The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-04-04


Holy Week. During these days the
Church commentaries the most
solemn and sorrowful events in our
Saviour's work of redemption of man.
kind.
Holy Thursday is commonly called
Maundy Thursday, from the ceremony
of the washing of the feet, from the
"mandatum" or command, which was
given by our Savior to His apostles.
1t is also called the Thursday of the
Lords Supper, being the day when our
Lord had His Last Supper on the eve
of His Passion and instituted the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The
solemn conservation of the Holy Oils
is performed by the Bishop on this
day. The Church, in the midst of her
sorrow, expresses her joy and graft
tude of our Divine Saviour for the
great blessing of the Holy Eucharist,
and hence there is every evidence of
rejoicing, and although the ornaments
are still yelled, yet the purple is re-
placed by white, thus to express the
expression of Christ's love for us in
giving Himself in the Holy Sacrament
of the altar. Only one Mass is allowed
to be said in any church on Holy
Thursday, and the priests who do not
say Mass receive Holy Communion in
the same manner in which the faith
full receive it. The reason given for
this is that, on this day, Christ alone
offered the Holy Sacrifice and gave
communion to the apostles. The bless
ing of the Holy Oils takes place at
the Cathedral where the Bishop alone
celebrates Mass during which he
blesses the oil for baptism, the Oil for
extreme JUNCTION, as we'll as the Holy
Chrism.
Good Friday.
This is the day on which our Divine
Savior died for the sins of man. 1t
is called Good Friday because upon it
the goodness of God is manifested to
us in merciful redemption, and by
the sacrifice of Christ, goodness is
brought into our lives and it becomes
which we grow into perfection of life
and thus merit eternal reward.
On Good Friday no Mass is said.
The service peculiar to Good Friday
is called the Mass of the Presanctitied.
On Holy Thursday two Hosts are con-
secrated, one of which is reserved for
the service of Good Friday. There is
ne 70 xUinn
the priest officiating at the Mass OF
the Presanctified receives holy COM
munion in one kind only He recites
the Lords Prayer and small part of
the prayers of the Mass. No one re-
ceiyes holy communion on this day
except the priest who celebrates the
Divine Office, and the sick in danger
of death to whom it is administered
by way of the Viaticum. Before the
Mass of the Presanctified the prayers
are said for all states and conditions
of men, especially naming the
heathens and the Jews. The Passion
of Christ from the Gospel of st. John
is recited or sung. The cross which
has been covered since Passion Sun
day. is unveiled, with solemn cere-
mony, and presented to the people
for their alteration that thus they may
manifest their veneration and affec-
ton for the cross on which Christ
died, and which, in this ceremony OF
the Church, represents to them the
sacrifice of Calvary. The word
alteration" refers to venerat1on and
love and is not an actual alteration
of the cross, as alteration belongs to
God and to God alone.
Holy Saturday.
In the early Church Holy Saturday
was known as the Great or Grand
Saturday, Holy Saturday, the Angelic
Night, and the Vigil of Easter, ana
was the only Saturday on which fast
ing was permitted. This fast was one
of great severity. The Church an
GENTLY allowed no Mass to lie said on
this day, but to express her deep
mourning for the loss of her Divine
Spouse. BY later discipline the Once
and Mass of the Resurrection, winch
was in the early days said at MD,
night. are anticipated and are al
lowed to be said before noon on Sat
urday. The peculiar ceremonies which
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