THE volume which is here presented to the reader does not, I think,
require any lengthy introduction. Its chief purpose is to supply a
popular account of those external observances by which the season
of paschal preparation is marked off from the rest of the
ecclesiastical year. Although a devotional conception has not been
excluded, the writer's principal object has been to touch upon
points of historical and liturgical interest, points which often
bring us into immediate relation with the practice of the early
Christian centuries. The discipline of fasting, the lenten liturgy,
and in particular the ceremonies of Holy Week, have all been
treated with some degree of fulness, while an attempt has also been
made to trace the history of certain devotions of more recent date,
such as the Quarant' Ore and the 'Three Hours.' The book is not in
any way controversial. Although written from a Catholic standpoint,
it does not pretend to do more than supply a plain statement of
liturgical facts, such as would be accepted by the more scientific
students of every communion. The volume is more bulky than I had
intended, and it would of course have been easily possible to make
it many times longer than it is; but it seemed necessary to keep
within reasonable limits, and with the exception of an occasional
reference, such as that, for instance, to Easter eggs and pancakes
on p. 476, or the flowering of the graves on p. 209, I have thought
it better to refrain from the tempting theme of Volksgebrauche. For
a similar reason, ceremonies now obsolete have not as a rule been
discussed at any great length. If the account given of the Easter
Sepulchre might seem to be an exception, the intimate connexion of
that rite with the existing Quarant' Ore, as well as its relation
to the early history of the drama, (see page 457), may perhaps be
deemed sufficient justification. "IF we would understand the full
significance of the great Resurrection Feast, we must not merely
study the liturgy of the eight days which follow Palm Sunday, but
we must begin further back and pass in review the incidents of the
long penitential season which serves as an introduction to the
whole. What Holy Week is to Easter, that Lent is to Holy Week. Just
as the meaning of Easter will only be fully comprehended by one who
has tried to enter into the spirit of the days which precede, so
the solemnities of Holy Week form both the climax and the
justification of the change of ritual introduced nearly two months
earlier." This work is an excellent preparation for Easter during
Lent.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
