Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-23

the Divine prisoner is no longer among |
His own. and has been stripped of HIS |
garments. The ordinary place of resi- |
dence of God In the keul Presence rs |
the tabernacle of the high altar. At |
this season this tabernacle Is synony-
nous with the church and life. AL |
ready on Thursday morning the cere-
monial anticipates the arrest and death |
and burial OF Christ, and because He |
temporarily departs from this life and |
His church and exchanges His ordinary |
habitation for the tomb. therefore Is |
the altar dlsmantled and the door OF
the tabernacle opened wide and |
special abode erected in another part |
OF the church called a repository or |
sepulchre, which really stands for the |
tomb in which His sacred body WIS |
deposited. The ornaments and light |
and flowers denied the altar are given |
In richest profuslon to the repository |
because the blessed Sacrament is
treasured there, and though some OF
these accessories are incongruous with |
grief the desire to show forth His God
head and worship the divine body In
the tomb for the time DER masters the
consciousness OF afliictlon and
seeks expression by these comedy.
ornate objects. Friday is dark
ened under the shadows OF a SYM
bolic Calvary. The victim again hangs
on the ignominious tree and the faithful
are close by. The church mourns. All
and death. Black sombre vestments are
her garments. The Passion Is solcmnly
chanted. The improperia, rude Latin
for chidings, are walled out Conspic-
uous among all is the crucifx. All eyes
and hearts are centcrcd on the crucified
one. The keynote of the service Is
commemorption and alteration of the
Divine victim. The Sacred host conse-
Grated on Thursday Is brought from the
repository to the high altar. where it Is
consumed In that trucated. unique mass
called ''of the prcsanctined." Its con-
sumption sands for complete consuma-
tion, "Consummatum est" Redemp-
ton is completed and man Is free, God
Is overcome by death. but His tenn
porary defeat brings amending triumph
to the race. Forgiveness Is throbbing
in the air of Good Friday. God died to
secure it and the church in the mass
of the day beseaches pardon for all in
terms pathetic and significant.
Already on Saturday the glories of
Easter are shedding their radiance. The
ritual of the Catholic church is strange
| ly antlcipative because it Is ardently
hopeful. Easter and its resurrection are
| already assured because faith teaches
| that the victim Is God and God cannot
| be permanently subdued nor always
| dead. The proof of divinity now Is
resurrection. and that must come The
blessing of the fire started not by
modern commonplace phosphorus and
| sulphur, but by spark of sturdy hint.
| from which all lamps and candles in
| the church must receive their illumina-
| ton. is a figure of the risen Savior who
| again "enlighteneth every man that
| cometh into this world" and Will arise
from sleep like the "snn in its strength"
SO is also the triple candle which the
| deacon carries up to the scantuary
chanting as he lights each candle. 'Ec-
ce lumen, Christi''-behold the light OF
Christ. Bearing similar type is also the
great paschal candle blessed by
the deacon with his triumphant chant
the "Exulteth," fixing into II the five
! grains of incense In the form OF cross
significant of the wounds of Christ and
the spices with which He was anulnted
for the grave and lighting 1t from the
light of Christ" the triple candlestick
The paschal candle is then placed
consplcuously on the gospel side of the
altar, where 1t remains until ascension
day and disappears, because Christ
whom II represents. remained forty
days with his church after His resurrec-
tion.
Then follows the solemn blessing of
the baptlsmal water, which is scattered
toward the four quarters of the earth
to signify the worldwide spread of the
church and the universal application
and efficacy of baptism; the paschal
candle is immersed in it, for the power
of Christ and the merit of his death
are to mix with 1t, and the sacred
chrism and oil of catechumens are
poured out on III to indicate the close
identity between the sacrament and
Christ. the anointed one.
The mass which follows is Joyful. AT
the Gloria the bells are rung and the
organ peals forth again. Alleluia is
heard with victorious resonance and
purport after the epistle, and the entire
service is suggestive of Easter exulta-
tlon. why this so early on Saturday?
Admitting that the church in her vigil
does anticipate the solemnity and
significancy of the coming feasts. 1t is
most unusual 10 extend this foreseeinI
beyond the evening of the previous day
Holy Saturday mass Is the solitary ex-
: ception. From the beginning till the end
of the middle ages no mass was said
in the day hours of Holy Saturday
The Office began at the ninth hours, oil
3 O'Clock y. M, and the people kept
: watch in the church till midnight, wher
mass was celebrated, This made II
: more an early Easter service than q
l Saturday ceremony. and will explain
ulteth-the preface and the collect
D. the prominence given to the lights
the resurrection story in the Gospel
: the resonant allelula and the genera
J tone and air of joy. Though the tint
= has changed, the words and spirit o
the office remain. The mass. however
: is deficient In an offertory. Agnus Del
G kiss of peace and the communion ant
9 post communion. The kiss of peace Il
!, omitted because the faithful We're az
q customeG to greet each other at tn
break OF day with THE Lord is risen,
: and were unwilling TO anticipate 1t n
! midnight. Reasons for the other omls
: sIons are accessible, but not satisfac
!, tory.-Troy Press.