The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-25
SERVICES OF HOLY Week.
To Catholics 1t Is a Time
of More Than Ordinary
Devotion.
SIGNIFICANCE Of THE CEREMONIES
Visiting the Chffches on Maunday
Thursday-Fhe Kissing of the
Cross On Good Friday.

Beginning with tomorrow, and ending
Easter Sunday, will be q special week of
devotion to Catholics throughout the
world. The week is called Holy week.
because it is a week Of more than ordi-
nary devotion in honor OF the passion OF
Christ.
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. the day
upon which Jesus Christ entered into
Jerusalem, sitting upon an ass. as fore
told by the prophet, Zachariah. Palm is
distributed to the parishioners, after first
having been blessed.
The Tenebrde office, which is recited on
Wednesday. Thursday and Friday nights
of Holy Week, is the mathis of Christ's
passion. Catholics attend these services
with punctuality the three nights to gain
the indulcences attached. Tenebrdt
signifies darkness. and towards the latter
end of the Office the lights are put out, IL
memory of the darkness which covered
all the earth whilst Christ was hanging
upon the cross, and at the end of the
earthqu IKE and splitting of the rocks.
which happened az the time of the death
of Jesus Christ.
MAUNDY-THURsDAY.
The Thursday of Holy Week ia called
Maundy-Thursday, because 1t is the day
on which Christ first instituted the
Blessed Sacrament aud began His passion
by His bitter agony and bloody sweat.
From the sGloria in Excelsis" of the
mass of this day till that of the mass OF
Easter eve, all the bells throu ghout the
Catholic Church are silent, because
passion of Christ. The affairs
are also v and stripped
of all their ornaments, because
Christ hung naked upon the cross. An
interesting ceremony on this day at the
Monastery. ia West Hoboken. is the
washing of the feet of the priests and
brothers by the superior or celebrant OF
the mass. after the example of Christ
On Mandy Thursday the Catholics
visit a number of clutches. This Is sym.
bolical Of the visit to the Holy Sepulchre'
The place where the Blessed Sacrament
Is preserved In the church. in order fol
the office of Good Friday ION which day
there Is no consecration) is by the church
called the sepulchre, as representing BY
authorization the burial OF Christ. The
faithful, therefore, visit several churches
and mediate on the different stages ol
the passion.
GOOD FRIDAY.
Good Friday is the day on which Christ
died upon the cross. The devotion proper
for this day is meditatiug upon the Pas
sion of Christ. Tine ceremony of kneel.
ing to the cross and kissing it on this day
is an outward exhibit of reverence.
EASTER SATURDAY.
On Easter Saturday the Church resume:
her alleluias of JOY, which she had inter
mitted during the p%enitential time of Sep
candle is blessed on this day, and
is an emblem of Christ, . His
light and his glory. The candle burns
during the mass from Easter tiltB the
Ascension. that is, during the whole TIM
that Christ remained upon earth ate I
His resurrection. The Easter water Is
also blessed on this day.
EASTER.
Easter Sunday Is the chief feast OF the
whole year, it being the solempity oil
Christ's resurrection. The devotion OF
this time is to rejoice in Christ's victory
over death and hell.
THE THREE HOURS AGONY.
Good Friday, the ~penitential day of the
year, transforms the church Co the COM
plete opposite of the picture presented the
day before. The flowers are gone, the
purple draperies of the Lenten season are
replaced by heavy Surroundings of black,
and in the darkened church all th'
morning there is suDplication and prayer.
AS the bell strikes the "a of noon, the
s'Tnree Hours Agony" beGins. The Len
ton season has reached its height. ant
when the complstlon or tnaG solemn ser
vice of prayer, in which the congrega
ton joins. points back to the fina
struggle upon the cross, there Is 6
tense sensation even upon the rnbelievel
who has come as a matter Of experience
At the vesper service there is a sermon
upon The Passion. So far. this has beer
said of the Roman Church, b there ar
several Protestant Churches. notably st
Mary's, tina will solemnize the "rhre
Hours Agony in the sanie manner.
On Easter Eve, or Holy Saturday, ther'
is a mass in the morning at Roman
Churches and even song in Protestant
The Easter decorations are generally be
gun Immediately after service. and II a
elaborate an order as usually the case, j
will be very near the close of The peniJen
tial season before the devout decorator
can leave the church.
1t is on Easter Eve that the basemen
OF the churches will be crowded wit