The worship of the Church, and the beauty of holiness

by J. A. Regester

The Biretta is a square cap of black silk, or other stuff, worn by the clergy in out-of-door functions.

Hoods are symbols of university degrees attained by the wearer. They are not strictly ecclesiastical. Each college or university has its own hood for each degree conferred.

The Sign of the Cross.—At the Ministration of Baptism the Church directs that the sign of the Cross shall be made upon the forehead of the baptized person, and declares that it knows "no worthy cause of scruple concerning the same." In this it follows the mind of the primitive Church, in which there was, "even in apostolic times, a reverend estimation of the sign of the Cross, which the Christians shortly after used in all their actions," as a sign that "they were not ashamed to acknowledge Him for their Lord and Saviour who died for them upon the Cross." With the same "reverend estimation," "in token that they are not ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified," and in remembrance that all blessings have been purchased by the "death of the Cross," it is also used by many persons at various parts of the public service, as, for instance, at the beginning and close of the service, at the end of the Creed, at a Blessing, or at an Absolution.

Sponsors in Baptism.—The Church requires that "there shall be for every Male-child to be baptized, when they can be had, two Godfathers and one Godmother; and for every Female, one Godfather and two Godmothers." The origin of this office is obscure. It may have been adopted from a Jewish custom connected with the admission of heathen children, or it may have arisen spontaneously out of the social conditions of the Church.

The object in view is "to insure the subsequent education and training in Christian truth and duty which is necessary to the full benefit of the grace conferred in this holy Sacrament."

Sponsors are so called "because they respond or answer for the child to be baptized. They are called 'sureties' because they give security to the Church that the child shall be virtuously brought up; 'godfathers,' and 'godmothers,' because of the spiritual relationship into which they are brought with one another, with the parents, and with the child."

"Formerly parents were not admitted as sponsors, since they are sponsors in fact and by nature, and therefore no vow can increase their obligation of duty toward the child. But while the Church prefers that there should be three sponsors for every child, in addition to the parents, in order to insure by a fivefold promise the future guardianship of the infant soul, she yet permits parents to stand as sponsors in order to accommodate every variety of circumstance and need, and to save the office of sponsor from ever being merely a formal or perfunctory thing."

The Ring in Marriage.—"The use of the wedding-ring was probably adopted by the early Church from the marriage customs which were familiar to Christians in their previous life as Jews or heathen." A ring, or something equivalent, seems to have been given at marriage by the man to the woman from patriarchal days. The ancient custom of the Church was for the bridegroom to place the ring upon the thumb of the bride, saying, "In the Name of the Father"; then upon the second finger, saying, "and of the Son"; then upon the third finger, saying, "and of the Holy Ghost"; and then upon the fourth finger, saying, "Amen." "It was an old belief that a particular vein proceeded from the fourth finger to the heart." The ring, being of gold, and having neither beginning nor end, is not only a "token and pledge" of the vow and covenant made in marriage, but is also a symbol of the purity and unbroken constancy with which they should be "surely performed and kept."

Observance of the Church Year.—The Church Year was a very natural development for the early Christians, familiar with the great annual festivals of the ancient Jewish Church. By a series of anniversaries and holy-days, with suitable services, the different seasons of the year were in like manner made to serve a Christian purpose. Time as it passes thus becomes a perpetual memorial of the events of our Saviour's life, and of the work and virtue of the Apostles and other saints.

The year is divided into eight great seasons: Advent, Christmas-tide, Epiphany-tide, Lent, Easter-tide, Ascension-tide, Whitsuntide, and the Trinity season. Of these Whitsuntide is the shortest, lasting but one week. The Trinity season, including from twenty-three to twenty-eight weeks, is the longest. The four greater Festivals are Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Whitsunday. The penitential seasons are Advent, preceding Christmas, and Lent, preceding Easter. The two great Fasts are Ash-Wednesday, at the beginning of Lent, and Good Friday, the day of our Lord's crucifixion. Other days of fasting and abstinence are the forty days of Lent, all the Fridays in the year, the Ember-days (the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday before the four stated Times of Ordination to the holy ministry), and the Rogation-days (the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day).