Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-03-22
THE DAYS OF HOLY WEEK
The Churches Preparing for Days
Preceding Easter.
OBSERVING ANCIENT CUSTOMS
Roman Catholic, Protestant Episcopal, he
formed and Lutheran Churches win Follow
the Historical Events Which CuImnaie
in the Anniversary Of the Resur-

HOW week. uuFlnR WbiOh t"O p"'
sion, death and burial OF Christ are
commemorate IN the Catholic, FRO
testant Epigcopal, Reformed and Luth-
eran Churches, commences next sun
day. or, more properly speaking the
Monday following. The services on
next Sunday, can scarcelT be called
naIt of the observance of HOLY Week,
inasmuch as the triumphal entry OF
Christ into Jerusalem is celebrated
on that dav, and the prevailing note
in the ceremonies IS one OF JOY and
gladness.
The special observance Of the clos
ing scenes of the life of Christ during
the week before Easter is of very an
cient origin. 1t was mentioned by
Irenaeus towards the end of the second
century, and it was the belief of Eu-
sebius that the custom dated from
the times OF the Apostles. In early
times the Christians kept an absolute
fast during the whole week.
In CATHOLIC CHURCHES.
In the Catholic churches next Sun
day palm branches Will be blessed and
distributed to the people, and the
clergy and attendants will march in
procession to the vestibules and back
again to the altar, bearing palms In
their hands. In some of the Protest-
ant Episcopal churches. also, palms
will be given to the people, and this
ceremony is meant to symbolic the
triumphal entry of Christ into Jerus-
alem, when the people received him
as a king. hailed him with hosannas,
and spread paln and olive branches
and articles of their clothing on the
road over which he was about to
travel.
The note of JOY at the Sunday SER
vices is changed to one of sorrow dur
ing the rest of the week, with the ex-
ception of the celebration of the insti-
tuition of the Eucharist on Holy
Thursday morning. In the Reformed,
Lutheran and Protestant Episcopal
churches special services will be neld
on every day OF the week. In the
g thollc churches the solemn services
will commence on Wednesday after
noon or evening with the singing OF
the "Tenebrae. I" These consist of the
lamentations of Jeremias, psalms and
lessons form Sculpture, and will con-
tinue Thursday and Friday. The cere-
monies are very solmen and the
mournful music and somber dressing
of the sanctuary are in keeping with
the occasion.
FEATURES OF SERVICE.
At the beginning of service on We'd
nesday. Thursday and Friday Is light
ed CO ndles are placed on triangular
candelabrum. At the end of each
psalm one of the candles is extinguish-
ed. until only the one at the apex is
left lighted. During the singing of
the Benedictus" the candles on the
high altar are extinguished. and at
the singing of the antiph0n after the
psalm the single llghted candle Is
hidden behind the altar. and the
"Miserere. or cry for mercy. is in
toned. Tenehrae. the name given to
this service. signifies darkness, and
Tie notion of the lights is meant
p, tu sAmbolize the darkness of the
world after Christ was taken away.
1t was real object lesson to the
early Christians, who, worshiplng
in caves and catacombs were left in
almost total darkness at the conclu-
sion of the service. A loud clapping
or stamping noise is made at the
end, to signify the confusion conse-
quent on the death of Christ.
On the morning of Holy Thursday
the minister puts ON white vestments,
the robes of JOY, to celebrate the IN
stitulon of the Eucharist. After the
singing of the "Gloria" the bells
cease to ring until the Mass of the
Resurrection, ON Holy Saturday
morning. The Sacred Host lis remov-
and placed in receptacle ON one of
the side affairs. During the services
on. this morning the holy oils used in
the administrative of the sacramento
are blessed. ONLY one mass may be
celebrated in any one chur Oh on this
dav.
GLOOMY GOOD FRIDAY.
Good Friday is the only day IN the
wear on which the host is not conse-
Grated in the Catholic churches. IL
is the day on which the passion and
death of Christ are commemorated.
No candles are lighted. the priests,
robed in black. PROSTATE themselv es
/ before the altar, on which the taber-
nacie remains open, and the host con-