Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1915-02-17
.LEN7EN SEASON
BEGINS TODAY
Period of Repentance, Fast
ing and Restraint Con-
tinues to Easter.
BLESSING OF As HE'S
Ceremonies Begin at st. J0seph's
Catholic Church This Morning, at
S, and at Trinity Episcopal
at 10 O'clock.
Today is Ash Wednesday.

Today is Ash Wednesday.
1t is the beginning Of the Lenten
season, in which the worldly will
Wear sack-cloth and place ashes upon
their heads. as evidences OF their
repentance OF sin.
Especially among the Catholics is
Lent observed in solemn and impress
sive manner. but there are other
churches which demand OF their
members abstemiousness in con-
siderable degree from the pleasures
of the world, although not to the point
of actual fasting.
'Shrove Tuesday, yesterday, cele-
brated as day of pleasure and re-
joicing, particularly among the Latin
peoples of the world, and which IS
more familiarly known in this coun-
try as Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday,
is the last day before Lent, and be-
cause il Immediately precedes the
Lenten season, advantage is taken to
crowd into the day the very climaces
of pleasure, as, at New Orleans,
Paris, Nice, Rome and other big
cities, the carnival comes 10 IT'S
close.
Shrove Tuesday is the day of feast
ing, of dancing, Of singing, Of en-
jCying to the uttermOst the pleasures
of the world.
Ash Wednesday is the day on which
begins the long season set aside az a
period repentance, to be observed
by fasting, restraint of worldly de-
sires, close attendance upon religious
duties, and close communion with
the Creator. This period gradualiy
becomes more and more impressive
and solemn as Easter Sunday ap-
proaehes, Holy Thursday and Good
Friday marking the most rigid of re-
ligious rulings in the entire period.
Holy Week and it's religious OBJ
servance is based upon the Nicene
creed,
"He was crucified, dead, and
buried: He descended into hell, and
on the third day he assembled into
Heaven, and stitch at the right hanH
of Cod, the Father
The third day is Easter, hence the
solemnity surrounding the religious
services on the days Immediately
preceding.
At the Catholic Church.
At St. Joseph's Catholic church
here, Lent will be ushered in this
morning at services at 8 o'clock.
The service will consist of what is
called the "Blessing of the Ashes. >
The palms blessed last Palm Sunday
are burned, thus furnishing the
ashes with which the sign of the
cross is made upon the foreheads OF
the worshippers.
The service is reminiscent of the
old days when repentance was shown
bv the wearing of sackcloth and th3
nlacing of ashes on the head, the
ashes representing death, and the
service emblematic of the words OF
the Lord. Remember, man, thou art
but dust, and to dust thou returnest.
Each Wednesday and Friday even
ing during Lent there will be serv-
ices at st. Joseph's church, at 7:3o
O'Clock, the services to be what IS
known as "The Way of the Cross"
reminding the worshippers OF the
nrncinaY events in the life of the
Saviour.
At Trinity Church.
At Trinity Episcopal church, serv"
ices will be held today, at 10 a. m.
and 7:45 .. m.
During the Lenten season services
will he held every week day with the
execution of Wednesday at p. m.
On Wednesdays the time will be "a"
Notice will be given of any changes
in the nrogram To all these services
the public is cordially invited.
Mrs. A. Retain and Miss Zillah