bulk disesases over

In this incident you have the origin of Palm Sunday. It is the first day of Holy Week, the week which is dedicated by the Catholic Church to the commemo ration of the sufferings and death of Jesus. With the early church throughout Europe it was the custom to lay the branches of a tree upon the altar on this day, and as the palm tree does not grow in Europe, the box, the yew, and especially the willow tree, were used instead. The branches were blessed by the priest, sprinkled with holy water, and then carried in pro cession through the town. As part of this procession it was sometimes arranged to have a figure representing Jesus sitting upon an ass either a living figure or one made of wood, sitting upon a wooden animal. This wooden effigy was drawn along upon wheels, and the people in the street scattered the consecrated branches before it. Flowers were sometimes used as well as the branches of trees. It is a beautiful ceremony, this blessing of flowers and treebranches upon Palm Sunday in memory of Christs entry into Jerusalem, and it is one to interest all you . But in the Middle Ages a great many unworthy things, such as the selling of palm branches in order to avert diseases, became associated 39 Palm Sunday. with Palm Sunday. Indeed, that whole week, the week that should have been so solemn and sacred, was turned into an occasion of feasting and frivolity. At the Reformation many of these unworthy things were abolished, and the ceremonies in connection with Palm Sunday were considerably modified here in England. Yet in some parts of the country it is still a custom to go apalming that is to say, to gather willowbranches on the day before Palm Sunday. With the Roman Catholic Church, however, and especially in the ceremonies at Rome during Holy Week, an important place is given to Palm Sunday. The officiating priest blesses the branches, which are then distributed. In the solemn mass that follows, the people in the congregation hold the branches in their hands to the end of the service. In most cases these consecrated branches are taken home and preserved during the year then they are burned and the ashes used upun Ash Wednesday. MAUNDY THURSDAY. THERE is another day in Holy Week that has old and interesting ceremonies connected with it. This is Maundy Thursday, which always falls, of course, on the day before Good Friday. It is the day which is set apart to commemorate the humility and tender lovingkindness of Jesus during that week of his suffering and death. You remember that, after the Master with his disciples, had partaken of supper in that upper room in Jerusalem, He rose up and laid aside his garments. Then He took a towel and girded himself. After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded. In this beautiful act of humility you have the origin of Maundy Thursday and its odd name is derived from the circumstance that, in the Ancient Church, the anthem Maudatum novum was sung at the ceremony. For the Early Church consecrated this day to acts 43

You will not believe how easy it is - the before and after are crazy