Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
CONTINUED From FIRST pagel

was embalmed with incense and laid In
the tomb to await the glorious resur-
rection OF Easter day.
+ + 4 +
THE long procession assembled once
= more on Holy Saturday, and after
passing through the unlighted church
they came outdoors and witnessed the
blessing Of the new fire which was
kindled with dint and steel. Upon re.
entering the church the Pascal candle
was lighted after I'VE grains Of incense
were inserted.
Thus the symbol Of the resurrected
Christ. And forthwith all the lamps
were lighted, followed by the singing Of
IL prophecies. When the Litany Of All
Saints had been recited, the ministers
prepared for holy mass. And when the
Gloria" was intoned the Ginning bells
burst forth In Joyous peals, the church
rejoicing with Christ In His victory
over death. Vespers followed mass and
the faithful were hidden PRAISE the
LORD z ,.o 81 ys nationsl Praise HIM AL
Evening devotions ct . o'clock Wit
messed the resurrection service. The
church was decorated to give color to
the festive spirit. Spring flowers were
rampant, and they spread their love-
illness among twinkiing tapers and col
ored lights.
No sooner had the ONCE been sung
than the clergy proceeded to the holy
sepulcher ana offered incense before
the most blessed sacrament, then car
ried It In procession to the altar Of
Mount Tabor, where o solemn bene-
diction was invoked on behalf Of the
assembled visitors. That was the resur-
rection In truth. The friars took their
Lords sacramental presence from re-
cesses Of the tomb and raised 1t IN
sacred blessing over the heads Of the
kneeling faithful. with their Mother
Mary, they could rejoice and be glad.
Alleluia! for Christ Is risen as he said.
AlleluiaW
And now Easter Sunday morning!
The holy crusaders predict that this
morning the roads to Mount st.
Sepulcher win be thronged by the
faithful hosts, come to the monastery
for the great pascal day. And today
His children viii be mindful Of the
words Of the mass Of this festival, IT
am risen and am yet with thee.
This morning the first holy mass will
be chanted in the sepulcher and the
holy communion distributed to the
pilgrims who come to the mount for
Eastertide.
And In the name Of holy friars the
celebraft Of this mass viii extend
Easter greetings to all present, as well
as to their friends; to -. :--~- and far,
whoever Is unable tc .------ he aus
picious ceremonies.
AL day the pilgrims viii toll up the
slopes Of the mount. And the stream
win not cease unit the hour appointed
for the compline service. Every place
say. From distant places and neigh
boring towns our guests have come,
like the holy women Of Scripture, to
see the place where the Lord was laid'."
When eventide wells the surrounding
low-browed hills blessed calm viii de-
scend upon the clustered grounds.
And from the stiffness In those walls,
the faithful, divine truth win reach
every pilgrims ear, "We know Christ
to have truly risen. Do thou, victorious
king, have mercy on us all. Alleluia!"
And thus the friars attending Him
at the sanctuary on Mount st. Sepul-
chre, In Washington, bring the spirit
Of Eastertide to pilgrims worshiping
at the services and other people In
the city who are unable to come. One
must 60 to the Holy Land or Rome
to see o ceremony conducted In this
elaborate and deeply devout fashion.
The gracious beauty and symbolism
Of Easter Sunday is celebrated by
great many customs. The sunrise
services so popular In America are de-
rived from practices whose ancestry Is
hidden by the veil Of antiquity.
The early Saxons revered the name
Of Estre, the pagan goddess Of Spring,
while the Jews identify Easter with
for one week In April. But Is Chris
tian festival Easter was not celebrated
until SO A. D.
The traditional association Of the egg
and Spring Is grounded on the legend
and rebirth Of life. The egg Is the
source Of life was held in awe by the
ancient Egyptians. And an egg with Q
dove over It was symbol Of the ark,
and with. Jews It meant the symbol Of
departure from the land Of the Pha.
raohs. Chinese, Hindu and Hawaiian
mythology give the egg . holy place
By the rules 81 the Council 81 Nice,
held In 325 A.D., the Easter ceiebra-
ton for Christians was duly sanctined.
BY decree Easter always falls on the
FIRST Sunday following the fun moon
which comes on or next after the YER
M. equinox on March q.
During early years Of It's celebration
the festival was introduced by . fast
| OF one day, while the night preceding
was spent In prayer until the time 81
cock-crow which was taken to be the
moment of resurrection. Later the
| time was extended to 40 hours, the
Length Of time that Christ's corpse lay
ID the tomb but afterward y was
changed ~ 10 days, which wns the