Sunday Corner.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 49, 6 April 1894, Page 16

Sunday Corner.

CALENDAR— APRIL B—ls.

Sunday, April B— Second Sunday after Baster. Monday, April 9— S. Benedic, abbot (from 21st March). Tuesday, April 10— S. Frigidiao, bishop, confessor (from 22ad March) Wednesday, Apr- 1 11— H. Leo the Grett Thursday, April I'l — S. Julius, pope and coDfrssor. Friday, April l;{— S. Hernaem-giliiu", king, martyr. Saturday, April 11— S Jußtm, maityr. The special devotion of tbe month of April is the Rission of our Lord. Eacti month v dedicated to a particular dovotion. Thus January to tbo Holy Infancy, February to the Holy Family, March to 8. Joseph, April to the l',.«aion of our Lord, May l > our Lady, June to the Bacred Hearr, .July to ilio Precious Blood, August to the Heart of Mary, September to Divine Providence, October to tbe Holy Angels, November to the Souls in Purgatory. December to the Immaculate Concep ion. The Church nukes use of different colours in tbe various ornaments and vestments in order to excite the required dispositions in the breasts of the fatihful, according to the occasions and festivals celebrated. There are five colours ÜB»'d— white, red, purple, green, and black. The white reminds us of inncoeoca, and ib made use of on all grand and imping festivals, 6uch as Kascer, Chmtmap, the feasis of tbe Blessed Virgin Mary, and upon all solemn and special occasions. Red reminds us of charity, and is used especially upon the feasts of eaints who are tnaityrs— the red also reclling to mind tte blood that they shed for their faith, the great, loving sacrifice of their lives, which they willingly made in ordtr in Borne way to merit the still greater seenfice of tbe life of Christ for them. The purple reminds us of penance and hope; it is used during Advent and Lent those seiiaons when we are expected io prepare for tha great festivals of Christmas and Easter by Ustß, vigils, prayers, and penance j and it tells of the hope that we have held out to us by the coming into the world and ibe death and resuirection of Christ. Tbe green represents fnitb, evergreen and lively, and is used from tbe Octave of tbe Epiphany to Septuagesima, and from the Octave of Pentecost to Advent, when there is no rtason t r any oher colour. The black, tha sign of mourning, recalls the thought of our destiny upon earth— tbe grave. It is ustu in all services for tbe dead, and upon Good Friday. It rcapeaks the union beyond tbe grave, the power of prayer, the communion of fcaintp, tbe temporal punishment after death, the darkness of the tomb, tbe hope, beyond it. The sombre pomp of the funeral service giviß to the Catholic rites a special meaning, tells tbe mourners of their own last end, warns the erring that Divine mercy has yet reserved for them moments for repentance and preparation, proclaims to the thoughiless that they, too, sooner or later, mast bo brought to the same spot ; (or them also one day the priest must den the v..Btnnntß of black, and chant the Libera. Yes ; everything in the Catholic Church speaks. The ornaments, the Virry colours of tbe , vestments, and those vestments themselves.— Exchange.