The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-04-13
HOLY Week SERVICES,
How the Roman Catholic
Church
the Passion.
CHANTING THE TENEBRAE.
Observances of Today, Tomorrow
and Saturday-Mass of the
Presanctiied.
THE TENEBRAE.

The solemn services of Holy Week will
begin this afternoon in all the Roman
Catholic Churches of this city with the
chanting of the "Tenebrae." Today is
commonly known as 'Spy Wednesday"
and it represents in the Church Calendar
the DAY when the Savior ordered his dis
ciples to prepare for the Last Supper, and
when Judas first meditated delivering
Him to the Priests and Pharisees who
were seeking Him.
One of the most solemn services of the
week In the Roman Church is the chant
ing the Tenebrae. The altar is stripped
of its ornaments and the church is draped
in mourning. The Tenebrae is sung in
the afternoon aud evening today. tomor-
row and Friday. The priests and choris-
fers assemble in the dimly-lighted chan
Gel. They G at from the lamentations
of jeremiah. When they begin the chant
thirteen lighted candles are placed on a
triangular candlabra. AT the end of each
one candle is left burning at the top of
the triangle. During the singing of the
Bepedictus the candles on the high altar
are extinguished. While at the antiphon
after the Benedictus the single candle
left alight on the triangle is hidden at the
cPiSO W. w ~ boohA ~
the end OF the office.
This extinction of the lights symboliZes
the growing darkness of the time when
Christ, the light Of the world, was taken.
According to Benedict XIV. the last can
die Is hidden, not extinguished, to signify
that death could not really obtain domin-
ion over Christ. though it so appeared to
do. The clapping sound made at the end
of the office is a symbol Of the confusion
following Christ's death.
HOLY THURSDAY.
Holy Tor Maunday) Thursday has a
ceremonial of great magnificence. Only
one mass is celebrated in each church
that day-which commentaries tine in
%stitution Of the Sacrament of the
Eucharist. An extra Host is consecrated
for public exposition in a repository, and
to be used at the mass on Good Friday,
which is therefore called the MASS OF
the Presanctified." The mass is cele-
brated in white vestments. After the
bells are ruDg at the singing OF the Gloria
they are not sounded again until the
Gloria is sung on Holy Saturday. A
wooden clapperfs used in place of bells in
the interim. The altar is stripped of its
ornaments, IL other forms of mourning
are observed. The stripping Of the altar
is taken as symbolic of the stripping of
Christ. In tile Dominican II Carmelite
orders the altar Is washed with wine on
that day.
AT the conclusion of the mass there is a
solemn procession to the repository.
This is an altar in another part of the
church.. in which the Sacred Host exposes
until the following day. Thetrepository
is brilliantly illuminated and decorated
with flowers and rich Special
indulgences are granted the faithful who
visit the repository and offer prayers.
In the cathedrals the services are more
elaborate on Holy Thursday. 1t is then
the bishop blesses the holy oils. Former
ly the bishops and priests, In emulation
of Christ, publicly washed the feet of the
poor on that day. The, custom is still OBJ
served by the Pope and in certain monas-
teries.
GOOD FRIDAY.
The saddest and most impressive SER
vices of the year are those of Good Fri
day. The church Is draped in mourning,
eral air of sorrow prevails. The priests
are robed in black vestments. This is
the only day of The year on which mass
is not celebrated, and no Communion
given. The Passion from st. John is
read, and prayers for all Christian people
fix, which up to this time has been Gov
cred with black, is taken down and the
covering removed. The cross is placed
on the altar steps, and then follows the
solemn service of the Generation. or. as il
is sometimes called, Alteration
vi Oh0 SAOoos - eAAA eR
proach 1t with low genufiections.and then
Kiss the hands and feet of the figure. The
public do the same after the Mass of the
Presanctified Host is finished. The Host,
which was consecrated The day previous,
is consumed, and that part of the mass
beginning with the contamination Of the
Host is celebrated.
EASTER SATURDAY.
Holy Saturday services are the most
picturesque, if such a word may be used
to describe religious rites. The services
begin early in the morning with the
blessing Of the fire, from which is lighted
a candle with three stems. The paschal
candle is blessed and kept lighted until
Ascension Sunday. In the paschal can
die are inserted five grains of blessed in.
cense, IN memory of the five wounds OF
Christ. Then follows the reading OF the
twelve prophecies, n after this the
blessing of the holy water. All these
ceremonies take place away from the
main altar, which Is usually hidden be-
hind a black curtain. The priests ascend
the altar and begin the celebration OF
mass. When the "Gloria in Excelsis' is
intoned the curtain hiding the altar is
withdrawn and the altar Is disclosed in
all the glory of holiday decorations. The
organ peals forth and the bells are rung
and evidences of joy are exhibited. ln
Catholic countries this is the signal for
the emu of Lent, and the Easter holiday
then begins.
STATE NOTES.
IT, oo.te S.lS nnA a vaar RI ruu rho Oovarn,