The Irish standard., 1912-09-14

nounced Dy the ringing or the OellS
on their vestments. AS we have the
sacrifice Of the Old Law, fulfilled and
perpetuated in the priesthood and the
Oblation Of the New, so, as part of
our Inheritance, we have the same
sacred restments of purple and gold
and fine linen, and u similar use of
the bells to announce to the faithful
that the Sacrifice to be offered for
them and in their names is about to
be consummated. The ringing of the
bell at the Sacrifice Of the Mass has
a significance whose meaning goes
back to the very institution of the
priesthood. 1t is distinctively a Cath
olic custom, and rightly SO, because
in the Catholic Church alone are the
priesthood and the Sacrifice which, by
the ordinance of God, are the fulfill
,nent and the complement of the old
ordination.
On account of the intimate asso-
citation that the bell has with the act
ual Sacrifice, there attaches to 1t a
certain reverence. 1t becomes in fact
a sacramental, sacred thing. The
chalice, the paten, and the sacred lin
ems used at Mass become holy by rea-
son of their contact with the Sacred
Species, and it is proclamation for any
lay hand to touch them. So the bells.
by means of which the saints of old
were accustomed to announce the ef-
fecting of the Mysteries, became holy
! by association, and even on the death
of the saints were accorded the same
deep reverence as their other relics,
says the Brooklyn Tablet.
It is not contended that bells were
made use of from the beginning to
call the worshipers from afar. The
Jews were accustomed to present
themselves in the. temple at any and
ALL times for. -tlsesr. :'isyesvidual devo-
| tions. Especially were they present
at the stated hours of the ceremonious
morning and evening sacrifice. AL
ready in the temple, the tinkle of the
little bells on the high priests tunic
would be sufficient to warn them that
he was about to enter into the sanctu-
| ary. Moreover all the earliest bells
were very small and therefore with
| a very limited carrying power; and
so to summon those who might be
outside the temple, 1t was the custom
to make use of the trumpets, which
are of much more ancient origin than
the bells.
But we can understand how, b5
reason Of their greater carrying pow
er, bells have superseded the trum-
pets as the signalling agency, how
they gradually increased in size, and
how towers connected with or built
close by the churches had to be
erected, in order that by being prop
erly hung their effectiveness might be
! increased to the utmost.
The exigencies Of life in the cities
| ho1 tod no1
bells to a condition of mournful ST.
lence; but one of the greatest charms
of rural districts is the soft pealtng
of the bell that invites to the Sunday
service. To gaze upon the affecting
/ picture of 1.-THE Angelus" is to hear
! in spirit the gentle Ginning which has
induced the two homely workers in
| the field to bow their heads, the while
their hearts are raised in loving faith
to thank their God for one of the
sweetest mysteries of religion.
To the vast majority, the peal OF
the bell will have but one distinct
tone, but musicians can detect In II
many individual notes of the musica
scale, among which one is prominent
| as what they call the dominant tone
So in our souls, at the note of warn
ing or appeal of the bell, there should
we'll up the several notes Of adora
ton, Thanksgiving, reparation and pc.
tition, which will combine to form the
one great chord which should be dom
inant in our lives, an increased faitf
in the providence and the protection
of Almighty God.
Tobacco culture has been quite ar
industry in Ireland in recent years