Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-04-16
HOLY WEEK,
Ho" and Why 1t 10 Observed ny Jews
and GentiIes,

The concluding week OF the Christian
penitential season of Lent is likewise the
great Jewish feast OF the "Pessach," OF
the Passover. The festival lasts eight
days with Orthodox and seven with the
Reformed Jewish congregations. The
first and seventh days of the feast are
celebrated with special services in the
synagogues, and the ideal home life of
that homeless people, the Hebrews, re-
ceiyes especial attention. The head OF
the family reads the Mosaic account of
the deliverance OF the children of Israel
from the land OF Egypt, and explains the
significance of the unleavened bread.
The Orthodox Jews have special services
for the first two and last two DAYS of the
feast, while both branches OF the church
observe the intervening days in the same
manner.
= The "matzoth, /" or cakes OF unleavened
bread, will be found in every Jewish
household, commemorative of the time
when the fugitives despoiled their op-
pressors, cooked and ate their hastily pre-
pared, meal and set out for the promised
land. All the symbolism which sur.
rounds the grand old festival of the Pass
ever points and tends toward the one com
prehensfve principle of righteousness
the "bitter herb and "unleavened
bread, the entire beautiful ceremonials
OF the first eve, 80 faithfully preserved in
the heart land home OF Gods peculiar
people," are the eloquent opponents of
the doctne of moral freedom.
+ The week before Easter has been called
by the several names from the great mys-
teries and various ceremonies celebrated
and performed in it. The Greeks and
1-atins anciently called it the "Great
Week." or the "Holy Week :" sometimes
the Painful Week" or the week of
Austerities;" also the "Week of Sorrows"
the Days OF the Cross" Or "Suferings. 4"
st. Chrysostom styled it the "Great
Week +" mot that it consists of greater
number of days, or that the days in it are
longer, but on account of the great things
which God has wrought in it for on those
days was the tyranny of the devil over
thrown, death disarmed, sin and its curse
taken away, heaven opened and made
accessible and men made fellows with the
angels" -
The chief object OF the Romish church
in this week is to celebrate the memory
of the passion and death of the Savior.
Every part of the liturgy is directed TO
this end; the. church's Offices more
solemn and more multiplied in this week
than in any other during the whole wear.
are most especially adapted to excite in
the hearts of'good Catholics those various
sentiments of love and gratitude, of COM
passion for the suterings Of the Amounted,
and Of sorrow and detestation of sin. The
first day Of Holy week is called Palm
Sunday, being appointed to honor the
triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem,
when many of the Jews cut off branches
from the trees and strewed them in the
way through which he was to pass. 90.
Tits, IN memory OF this triumph that
the palms are blessed, distributed to the
faithful and carried by them in solemn
procession. They hold them also in their
hands while the history of the passion il
read out OF st. Matthew's gospel, to
signify by that ceremony that they are to
partake OF the triumph Of Jesus Christ by
virtue OF His death and passion. In the
benediction OF the palms are mentioned
the branches of the palm, olive and other
trees which are in use in Palestine. But
in northern countries that defect is sun.
piled with any sort OF green boughs,
which are called palms, from the original
ceremony, and they are inteded to REP
resent the Savior's victory over the
Prince OF Death and the riches of his
mercies, the palm being the emblem OF
victory and the olive OF mercy.