Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-04-07

former part of Lent and the last
PIX Jays in which all religious exercises and per-
sohai sacrifices redoubled until the coming in
Oh the great feast of Easter
RAIN sunday also foreshadow the com
ing OF the spring, at least a merely mundane
punt Oh view, because of the great throngs of
worshipers who pour into the streets from Ro-
man Catholic and Protestant Episcopal churches
wearing or carrying the bits of palm green
branches or willow slips which have been dis
tributed by the priests
In this country palm is almost always used
Tor this purpose. but in countries, where
this leaf is not available place taken by bits
OF native green. Box and yew also have been
USED from time to time symbol of Palm Sun
day Generally the greater part the palm is
distributed in the form of little crosses this be-
ing so especially in the of the men worship
ers The women receive crosses or large or
small branches, according to the fashion differ
ent parishes.
Rome in Holy Week.
In the years before the the Holy week
services at Rome drew thousands O persons from
all parts of the world that city These cere-
monies begin with the beautiful Palm Sunday
procession at ST. Peters. In all Roman Catholic
churches everywhere the Palm Sunday procession
IN which palms carried in imitation of the
hrst Palm Sunday procession. is a stately and pic
turesque spectacle. In the churches under the care
Oh the religious orders, such the Society of
Jesus, the services of Holy week. including those
OF Palm Sunday, are usually very beautiful and
elaborate Maundy Thursday the good old Eng
lish name for Holy Thursday, was so called from
the French "mande,' from the Latin smandatum,
in allusion to Christ's words spoken at the Last
mat We love one another" In commemoration of
Christs act of humanity washing the feet of
his disciples on the occasion the Last Supper
one Oh the most important ceremonies of day.
since the early middle ages has been the washing
of the feet of Il poor persons by some
one of higher worldly standing than themselves
In the very early church this ceremony is not
known to have existed, but from the fourth CEN
fury 1T became yearly more popular. Finally the
rite came to be performed by the pope all Catholic
soverelgns prelates priests and mobiles At Dur
ham cathedral until the sixteenth century every
charity boy had monk wash his feet When
queen f-Ilzaoeth was thrty-nine years old per-
formed this ceremony for 80 poor men and women
at her palace of Greenwich, it being the Gus
tom for the sovereign to the feet of as MANY
persons as she was years old.
Emperor and Beooar
On this occasion, history recites the feet of the
nohoreu oegsarS were first washed by the yeoman
OF the laundry Afterward the subalmoner washed
thein and then the queen herself kneeling after
washing each foot, made the sign of the cross
upon it and kissed it.
In Continental countries this practice is still
Kept up. The late emperor of Austria never failed
TO carry the rite.
The devotees of the Greek church also use this
ceremony at Moscow, Petrograd and CONSTANT
nople.
The day of the Passion. Good Friday in Eng
lsh, supposedly from Gods Friday" is the most
solemn day of the year in the church. From the
heSnning to the end of the three hours service
"Iich commentaries Christ's agony upon the
cross there is no lifting of the deep gloom char
"c'erlsuc OF the occasion. Affairs and celebrants
are draped in black in the Roman Catholic
ciurcheS. In the Lutheran churches also the altar
anu pulpit are draped in black The three hours
service IS used in the Episcopal church, and in
TINS church. as in the Roman Catholic the history
on the fasston according st. part of the
Good Friday ritual
rms Is followed in the Roman Catholic church
by the auoration of the cross, an ancient cere-
honS' ana the mass of the presanctffed, so called
because lne elenents have been consecrated the
day before In the Greek church also the Good
Friday Iast is extremely strict and the mass very
long.
Churches Filled to Limit
More persons flock to the churches on Good Fri
day than on any other day of the year except
Easter In some of the churches in New York it
is necessary to issue cards for the services on
both these days, there is no other way of
the great number of worshipers who
seek admission Despite the length and solemnity
Of the Good Friday service the desire to attend
IS so great that it is uncommon thing to see
Ievout and women standing in long lines in
earful they may even then be too late to gain
omission.
The popular of the secular customs con-
lected with this day is the serving of hot cross
,uns. The genuine hot bun rather a small
me. spicier than ordinary buns, and has a brown
ugary surface marked with 1t is said
hat the hot bun is of pagan origin and can
be traced back to ancient custom of worship
ng the Queen of Heaven by the eating of sacred
axes But the buns that existed previous to the
Christian not in reality those of today,
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