The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-06
ANCIENT CUSTOMS IN
CATHOLIC CHURCH
OBSERVED
Celebration of the Mass of
Resurrection Was Fea-
ture This Morning

- A4oiS 9dtuI 10y we're. COIIiItiGIlCCu DIT
St. Michael's Catholic church at 8
o'clock this morning. The blessing
OF the fire. paschal candle and bap-
tismal and Easter water used
throughout the ear was Il beautiful
and impressive feature of this serv-
ice.
The joyous character of the mass
resurrection sung In the gospel, and
the allusion to the night time in the
preface. the Communicates" and
the majestic language of the Collect,
20 God. who didst illumine this most
holy. night with the glory of the
Lords resurrection"
The ceremonies began with the
blessing Of the new fire struck from
the flint. From this fire a candle
with three stems. and placed on a
reed. IS lighted and carried up the
church by a deacon. who fixes in it
five grains of blessed incense in
memory of the wounds Of Christ and
the precious spices with which he
was Amounted in the tomb. and aft
erwards lights it from the candle on
the reed. The use of the paschal
candle goes back very fsr-as far at
least as the time Of zosimus. who
was made pope in 417-and the sub
lime words of the "Exultet,' a tri-
umphant hymn of praise which the
deacon sings in the act of blessing
the candle. can scarcely be less an
Client. The great critic Martcne at
tributes it to St. Augustine.
The blessing of the candle is fol-
lowed by the twelve prophecies, and
after they have been read. the priests
60 In procession to bless the font.
This last blessing carries one back
to the days Of the ancient church in
which the catechumens were pre-
sented to the bishop for baptism on
Holy Saturday and the vigil of Pen
tecost. The water in the font is
scattered towards the four quarters
of the world. to indicate the catho-
licity of the church and the world
wide efficacy of her sacraments; the
priest breathes on the water IN the
form of a cross and plunges the
paschal candle three times into the
water. for the spirit of God is to hall
low it. and the power of Christ is to
descend upon it; and lastly, a few
Of the chrism are poured. in order,
says Gavantus. to signify the union
Of Christ our Amounted king with
His people. On the way back from
the font the Lj.anies of the Saints
arc begun, they are continued while
the sacred ministers lie PROSTATE be-
fore the altar. and. as they end, the
cseoi Ia oCGhGu Wllu uOWSTS anu 'tI1e
rnass is begun in white vestmcnts. At
II Gloria the organ sounds and the
bells are rung. and the joyful strains
of the Alleluia peal forth after the
epistle. The vespers of the day are
inserted in the mass after the COM
munion.
Peculiaritics Explained.
The reason for the jubilant char
acter of the mass has beer given
above, but there are some other Pc
culiarities which need explanation.
The kiss of peace is omitted. because
in the ancient rite the faithful kissed
each other in the church as day was
breaking. with the words. THE Lord
is risen," there was therefore a nat
ural objection to anticipating the
ceremony in the mass at midnight.
The Agnus Del. which was introduce
ed by Pope Sergius towards the end
of the seventh century. was never
added to this mass. The communion
and the post-communion are simply
replaced vespers. But why is there
no offertory? Liturgical writer's give
many different answers. none of
which are satisfactory. Gavantus al
leges h a the celebrant alone COM
municated and that hence there was
no oblation of bread and wine on
the part Of h faithful. But. though
now custom. and a decree Of the
Congregation Of Rites forbid com
munion. 1t is certain. as Meratus
points out. from the Gelasian Sacra-
nentary. that the faithful in former
times did communicate and did make
the usual oblations on this day. Mer-
atus himself has no better explana-
ton to give them the desire to short
en- the mass as much as possible or
account of the long offices which
preceded it.
Visitations from the faithful are be-
ing made at the church this afternoon.
There was no service at st. Paul's
Episcopal church this morning, but at
5 o'clock this evening a prayer and
t baptisma1 service will take place.
! A m that will be long remem-
bered in the parish was preached at
st. MichaeIs church Friday night, by
Father Zumbusch. The priest dealt
with the story Of the crucifxion and
the blessed words of Christ-"F'ather,
! forgive them: for they know not what
J they do" This service brought the
observance of Good Friday to a close.
I Is Day of Sadness.
, On Good Friday the church COM
mem the Passion of Christ. SO
that the occasion IL the most sad and
> solemn of all the days in Holy Week.
, The officiating clergy appear in
!, , black vestments and PROSTATE them
SCtNCS oS1OtS Tx .olSdls wlilSU SIIll re.
. mains stripped. Nor are the candles
lighted. After a short pause. the altar
. is covered with white cloths m pass
ages of the old testament, followed by
a history Of the Passion of st. John.
! are read. Next, the church prays sol.
. emily for all conditions Of men. When
the prayers are ended. the cross.
which has been up to this time cover
ed with black, Is exposed to view, and
kissed by clergy and people. During
: the alteration the impropreie are
: sung. each i"mproperium being follow
ed by the Trisagion lin Greek and
Latin. Now comes the most striking
and singular feature in the Good Fri
day ritual. From very ancient times,
the Greek church abstained from the
= celebration of mass in the proper
I sense OF the word during Lent except
Z on Saturdays and Sundays, and substi-
tuted for 1t the mass Of the presancti.
] fed, in which the priest received az
communion a host previously conse.
created. The Greeks still observe this
ancient use. but the Latin church con-
tents herself with a%bstaining from the
: celebration of mass on Good Friday,
y the day on which Christ was offered as
a bleeding victim for our sins. This
mass of the presanctiied on Good
Friday is mentioned by Pope Innocent
: l.. in his letter to .Decentius. The
blessed sacrament Is borne in pro.
. cession from the chapel where It was
Y placed the day before, while the choir
r sings the hymn "Vcxilla Regis" The
priest places the host on the altar, the
candles Of which are now lighted
The blessed sacrament is elevated and