances
in the sky on Easter day. The primi-
tive progenitor Of base ball, FOUNDERS,
and other ball games are favorite
sports for Easter in many parts of
Europe, while in the north of England
the men parade the streets on Sunday,
and claim the privilege of lifting any
woman three times. eXtOrting in pay
ment a kiss or a silver siXpence On
Easter Monday the women have the
same fun with the men. In Russia and
Greece the people salute each other on
Easter morning with kiss, remarking,
''Christ IS risen" to which the response
is made, HE is risen, indeed" Holy
Saturday is a day set apart for specially
solemnizing baptisms. Easter is
days all Catholics and Lutherans, most
Protestant Episcopalans and many
Methodists have tasted vigorously. Now
dawns the day when they will rejoice,
in that there is no need to fast.
Christ is risen, and wherefore should
we fast when the Bridegroom is with
us? Early in the morning the Joyous
church bells will peal forth a merry
chime announcing the great fact that
Christ is risen to all the world. The
fact of ChriSt's death was no use to the
worldout with His resurrection. By His
death he washed away the sins of the
world: by His resurrection He assured
them of everlasting life. No wonder
the Christian world reioices. No Won
der it decks itself out in bright colors
and wears white flowers. No wonder
the white and gold altar cloth is placed
on the high altar. No wonder the
priests stand arrayed in white and gold
before an altar laden with lovely
Easter lilies and all sorts of sweet
smelling flowers. The choirs ol
SING GLORIA IN EXCELSIS''
and prepare specially beautiful music
in praise of that God who not only gave
His son to die for the world, but raised
Him from the dead, in that through
Him the world might have everlasting
life. Truly, it is fitting that every
throat shall praise Him in all the
churches throughout the whole world.
so that one loud p8an of rejoicing and
praise shall rise from every end of the
earth.