Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-11
THE CLOSE OF LENT
Solemn Services During the Last
Three Days.
Significance oftho Festivals of Holy Thurs
day. Good Friday and holy Saturday
Tho Hours of Services Mt St. alnry's
Catholic Church,

The services in the Catholic Church
during Holy Week are particularly i'm
pressive and solemn, and commence
rate in typical degree the passion of
our Divine Saviour. The congregation
during the holy season of Lent, who
have been meditating upon the life
passion and death of Jesus Christ, now
turn their thoughts to His cruciixion
and prepare themselves fer the glorious
feast Of the Resurrection, Easter Sun
day.
On Wednesday. Thursday and Friday
OF Holy Week the office of the Tene-
orae, which consists of Mathis and
Lauds of the last three days, is re-
cited or chanted; during which four
teen yellow lights, mounted on a tri-
angular candlesticN. are eXtinguished
one by one after each psalm. leaving
only the white one ut the summit light
ed. Also, al the end of every second
verse of the Benedictus, one OF the
lights on the altar is put out until all
are eNtinguished. This extinction of
the lights typifies the abandonment of
our Divine Saviour during his passion.
lie is represented by the white candle
at the top of the candlestick. which.
during the miserere. is taken from the
triangular stand and concealed behind
the altar until slight noise is made Mt
the end of the office, intended to sig
nify the convUlsed state of nature at
the death of Christ, when il is brought
forth again and replaced on the CANDLE
stick from which il was taken, to re-
mind us that the divinity of our Lord
was never separated from His human
ity.
MAUNDY-THURSD
or Holy Thursday, is in memory of our
Lords last Supper when He instituted
the Blessed Sacrament of His precious
body and blood. so called from the first
word of the anthem mandatum, etc.
(John Kill. 3D, II give you a new COM
mand. that you love one another as
L have loved you," which is sung in
the church on that day.
On Holy Thursday but one mass is
said. that of the Holy Eucharist, as an
expression of joy and gratitude for that
holy institution, though its special
commemoration Is deferred until an
other time. the church being wholly oc-
cupied during Holy Week with the
passion of Christ. During the Gloria
the bells are rung. after which they
are silent until the same part of the
mass on Holy Saturday. to honor the
silence of Saviour during his passion
and express the mourning OF the
church for the death of her Divine
| Spouse. At the mass OF this day the
Bishop consecrates the holy oils, which
are used in the administration of the
Sacramento. After mass the sacred
host. consecrated for the Office of the
following day, is carried in procession
to repository prepared for it's recep-
ton, which is handsomely decorated
with flowers, ferns. palms and candles.
The Blessed Sacrament is removed
from the principal altar. which is also
Invested of all It's usual ornaments, to
represent the restitution of our Saviour
in His passion and the grief of the
church in recalling His suffering.
Sacrament on this day the children OF
the congregation. dressed in white,
will Strew flowers before the Sacra-
ment. while the holy incense is waited
throughout the church by one of the
altar boys.
GOOD FRIDAY.
Christ crucified is the great object
that engrosses the attention of the
church on this day, and for this end
she reads such lessons and tracts as
relate to the mystery of the redemp-
ton. The Passion is sung in the morn
ing office and prayers are offered up
for all sorts OF persons, to show that
none are excluded from the suffrages
of the church, since Jesus Christ of
fered Himself a victim for the sins of
mankind.
HOLY SATURDAY.
The Tenehrae. or Mathis, with the
other canonical hours for this day, are
consecrated TO the memory OF our Lord
in His sepulchre. AT mass He is repre-
scented TO the faithful as coming out of
the grave and triumphing over death
by His resurrection. The affairs de-
prived OF their ornaments on Maundy-
Thursday. are again clothed with them
and a new fire is blessed, to illuminate
them. The office begins with lighting
triple candle, which is emblematic
of the Light of Christ, and signifies
that the faith of the Blessed Trinity
proceeds from the light communicated
to US by Christ risen from the dead
The paschal candle. blessed in The next
place is a figure OF the body of Jesus
Christ. and not being lighted at first
represents Him dead; and the five
grains of incense fixed in it denotes the
aromatic spices that embalmed Him in
the sepulchre. The lighting of the
paschal candle is a representation of
His rising again to new life; and the
lighting of lamps and other candles
afterwards teaches the faithful that
the resurrection of the head will be
followed by that of the members
The blessing of the baptismal font