Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-04-05

W. on the Sunday before Easter, which
~ day. therefore, has been called rain
NWX Sunday"
VV As this is the beginning OF Holy
NJ week, 1t is a happy interlude De-
w tween the devotional rigors OF the
q former part of Lent and the last
six days. in which all religious exercises and per
sonal sacrifices are redoubled until the coming IN
OF the great feast of Easter.
Palm Sunday seems also to foreshadow the COM
Ing Of the spring, ut least from Il merely mundane
point Of view, because Of the great throngs OF
worshipers who pour into the streets from no.
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
for this purpose. but in some countries, where
this leaf Is not available. Its place Is taken by bits
Of native green. Box and yew also have been
used from time to time as a symbol OF Palm Sun
day. Generally the greater part Of the palm IL
distributed In the form Of little crosses, this be-
ing so especially in the case of the men worship
| ers. The women receive crosses or large or
| small branches, according to the fashion of differ
emit parishes.
Rome In Holy Week.
In the years before the war the Holy week
services ut Rome drew thousands OF persons from
all parts of the world to that city. These cerc-
monies begin with the beautiful Palm Sunday
procession at st. Peters. In all Roman Catholic
churches everywhere the Palm Sunday procession,
In which palms are carried in imitation Of the
first Palm Sunday procession, Is n stately and pic
turesque spectacle. In the churches under the care
of the religious orders, such as 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 50 called from
- - y.---r Il - N.-s- 49, r ntf~ tcrv $.,rnp
lin allusion to Christ's words spoken at the Last
Supper, "A new commandment l give unto you,
that We love one another" In conmemorntion of
Christ's act Of humanity in washing the feet OF
his disciples on the occasion Of the Last Supper
one Of the most important ceremonies of the day.
since the enrly middle ages, has been the washing
of the feet Of IL or more poor persons by some
one of higher worldly standing thnn 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
sovereigns, prelates. priests and mobiles. At Dur
ham cathedral until the sixteenth century every
charity boy had a monk to wash his feet. When
Queen Elizabeth was thirty-nine years old she per.
formed this ceremony for 30 poor men and women
at her palace of Greenwich. 1t being then the Gus
+ tom for the sovereign to wash the feet OF as many
> persons as she was years old.
Emperor and eeeoar.
s On this occasion, history r~ecites, the feet Of the
= honOred beggars were first washed by the yeoman
o Of the laundry. Afterward the s%ubalmoner washed
+ them and then the queen herself, kneeling. after
washing each foot. made the sign Of the cross
7 upon 1t and kissed It. ""-
In Continental countries this practice Is still
kept up. The late emperor Of Austria never failed
II to carry ont the rite.
- The d~evotees of the Greek church also use this
;" so,,op ne Moscow Dafr0vrnI and COnSflNfy.
nople.
The day OF the Passion, Good Friday In Eng
: ush, supposedly from Gods Friday" is the most
" solemn day of the year In the church. From the
beginning to the end of the three hours service
which Chrst's agony upon the
cross there Is no lifting Of the deep gloom char
~acteristic Of the occasion. Affairs and %celebrants
. are drnped in black in the Roman Catholic
= churches. In the Lutheran churches also the altar
- and puIpit are draped in black. The three hours
VA service is used in the Episcopal church, and II
- this church. as in the Roman Catholic, the hlstor!
of the Passion according to st. John Is part of TIT
Good Friday ritual. .
This is followed in the Roman Catholic cha'cl
nv the alteration Of the cross, I'M ancient cere
mony, and the mass Of the presnnctifed, so cal'et
because the elements have been consecrated tn
div before. III the Greek church also the Goo'
4 Friday fast is extremely strict and the mass yer!
4 long.
u Churches Filled to Limit.
More persons flock to the churches on Good Fri
/, day than on any other day Of the year excep
n, Easter. In some OF the churches In New YORK !
ia necessary to issue cards for the services o.
both these days. rs there Is no other way 0
q controlling the grent number OF worshipers wh
eeek admission. Despite the length and so'emnlt
az the Good Friday service the desire TO atten
n no great that It Ia no uncommon thing 10 Nc
en- deyout men and women standing In long lines J
% front Of the Offices where the cards nre distributed
fearful that they may even then be too late to ga'
y. admission. u
The most popular Of the secular customs COZ
III nected with this day Is the serving Of hot eros
buns. The genuine hot cross bun rs rainier y SUN
one. splcier than ordinary buns. and has q prov!
Ike sncary surface marked with n cross. It Is sa'
he thst tho hot cross bun IA Of pagan origin md Gu
~. he trnccd back to an ancient custom, OF worsn'l
Oh, =. IN. 0uaon az Heaven by the ent!nG OF EncrC