Wednesday.—In the earliest ages of the Christian Church its devotions were always characterized by both weekly and annual fasts. During the week the first Christians always kept two fasts; one on Wednesday, the day on which our Lord was betrayed, and the other on Friday, the day on which He was crucified. Both the English and American Churches have perpetuated this custom by appointing Wednesday and Friday of each week as Litany Days.
Western Church.—A term frequently met with in Church history and denoting the Churches which formerly made part of the western empire of Rome, i.e., the Church in western Europe,—Italy, Spain, France, etc. The Church of England is also included under this term as being a branch of the Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Whitsun Day.—A high Festival observed in the Church on the fiftieth day after Easter, in commemoration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost as "they were all with one accord in one place" in Jerusalem. Whitsun Day is the Birthday of the Christian Church, and as such it has been commemorated for nearly two thousand years by Christian people and observed by them with holy joy and deep thanksgiving for the fulfilment of our Lord's promise to send the Comforter to His comfortless people. {276}
By the devotions of Whitsun Day we have brought to our remembrance, in the most beautiful and striking manner, the operations of God by the Spirit's power. By Proper Psalms, Proper Lessons and Eucharistic Scriptures, and by Proper Preface in the Communion Service, we learn how that in the Holy Ghost and His Presence in the Church we have the great power and renewing grace of God made availing to us. The ecclesiastical color is red as symbolical of the "cloven tongues like as of fire," in which form the Holy Ghost lighted on the head of each of the Apostles. (See HOLY GHOST.)
As to the derivation of the word "Whitsun" there seems to be great uncertainty and difference of opinion. Some derive it from the word white, shortened to "whit," in reference to the diffusions of light and knowledge which on this day were shed upon the Apostles, in order to the enlightening of the world; also in reference to this being the time of Baptism in the ancient Church, each candidate being clothed with white garments. Others derive it from the old Saxon word wit, meaning wisdom which is the special gift of the Holy Ghost. Again others derive it from the word Pentecost, the original name of the Festival, through the German Pfingsten, hence Pingsten, changed in the Saxon to Wingsten, and this being corrupted into Whitsun, meaning, therefore the same as Pentecost, that is, the fiftieth day. (This last seems to be the most probable derivation as is seen in the use of the terms Whitsun Monday, Whitsun Tide, etc.)
This Festival is of especial interest to Churchmen {277} as it was on Whitsun Day, June 9th, 1549, that the Book of Common Prayer, in English, was first used. "That day was doubtless chosen," says a beautiful writer, "as a devout acknowledgment that the Holy Ghost was with the Church of England in the important work then taken. May He ever preserve these devotional offices from the attacks of enmity or unwisdom, and continue them in that line of Catholic unity wherein He has guided the Church hitherto to keep them."
Whitsun Monday; Whitsun Tuesday.—Two days observed with great
solemnity as the continuation of the High Festival of Whitsun Day.
For the origin and appointment of these days see EASTER MONDAY and
TUESDAY.
Whitsun Tide.—The week beginning with Whitsun Day is so called.
During this week the Whitsun Ember Days are observed, (Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday), as a preparation for Trinity Sunday, one of
the stated times of Ordination.
Wine.—One of the elements used in the celebration of the Holy Communion as our Lord commanded. It is to be noticed that unfermented grape juice, raisin water, and the like do not constitute the proper element in the Holy Communion, and if these are used the Sacrament is not valid. In the General Convention which met in Chicago in 1886, the House of Bishops declared by resolution that "the use of unfermented wine was unwarranted by the example of our Lord, and contrary to the custom of the Catholic Church." This was still more strongly affirmed by the Lambeth Conference which met in 1888, in the {278} following resolution: "That the Bishops assembled in this conference declare that the use of unfermented juice of the grape or any other liquid other than true Wine diluted or undiluted, as the element in the Administration of the Cup in Holy Communion, is unwarranted by the example of our Lord and is an unauthorized departure from the custom of the Catholic Church." This declaration by both these bodies was called forth by the agitation of the "Temperance people."
Woman's Auxiliary, The.—This is a Society, as its name indicates, composed of the women of the Church which acts as an auxiliary to the DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY (which see), and by the labors and generous gifts of its members supplements the work of the general Society. There is also a Junior Department including the younger women of the Church who have become interested in missionary work. Besides systematic efforts to raise money for the work of missions, the members prepare boxes of clothing and household necessities for the families of missionaries. The Auxiliary is very helpful and has enlisted the faithful labors of Christian women in fifty-nine dioceses and twenty-one missionary districts. An idea of the work accomplished by this organization may be gained by considering the report made for the year ending September 1st, 1900, from which it is learned that the Woman's Auxiliary contributed that year the noble sum of $210,841.55, and prepared and sent out 4,680 boxes valued at $191,434.96, making a total for the year of $402,276.51. It may be interesting to note that the UNITED OFFERING placed {279} on the Altar by the Woman's Auxiliary at the Triennial meeting held in San Francisco during the General Convention of 1901, amounted to the handsome sum of $104,295.53. The Headquarters of the Society are in the Church Missions House, New York City.