The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-02-04
THEIR MEANING
Signs and Ceremonies as Prac-
:iced in the Olurch.
An Interesting Article on a Very
Important Subject.

Important Subject.
There are ceremonies of our religion
which we constantly repeat without
pausing to inquire the meaning of our
action, says Edward Flannery in the
Catholic Transcript We bless our.
selves, take holy water, genuflect, as
sist at mass until routine makes the
performance of such acts if not entire
~ meaningless, at least half so, from
the want of attention they receive as
we perfunctorily go through them.
Starting from home then, as you set
out for church, let us pass quickly over
a part of the road which you traverse
every Sunday.
Being we'll bred people of the world
and used to the niceties of social re-
quirements you are in time for service,
and do not, therefore, disturb the wor-
shippers with tardy entry. There is
the question of sin If the delay is con-
siderable and through your own fault.
But we suppose that you are punctual
and without lingering outside you pre-
pare to enter Gods house as soon as
you reach the temple. The holy water
font confronts you in the vestibule of
the church. You dip your finger in the
water, signing yourself with the cross,
as you bring the sanctifying drops to-
ward your person. Apart from the in
herent virtue which the water possess
es-the power, that is, to cleanse from
venal sin-the ceremony ut the door
of the church is reminder Of the pur-
ity of soul which one should enjoy be-
fore asking admittance to the house Of
the Savior. In the early days of the
faith, Christians were obliged to pour
water over their hands and face, pray
ing with Peter that God would mean
time cleanse their hearts.
And as we supply the water to hand
and head we should beg God to make
US worthy to appear before Him. AS
we use the water we make the sign Of
the cross. That is the gesture which
throws open the door of Gods house.
For by the cross were we returned to
the kinship of God after Adams sin
had made us stranger. The virtue
which Is in that simple act Of signing
oneself proceeds from the faith of
which it Is symbol. One who ap-
proaches God must believe in Him,
says Paul-and by the sign of the
cross we profess our belief not only in
the existence of God, but in the Trim
ity-the Father, Son and the Holy
Ghost. As we touch the forehead we
confess that it was the Infinite Mind
that evolved the plan Of creation. AS
the hand dcscends we declare that the
Infinite One came down to the world
to raise creation from the depths in
which sin had buried it. We bind the
Father and Son in the embrace of In
finite love as our hand crosses the
heart. From that embrace the Holy
Ghost proceeds and creation is united
with the three persons on the cross
which Christ left to us as the emblem
of salvation.
With dignified measure we walk up
the aisle and not with unseeming haste
nor gazing about with curious glancrs
but conscious of the sacredness Of
the place we seek to conform our bear
ing to the hallowed surroundings. Be-
fore entering the pew we must honor
with obeisance the hidden Lord, who
though unseen, is nevertheless watch
ing. In earthly courts subjects bend
the knee to their king and we ought
surely do as much for our Heavenly
Monarch. So we enthusiastically
bowling and touching the right knee
to the floor in token of our entire SUBJ
mission to Christ whose throne is the
altar.
Before the service begins we may,
perchance, have a moment to wait. We
sit facing the tabcrnacled Lord who
may speak Il message TO our neHft. w.
perhaps, the stiffness may cause re-
ligious quiet to steal over our trouble
tossed soul. Or the organ may whisper
a soothing note and we may be stirred
to wonder why the church uses music
in worship. 1t is but another voice to
speak to the soul of God. For religion
must make use Of whatever has force
to raise men up towards heaven.
Or perhaps the altar catches your
glance and you notice the strange for
nation which makes one think Of
those old-fashioned tombstones. In
fact, the altar has always been shaped
after the fashion of tombs-though the
upper part is intended to serve as a
label This regulation is to recall the
first celebrat ion of the eucharistic sac
riflce when Jesus blessed bread, chang
ing the substance into His body. which
He placed on the supper table for the
apostles to eat, ere He permitted the
+ Jews to force Him into the sepulchre.
You remark the white cloths on the al
Il tar table and you remember the wind.
ing sheets in which the body of Christ
Il was embodied. While you watch, the
1 server begins to light the candles with
toN~ 00k to md 1,o