St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-01
Affairs Are Stripped, and
Neither Incense Nor Lights
Are Carried.
The Only Day in the Year
When Holy Sacrifice Of the
Mass Is Suspended.
Services Tomorrow Will Be
OF a Brighter Nature,
With Songs Of JOY.

Yesterday was Good Friday in the
church calendar, and the religious
world is now in the deepest mourning.
The affairs are stripped, the bells hushed.
and the music silent to express the grief
of the Christian world at the cruciiiXIon
of Christ. No change will come before
tomorrow, when all is changed and the
LORD is risen. Yesterdays services were
the most solemn and impressive known
to religious forms. Everything is gloomy
and forbiddlhg. The choir and the
sacred ministers approach their sanctu-
airy in silence. Neither incense nor
lights are carried before them, and the
vestments are black, ''aS when one
mOurneth." On the altar is neither
missal nor altar cloth. When the sacred
ministers reach the sanctuary. instead
of beginning by public prayer, they
PROSTATE themselves OH the ground III
silence, while cloth and the book are
laid on the altar. They then rise and
proceed to read the lessons and collects,
typical of the paSchal lamb, the type of
the lamb of God. The passion is sung
by three deacons, who each take a part.
The second part of the service con-
siSts of supplication and petition. The
idea of the church in this is to make IN
tercession for all classes and conditions
of men. While the church bids the
faithful at all times. to pray for the con-
version of sinners, on this day she
makes public and official prayer for
those who are ''enemieS Of the cross of
Christ" First comes the prayer for the
spouse of Jesus Christ. the Church of
God; then the prayer for the vicar of
Christ. the pope; then the prayer for
the catechumenS; then the prayer for
the heretics and scllSmatics: then the
PRAYER for the Jews. and lastly comes
the prayer for paganS.
The third action in this days services
| is reparation-reparatiOn to Jesus Christ
for the ignomy OF his passion by show
| ing honor and veneration to the cross i'll
/ memory of his crucifiXioli. The cele-
| bI ant places the crucifix Oh the ground,
| and in token of his humiliation takes Off
his shoes and goes to kiss the feet of the
! figure of the cruciiX that represents his
diving Savior. AS he approaches he
kneelS three times, and finally kisses
devoutly the symbol OF redemption. All
! who are present follow his example,
going forward to the communion rail
and reverently kneeling and kissing the
crucitiX.
The fourth action is the mass of the
presanctifed. The candles on the altar
| are now lighted in reverence for the
coming presence of Jesus Christ. The
clergy go in procession to the reposl-
tory and bring back to the high altar
the blessed sacrament, which has been
reserved in a chalice since the mass Of
Yesterday. During the procession the
choir sings the ''Vexilla Regis" On
this day alone, throughout the Christian
| year, the church suspendS the Offering
| of the holy sacrifice of the mass, that
! our thoughts may be wholly taken up
with the contemplation Of the one sac
ritice that was cOnsummated today
on Calvary. The blessed sacra-
ment which the celebrant receive
today, was cOnSecrated Tor presanctl-
fed yesterday. Consequently, since
there is no actual sacrifice today, this
part of the service is called the mass OF
| the presanctitied. When the blessed
sacrament is brought to the altar the
priest incenses it. He then turns to the
people and bids them pray (orate
ing the pater nOSter. He holds up for
their alteration the sacred body of our
Lord, and then reverently receives
it, To mark our mourning and
confusion today, the priest does not
remain at the altar to say any public
prayers of Thanksgiving or to give a
blessing as in other masses, but straight
way leaves the sanctuary. AS soon as
he departs, the vespers are recited as
Yesterday, and the affairs are stripped.
The sanctuary Is empty, its light is
gone, no lamp burns in any part of the
church, the pictures are yelled; the
naked cross stands alone to proclaim
the mourning of the spouse for the
crucifixion of her Lord. They shall
mourn for Him as one mourneth for an
only son, and they shall grieve over Him
as in the manner to grieve Tor the death
of the firSt-DOru.