'STAND FAST IN THE FAITH'

New Zealand Tablet, 6 March 1913, Page 3

'STAND FAST IN THE FAITH'

(A Weekly Instruction specially written for the N.Z. Tablet by ' Ghimel.') THE CEREMONIES OF HOLY WEEK: lII.—HOLY THURSDAY. This day commemorates the institution of the Blessed Eucharist, and, notwithstanding the prevailing sense of sorrow, the Church cannot but give expression to her joy in and her thanksgiving for this supreme pledge of love. Hence the altar is decorated with many lights and flowers, the purple on the crucifix and tabernacle gives place to the white, the richest vestments are worn, and the earlier part of the Mass is accompanied by joyful music. It will have been noticed, too, as characteristic of this day that one priest only says Mass in each church, the others merely receiving Holy Communion. The reason for this custom 'seems to be due to the wish to reproduce as far as possible the conditions under which our Blessed Lord first said Mass in the midst of His Apostles. It must be remembered also that in the primitive Church the normal condition of things was that the Bishop should alone offer the Holy Sacrifice on while his priests assisted and communicated at his Mass, or perhaps concelebrated with him.' The most striking features of the ritual of Holy Thursday are the Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Blessing of the Oils. A word about each: The Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. —Two large Hosts are consecrated at this Mass, one to be consumed at the Mass itself by the celebrant, the other to serve for the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified on the following day. Just before the distribution of Holy Communion takes place, this second Host is placed in the chalice which will be used in the rite of the next day. The chalice is then covered with a pall and the inverted paten, and is enveloped in a veil of white silk. At the end of Mass, the chalice with its divine burden is brought by the celebrant and attendant ministers in solemn procession to some side altar or chapel, where it is surrounded with every mark of honor and kepttill the Mass of the morrow. During the procession the beautiful hymn, ' Pange Lingua,' composed by St. Thomas Aquinas (13th century), is very appropriately sung. Here are three of the stanzas: Of the glorious Body telling, Now, my tongue, its mysteries sing, And the Blood, all price excelling, Which the world's Eternal King, > In a Virgin's womb once dwelling, Shed for this world's ransoming. Giv'n for us and condescending To be born for us below, He, with men in converse blending, Dwelt, the seed of truth to sow, Till He closed, in wondrous ending, His appointed life of woe. That last night, at supper lying, With the Apostolic band, Jesus, with the law complying, Keeps the Feast its rites command; Then to them, as food undying, Gives Himself with His own Hand. The Blessing of the Holy Oils. —The Bishop blesses three kinds of oil on this day—the oil of the sick, to be used in anointing the sick and the dying the oil of catechumens for Baptisms and the ordination of priests; chrism, used in Confirmation and in the consecration of bishops, churches, chalices, bells, etc. • The blessing of the oil of the sick comes first and is brief. After the prayer in the Canon ! Nobis quoque peccatoribus' the Bishop leaves the altar and goes to the table prepared for the ceremony of blessing. One of the subdeacons brings .in the vessel of oil, and the Bishop, after reciting a form of exorcism over it, blesses

it, praying that this fatness of the olive may have virtue to heal all infirmities of mind and body. The consecration of the chrism and the oil of catechumens takes place after the Communion. The Bishop again comes to the table, surrounded by his clergy (twelve priests, seven deacons, and seven subdeacons, where possible), ‘as though (the rubric says) they were his witnesses and fellow-workers in this service of the sacred chrism.’ The vessels of oil and balsam are brought from the sacristy, whilst a hymn of very ancient date, the ‘0 Eedemptor,’ is being sung. The chrism is the first to be blessed. The balsam used for making it is blessed and afterwards mixed with a small quantity of the oil. The Bishop then breathes thrice in the form of a cross over the mouth of the vessel, and in this ceremony he is followed by each of the assistant priests. The oil is then exorcised, the balsam is put into the blessed oil with a prayer, and the Bishop followed by the attendant priests, salutes the sacred chrism three times with the words ‘ Ave Sanctum Chrisma.’ The blessing of the oil of catechumens is simple. An exorcism is followed by a prayer asking that the' use of this oil may procure absolution of mind and body, so that there be no place for spiritual wickedness, no occasion given to relapsing virtue, no power of concealment left to lurking sins.’ The holy oil is then saluted and the vessel kissed.