The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-27
Catholic Thought And Opinion
By REV. JOSEPH F. DONNELLY

Sacrament, offered the First Mass and ordained His first priests.
 On that Holy night in the Gen. acle, or the Supper Room. the Son of the living God took bread and wine into His hands and changed them into His Body and Blood. At the end of the sacred ceremony he commanded His followers to go and do likewise in commemoration of Him. Thus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament has resided upon our al- tars, and every Catholic Church from the mighty and artistic cath edral to the most humble and poor chapel has become the lasting home of the Goldman.
 There is but one Mass in the church on this day. The bells are silent after the "Gloria". The kiss of peace is not given in detestation of Judas salutation of Our Lord.
 On Friday there will be no Mass, only the commemoration of Christ'a death. So at this Mass on Thurs day there are conSecrated two large hosts instead of one and the sec- ond Is carried in solemn process sion to the altar of repose and It will be brought back to the mair altar to be offered to God on Fri. day.
 GOOD FRIDAY
 Friday is the most sad and solemn of the days of Holy Week. All thc altars of the church have been bare since the previous day. The cruci- fix is yelled and the candles arc not lighted when the priest comes to the sanctuary robed in black and postrates himself before the altar.
 During the ceremonies the Pas sion of Our Lord is recalled, ofl cial prayers of the church are off, fered for all classes of people, the cross is unveiled and venerated, the Blessed Sacrament is brought in solemn procession from the reposi- tory to the main altar and after being adored by those present It h consumed by the celebrant and the ceremony comes abruptly to an end HOLY SATURDAY
 In the early church the ceremonies of Holy Saturday did not begin until D. m. and the sacrifice of the Mass celebrated at midnight be- long to the morning of Easter Sun day rather than to Holy Saturday Through the centuries the cere- monies have for practical reasons been moved back so that what tho church does today on Saturday morning was done originally through the long hours of prayer and instruction which were sacred ly kept through the evening and night of Saturday, and the Mass offered today on Saturday morning is really the dawn Mass of Easter Sunday.
 The major parts of the ceremony on Holy Saturday morning are the blessing of the new fire, the solemn blessing of the Paschal candle, the reading of the l2 long lessons or prophecies, the blessing of the Eas- ter water and the baptismal water the Litany of the Saints and the first Mass of Easter.
 TENEBRAE
 Among the unusual ceremonies of Holy Week is that of Tenebrae which is conducted on the evenings of Wednesday. Thursday and Fri day. It Is the public chanting oi 8 part of the Divine Office said by priests, monks and some conmuni- ties of sisters every day.
 The impressive part of the serv- ice is the candleStick containing fifteen lighted candles. At the end of each lesson of the office a candle is extlnguished. The last candle ii not extinguished but is hidden be- hind the altar to signify the Divinity of Christ hidden during these days of His passion. During this, the solemn moment of the Tenebrae the master of ceremonies noisily raps the altar to signify the confusion of nature at the death of Christ.