Part 8 (1/2)
[Footnote 109: The opinion of Rostell (Beschreibung der Stadt Rom, B.
I, p. 400) that these phials contained the blessed eucharist under the form of wine, if admitted, would form a new proof of the real and permanent presence of Christ's blood in the B. Sacrament; yet it is a novel, unsupported, and untenable conjecture. Some of the ancient Christian Fathers complain, it is true, of the abuse of burying the eucharist with the deceased under the form of bread; but the phials of blood have been found with so many bodies, that we cannot reasonably suppose the custom to have been an abuse: and who among the ancients mentions that the eucharist was ever buried with them under the form of _wine_? That the palm-branch or crown accompanied by these phials of blood are authentic signs of martyrdom, see Raoul-Rochette's Memoires sur les pierre sepulcrales, t. XIII des Mem. de l'Academie, p. 210, 217. On one of the phials mentioned by Rostell was found the inscription Sanguis Saturnini.]
[Footnote 110: In the Vatican Library is a small relic-case, marked with the monogram, of great simplicity and consequent antiquity. There is another of ivory, adorned with bas-reliefs of the resuscitation of Lazarus, Christ's apprehension etc. Plainer, Bescher. der Stadt Rom.
B. 2. See also Rock's Hierurgia Vol. 2, cap 6.]
CHAP. VI.
ON THE CEREMONIES OF HOLY-SAt.u.r.dAY
_CONTENTS._
Service of Easter-eve--Ceremonies of holy-sat.u.r.day-morning--Sixtine chapel. 1. Blessing of the fire and incense-procession; Paschal candle--the deacon sings the _Exultet_--triple candle--2. Baptism administered on this day: communion of children in former times--prophecies--3.
The litany: invocation of Saints--change from mourning to rejoicing--High ma.s.s: sacred pictures etc.--_Alleluja_--Vespers--end of the ma.s.s: ma.s.s of Pope Marcellus--Ceremonies at S. John Laterans. Blessing of the font: baptistery--baptism of adults--litanies and confirmation--ma.s.s and ordination--Armenian catholics--their liturgy; and high ma.s.s on Easter-eve--reflections--Conclusion.
”_But now Christ is risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep_”. 1 Cor. XV, 20.
[Sidenote: Service of Easter-eve.]
I remarked in the last chapter, that anciently ma.s.s was not said either on good-friday, or holy-sat.u.r.day, and I quoted Pope Innocent I, who a.s.signs as a reason the example of the Apostles, who spent those days in mourning for their Master. It was formerly customary to celebrate ma.s.s on the night of Easter-eve or holy Sat.u.r.day. Hence when Tertullian, the oldest Latin Christian writer, endeavoured to dissuade his wife from ever marrying a pagan, in case of his own death, among other arguments he used the following; ”Who will tranquilly wait for you, when you are spending the night at the paschal solemnities?”
S. Jerome also (in cap. 25 Matt.) says, that according to apostolic tradition, the people did not leave the church on Easter-eve before midnight. This custom continued for many ages; but Hugh of S. Victor in the twelfth century says, that in his time, in order to avoid weakness arising from long fasting, the hour anciently observed was antic.i.p.ated. The service, which is now performed before noon on holy Sat.u.r.day, was formerly a.s.signed to the night of Easter-eve: and this antic.i.p.ation accounts for the occasional mention of night, which it contains, as well as for the early celebration of Christ's resurrection.
[Sidenote: Ceremonies of holy sat.u.r.day.]
The ceremonies of holy sat.u.r.day-morning may be arranged under three heads: 1st. the blessing of the fire and of the paschal candle: 2nd.
the preparation for, and ceremonies of, baptism: 3rd. the litany and ma.s.s. All three allude, as we shall see, to the resurrection of Christ, which is the great object of our devotion on this day. In Rome two sanctuaries are the great centres of attraction in the morning, viz. S. John Lateran's on account of the baptism of adults, and the Sixtine chapel, where the service is always beautiful, and particularly on this day. We shall first give an account of the ceremonies observed in the latter, and shall then describe the additional interesting rites of S. John Lateran's.
[Sidenote: Sixtine chapel: 1. Blessing of fire and incense.]
1. As the missal prescribes, the altar is covered at a convenient hour, and the candles of the altar are not lighted till the beginning of the ma.s.s. A light, from which the charcoal for the incense is enkindled, is struck from a flint in the sacristy; where also _M.
Sagrista_ privately blesses water. The cardinals enter the Sixtine chapel vested in their purple _cappe_: the maces are reversed, as on friday. Meantime in the sacristy the Card. Celebrant wearing a purple cope and mitre, and a.s.sisted by the sacred ministers, blesses (as usually with holy water and incense) the fire and the five grains of incense, which are to be fixed in the paschal candle[111].
[Sidenote: Procession: Paschal candle.]
The Cardinal afterwards changes his cope for a chasuble, which is purple as well as that of the subdeacon; but the deacon, as he is going to bless the Paschal candle[112], wears a white dalmatic. They then enter the Sixtine chapel; where, having put incense into the thurible, the Cardinal remains: but the deacon, the subdeacon who carries the cross, and the other ministers go to the Pauline chapel, whence a procession returns in the following order. After two mace bearers comes an acolythe with the five grains of incense, and another with the thurible; then the subdeacon carrying the cross; and the deacon with a reed, at the top of which are 3 candles united together.
At his left hand is a Master of ceremonies with a small candle lighted from the blessed fire, and he is followed by two other acolythes.
When the deacon arrives near the door of the _cancellata_, one of the three candles is lighted, and all genuflect, except the subdeacon: the deacon then sings, _Lumen Christi_, the light of Christ, and the choir answers, Thanks be to G.o.d. The other two candles are lighted in turn, as the Deacon approaches nearer to the altar; singing the same words each time, but gradually in a higher tone. He then gives the reed to an acolythe; and before he sings the _exultet_ or blessing of the Paschal candle, he receives the benediction of the Card. Celebrant, who once more puts incense into the thurible.
[Sidenote: Deacon sings the _Exultet_:]
[Sidenote: triple candle]
The deacon[113] goes to the book, and has the subdeacon on his right hand, and on his left the thurifer and two acolythes, one of whom holds the reed, and the other the plate containing the five grains of incense. All stand, as at the gospel: he incenses the book, and then sings the _Exultet_[114]. After the words _curvat imperia_, he fixes in the candle the five grains of incense in the form of a cross[115].
At the words ”_ignis accendit_” he lights the paschal candle with one of the _three_ lights[116]. When the blessing, as it is called, is ended, the paschal candle is left lighted near the pulpit and the seats of the Card. deacons, and the triple candle is placed near the altar on the gospel-side[117]. The deacon then takes off his white vestments, puts on others of a purple colour, and joins the Card, celebrant, who accompanied by the ministers takes his seat on _Faldistorio_ near the altar on the epistle-side, to hear the prophecies recited.
[Sidenote: 2. Baptism administered.]