The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-19
ABOUT HOLY WEEK.
Begins With Palm Sunday and eliminates
in Last Three DAYS.

Begins Win Palm SUNDAY ana CulmlnateS
in Last Three Days.
Holy Week (Hebdomas santa) has been re-
| garded by the Church with profound rever-
| ence from the earliest days Of Christianity
| st. Chrysostom said CT it: "We call il the
| Great Week, not that il consists Of a greater
| number OF days or that the days In IL are
| longer. but on account of the great things
which God has wrought in it,; for on these
days was the tyranny of the devil over
| thrown death disarmed, sin and its curse
taken away, heaven opened and made acces-
sible and men made fellows with the angels"
Ii was aiso called the Painful Week, the Week
Of Austerities. tho Week Of Sorrows, the Days
OF the Cross and the Days OF Suferings.. The
Germans call il Charw oche, word the root
OF which has been vaIiously derived (old
high German. Char-mourning iamentation:
Latin. Carus-worthy, dear, esteemed, loved;
Greek, Charis-grseiousness, kindness: Gothic
and Anglo-saxon, Kara-psin suffering). In
the days of the rarly Christian Emperors
courts were permitted 10 be open in Holy
Week. and those confined in prison were
leased.
Tho week begins with Palm Sunday dom
iniao in Pamisl and eliminates in the last
three days-Maundy Thursday, Good Friday
and Holy Saturday.
| The services of Maundy Thursday com
memorate the institution OF the Lord Supper
| and the ceremony of feet-washing as a sign Of
| humility The name by which il il known is
| derived from the first word OF the antiphon
Which is sung during the latter ceremony
| 'sMsndatum rovum do vobis-ut dill ga'is in. .
| vicem" GA new commandment L live you,
| that ye love one another" In Germany the
| day is called Grundonnerstag Green Thurs
| day., and on il the custom is still observed of
bringing n special dish OF green vegetables,
| generally spinach, to the table, this being
| supposedly n relic of great antiquity.
The Lords supper was instituted to take
| the place OF the Paschai feast of the Jews. At
this feast it was obligatory 10 eat unleavened
bread and green herbs with the Paschal
lamb: and this custom, it is thought, is per-
! petuated in the ''greeus" of the Germans
Holy Week is filed with gloom. but there Is
| temporary outburst of JOY when the "Gloria"
| OF the mass is sung on Thursday. Previously
| the bells In the towers well as those used
| to give the signals in the churches had heen
| silenced. and their places taken by rattles and
blocks of wood. When the 'Gloria in Excel
| s's' is sung. however, bells and organs join
| in the glad acclaim. 1t is the last joyous ex-
preston OF the week. After vespers the
! priest and the ministears divest the altar OF
all its coverings and ornaments, In com
! mamoration of the fact that Christ wes thus
despoiled and His garments divided by lot,
| this being indicated by the antiphon which Is
| sung during the "Diviserunt sibi
vestimenta mea, ct super vestum mean miser-
| unit sortsm" C'Tbey parted my garments
amongst thom; and upon my vesture they
cast lots') Two hosts consecrated on
this day. one for the sacrifice and one for the
- q
of the altars the clergy meet for the
mony Of the Washing of tho Feet this being
| performed in each church by tho superior.
| who puts of bis cope, and on bis knees bare
headed, washes, wipes and kisses the tight
foot Of each of those who have been chosen to
represent the inferior clergy. The custom,
once general among tho lsity well the
clergy, has now fallen largely into disuse, but
| there was time when kings aid not dsdain
| to wash the feet OF some of thoir subjects.
Pepys records in his diary: "My wife had
| been today at White Hall TO the Marndy, 1t
Icing Msundy Thursday; but the king did
not wash the poor peoples feet himself; but
the Bishop OF London did :or him."
Good Friday brings the elimination of the
| austerities OF Holy Week. In the early days
| of the church it was observed as day of
| strict fast. The usual acclemations and dox-
| ologies were omitted and nothing but plain.
| tive music was sung. like that or the "KyTie
eleison." No bell was rune. None bowed
his knees in prayer becauss it was thus that
the Jews reviled Christ. The kiss Of charity
| was not given because Judas betrayed his
Master with a kiss. Many Of these features
are still observed; some have been carried
| over to Holy Saturday. The church offers
no sacrifice ON this day, nor is the Eoly Eu-
| -. taH Ettt tha rhrla atD -
the Passion is recited. A prayer is said for
oil people. including schismatics, heretics,
Jews and ragans. The most impressive Of
the days ceremonies is the alteration OF the
Cross, which shall be described later con
| nection with the "Improperia" OF Pslestrina.
| which forms part of this program. After
| the alteration the Crucihx is placed on the
| altar the Hest Is brought IN from tho chapel
in which 10 had been piousy preserved from
the previous day, and tho mass "Praosaniid-
catoria" Is said-not sung. ON Holy satur-
day the sltars arc again clothed with their
| ornam suts, tho sacred fires the canCles and
the baptismal font are blessed. The candles
! on the altar arc relighted by priest. who
each time that he lights candle sings
"I.umen Christie" c'1he Light OF Christi.
and Is answered with "Deo Gratias"
("Thsnks be to God'D. The Joys of Easter
are prehgured.
"Imprcperia" are the "reproaches'' which
are sung en- Good Friday, during the cere-
| mony Of the alteration of the Crts.. After
the prayers the priest, having laid aside his
| vestments, takes cha Cross which has been
KEEP, veiied during the mournful services Of
the previous days. and carries 10 TO the Eristlv
corner. There he uncovers the top, showing
10 20 the worshipers and singing the anti.
phon: "Ecce lisnum crucis In 90 sslus mundi
pependit' "(Bchold the wood OF the cross on
which the salvation cf the worlc was
| hanged''), the choir answering "venite,
sdoremus" t'Come, let us sdroe''J. AT the
| right side OF the altar the right arm IL un-
IL Al.