Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-14
LIFE OF THE SAVIOR.
Services Held in Many Temples
Last Evening.
SERMON BY DR.. STAFFORD
Rev. Charles W. Currier at Shrine of
the Sacred Heart.
HOLY SATURDAY OBSERVANCE
Affairs Again Illuminated With orna-
ments-Lighting Triple Candle
-Baptismal Font Blessed.
HOLY SATURDAY OBSERVANCE

Christ crucif1ed was the great object that
engrossed the attention Of the Christian
world yesterday-Good Fr.day-and ser
MONS lessons and tracts were delivered in
many temples last evening to that end
The life Of the Savior was rehearsed, and
through 1t Christ's love for mankind was
exemplified. In very nearly all of the
churches the most distinguished pulpit ora
tors and logicians were heard. while the
lie OF Christ was rehearsed in song by
means OF the work Of some Of the greatest
masters. Vast throngs Of worshippers was
the rule at all churches where services
were held
A congregation that occupied every bit
OF standing or seating space in st.
Patrick's Catholic Church was present last
evening. Tenebrae was sung by students of
Holy Cross College. and at its conclusion
DR.. Stafford, the pastor, preached a sermon
on the passion of Christ
Rev. DR.. Stafford's Sermon.
DR.. Stafford's sermon ran the gamut of
the Savior's passion. He dwelt on His
humanity, and declared that the agony He
had undergone could not have been possible
In human being had there not been a
divine force behind Him. st Bonayenture
was quoted as having written that the
palm of the Savior's hands were as soft
as the pupil OF the eye. thus from a hu-
man standpoint measuring the intensity of
His sufferiugs.
Each step of the way was described In a
1orceful and effective way, eliminating in
a dramatic description of the hNl of Cal
vary when the Savior expired-when rocks
cleft, graves opened and odd saints came
from their graves and entered Jerusalem
At Shrine of Sacred Heart.
Solemn services were held last evening
at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Rev.
Joseph F. MCGEE. pastor, and after the
usual services a sermon was delivered by
Kew. Charles Warren Currier A particu-
iarly large congregation was in attendance
Father Currier said, In part:
There are two events of history the
memory OF which is, azove all impressed
upon the human race-the deluge and the
crucifxlon; an act of justice and an act of
mercy, both object lessons
Every individual coming into this world
is born for an end and purpose; he has
mission to fulfill The attainment of that
end is laborious; it entails sacrifice No
peter means to reach that end can be en-
ployed than to study Christ and learn from
Him how to fulfill that mission. Christ
came to do work; to make God known, to
proclaim monothefsm and cause it to pre-
vaii-in other words, to teach He came,
further. to perform an act of sacrifice by
which the chasm between God and the
creature might be bridged over to satisfy
an offended Deity.
ITO perform this mission He died mar
tyr to the truth In confirmation of His
teaching, that He was the Son of God He
died. innocent. that all might live Through
depths of humiliation, he assembled to
heights of glory; through an abyss of sor-
row he mounted to joys sublime, reckoning
to US to follow"
Observance Of Holy Saturday.
This being Holy Saturday it is conse-
Grated in Catholic churches to the memory
of the Savior in the sepulcher The affairs
deprived of their ornaments on Maundy
Thursday are again illuminated with them,
clothed with them. and new fire is blessed
to illuminate them. The Office begins with
lighting triple candle. emblematic of the
life of Christ, while the paschal candle
blessed by the deacon Of the mass, is a
figure of the body of Christ. and not being
lighted at first represents him dead.
The lighting Of the paschal candle is a
representation OF his rising again to q new
life. Before the administration of the sac
rament at the various Catholic churches
this morning an interesting ceremony was
gone through, the baptismal font being
blessed. The exercise is full of mysteries.
Three Hours Devotion.
The three hours devotion commencing at
ST. Aloysius Church at noon yesterday
was a most oppressive ceremony. Rev.
Father Pardow, s. j., delivered the exposi-
ton of the meaning of the seven last words
of the Savior In a clear, distinct and intellI-
gent manner, and Mercadantes musical set
ting of the seven laStswords was given by
the choir of the church with organ and
string accompaniment, the whole under the
leadership and direction of Mr.. S. ]. Kube
The solos were by the regular quartet of
the choir and the organ was for this occa-
sion played by Mr.. Harry Wheaton How
ard. The whole effect was solemn and I'm
pressive in the extreme. The church was
IN the ceremony.
st. Paul's Lutheran Church.
For the first time Edward Edgar, the
apostle of modern progress in music. was
presented to this city in his choral work,
THE Light of Life" at st. Pauls Lutheran
Church Mr.. Edgar is said to be the first
composer to introduce the last German
school Of Wagner and Richard Strauss into
the music of the church. Not from any
desire for novelty, but with the good pur-
pose of giving this difficult work a hearing,
Professor Palmer undertook the hercuieaE
task of gathering larger choir and teach
ing it so it could be comprehended. The or
atorfo dscards the old set forms and div-
sions, giving free fantasy to put IN colors
of sound the text, solo, chorus-conflicting
elements-alI woven together. resulting in
impressionist panorama. 1t has many beau
ties, but it's largest element lies In power
and force The soloists were Miss Pauline
Whitaker Miss Gertrude De Land, Miss
Katherine Fletcher, MesSl'S. Phlip Scant-
ling and Herbert Lawson.