The Worship of the Church Part 6

St. James the Greater has the escallop sh.e.l.l and staff of the pilgrim.

His shrine in Spain was one of the great centers to which pilgrims came from all lands.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Apostle symbols--S. Peter, S. Andrew, S. James ye more, S. Johan, S. Thomas, S. James ye less.]

St. John, as an Apostle, has a cup with a winged serpent rising from it, in reference to the tradition {86} that St. John once drank with impunity from a poisoned chalice after having made the sign of the Cross over it.

St. Thomas bears the spear with which he was slain, or the carpenter's rule, from a legend that he was sent to the king of the Indies to build him a palace. St. Thomas gave to the poor the money intrusted to him by the king. He was cast into prison, but the king had a vision of a marvelous palace in Paradise built for him by the money given in charity. St. Thomas was released, and the king became a Christian.

St. Peter has the keys, in reference to our Lord's words to him, and to his opening of the door of the Church to Jews and to Gentiles.

St. Matthew, as an Apostle, has sometimes a purse, in allusion to his having been a publican, or tax-gatherer, and sometimes the hatchet with which he was killed.

The other Apostles have, for symbols, the traditional instruments of their martyrdom: St. Andrew bears the cross peculiar to him; St.

Bartholomew the knife with which he was flayed alive; St. James the Less has the fuller's club with which he was beaten to death; St.

Philip has the cross on which he was crucified, St. Matthias bears a battle-ax: {87} St. Jade a halberd, or a knotted club, sometimes fashioned like a cross, with which he was slain; St. Simon the saw with which he was cut asunder.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Apostle symbols--S. Phylyppa, S. Barthylimew, S.

Matthew, S. Jude, S. Symon, S. Mathyas.]

The symbol of St. Paul is the sword with which he was beheaded, and a closed book, in reference to his Epistles. St. Stephen, the first martyr, bears the stones with which he was killed while he prayed for those who hurled them.

_Of Angelic figures._--It is not surprising, in view of the references of Holy Scripture, that representations of angels should have place in the decoration of Christian churches. "The religion of heaven is Christianity." "I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and {88} thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."

Angels are included in the Communion of Saints. "Ye are come ... unto the city of the living G.o.d, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general a.s.sembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven."

It is the constant tradition of the Church that the holy angels attend at Christian worship. It is one of the highest privileges of that worship that we have such communion with them as to be able to say, "Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Thy glorious Name; evermore praising Thee, and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord G.o.d of hosts, Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory: Glory be to Thee, O Lord Most High. Amen."

_The Symbolism of Colors._--In the ornamentation of vestments and of the hangings of the Altar, as also in the general decoration of churches, all colors are employed as good taste may dictate. They are thus properly used "for the glory of G.o.d, who created the many hues of nature and gave to man the power of deriving pleasure from them." {89} Certain colors, however, are known as "liturgical" or "ecclesiastical"

colors, and are, in accordance with ancient practice, employed for symbolical purposes about the Altar and chancel of our churches, or the dress of Ministers, during the different seasons of the Church Year.

They serve to impress upon our minds, through the outward senses, certain great truths of the Gospel, and give honor and dignity to the celebration of its sacred mysteries.

The colors most commonly used are white, red, violet, black, and green.

White, signifying purity and joy, is used on the Feasts of the great mysteries of our Faith and at all seasons relating to our Lord, on days relating to the Blessed Virgin and to those saints who were not also martyrs, and on festival occasions, such as Confirmations, Ordinations, Dedications, Weddings, etc.

Red, the emblem of blood and fire, is used on the Feasts of martyrs, typifying the blood which was shed for Christ, and at Whitsuntide, when it tells of the tongues of fire which came upon the Apostles.

Violet, the emblem of penitence, is used in Advent, in the season from Septuagesima to Lent, in Lent, and also on Ember and Rogation days.

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Black signifies mourning, and is used on Good Friday and at Burials.

Green, the ordinary color of nature, is used on all days which are not Feasts or Fasts and when no special truth or doctrine is to be emphasized.

_The Symbolism of Lights._--The symbolic use of lights in divine worship seems to have been handed on from the Jewish Temple to the Christian Church. The candles upon the Altar, as in use in many churches, whether the two Eucharistic lights or the vesper lights, not only give beauty and festival character to the service, but are an expressive sign of spiritual gladness and joy, and a symbol, suggested by His own words, of Christ as the true "light of the world." They remind us of the gladness and spiritual illumination which the Gospel brings.

_The Symbolism of Incense._--Where incense is employed as an adjunct of worship, its symbolism is the same as that which it had in the worship of the Temple. It is the symbol of prayer, of the intercession of our great High Priest, and of the prayers of the saints. So the Psalmist prays, "Let my prayer be set forth in Thy sight as the incense"; and so again, St. John, describing the ceremonial of the worship of heaven as seen in his vision, says, {91} "Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before G.o.d out of the angel's hand."

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_How to Use the Prayer-Book_[1]

_Before the Service._--If possible be in your place a few moments before the appointed hour, that you may collect your thoughts and prepare for the service. On entering, go at once quietly to your seat, kneel down, and say a short prayer for yourself and your fellow-worshipers. The Collect for the Nineteenth or the Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity, or the Collect, "Almighty G.o.d, unto whom all hearts are open," at the beginning of the Communion Office, you may find appropriate. When you have said your prayer, find the places for the service for the day, and after this occupy the {93} time till the service begins with reading some portion from the Prayer-Book.

_At Morning Prayer._--The following points should have attention:

(1) The several ways in which, after the opening Sentence, the Minister may proceed with the service. See the rubrics at the beginning of MORNING PRAYER.

(2) In the LORD'S PRAYER (as is also the case with other prayers printed in like manner) the capital letters beginning the several short clauses are intended to indicate the portions into which the prayer is to be broken for common recitation. There should be a slight pause after each clause, that all may join in saying the prayer.

(3) On the nineteenth day of the month the _Venite_ is not used before the PSALTER, as it occurs in the portion for that day. It is omitted on Easter Day and Thanksgiving Day, as other anthems are appointed for these days (pages 6, 125, 319).

(4) After the _Venite_ follows (page 6) the PSALTER (page 329) for the day of the month, or one of the SELECTIONS, or the PROPER PSALMS for the day. See HOW THE PSALTER IS APPOINTED TO BE READ (page vii). Note what is to be done, in using the PSALTER, when a month has thirty-one days. {94} Observe also the tables of SELECTIONS and PROPER PSALMS (pages vii, viii, 328).

(5) Study the use of the COLLECT FOR THE DAY--where found (pages 52-188, 188-220), how used: "Except when the Communion Service is read"

(page 13). "The Collect shall serve all the Week after, where not otherwise ordered." "The Collect for any Sunday or other Feast may be used at the Evening Service of the day before" (page 52). Note the use throughout the season of the COLLECT FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

Throughout Lent is used, in like manner, the COLLECT FOR ASH-WEDNESDAY (page 86). Observe the use of the COLLECT FOR CHRISTMAS DAY (page 62), and that the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for St. Stephen's Day, St.

John the Evangelist's Day, the Innocents' Day, and for the Circ.u.mcision, are not among those for the Saints'-days, but placed in connection with those for Christmas Day and the Sunday after. Note rubrics (pages 66, 69, 71, 87, 141).

(6) When two Feasts or Holy-days fall upon the same day, the usual custom is to make a "commemoration" of the day omitted by using the COLLECT of that day immediately after the COLLECT of the Feast or Holy-day that is observed.

"If there be more than twenty-five Sundays after {95} Trinity, the service of some of those Sundays that were omitted after the Epiphany shall be taken in to supply so many as are wanting. And if there be fewer than twenty-five Sundays, the overplus shall be omitted" (page 188).

(7) Observe the use of the OCCASIONAL PRAYERS, and the place in the service where they are to be said, if used. Note that some must be used at specified times (page 37).

(8) Observe the use of the THANKSGIVINGS--where to be said in the service, if used (page 44).

(9) There are several ways in which the Minister may end the MORNING PRAYER: "On any day not a Sunday, he may end the MORNING PRAYER with the COLLECT FOR GRACE and 2 COR. XIII. 14." The prayers following that "for the President of the United States" "shall be omitted when the LITANY is said, and may be omitted when the HOLY COMMUNION is immediately to follow" (pages 1, 14).

_At Morning Prayer on Certain Days._--(1) For Ash-Wednesday a PENITENTIAL OFFICE is provided (page 48), and must be read immediately after the prayer, "We humbly beseech Thee, O Father," in the LITANY.

(2) For Thanksgiving Day a special FORM OF {96} PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING TO ALMIGHTY G.o.d is appointed (page 319).

_After the Service._--When the service is ended, after the procession has gone out, kneel down and say a prayer. Do not omit this if for any cause you are obliged to leave before the conclusion of the service.

You will find many of the Collects--such as that for the First Sunday after Epiphany, or the Second Sunday after Easter, or the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, or those at the end of the Communion Office--in every way appropriate.

_At evening Prayer._--(1) Note the several ways in which the Minister may proceed after the opening Sentence. On Sundays, he may say, "Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty G.o.d," and pa.s.s to the GENERAL CONFESSION. Or else he may say, "Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture," etc. "On days other than the Lord's Day, he may, at his discretion, pa.s.s at once to the LORD'S PRAYER" (pages 16, 19).

(2) Note that the COLLECT FOR THE DAY _must_ be said (page 27).

(3) EVENING PRAYER is said in full or may be ended after the COLLECT FOR AID (page 27).

(4) What has been said of the use of the OCCASIONAL PRAYERS and of the THANKSGIVINGS in {97} MORNING PRAYER is equally applicable to EVENING PRAYER.

_At the Litany._--(1) The LITANY is said ordinarily after MORNING PRAYER on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (page 30). A part may be omitted (page 33).