HEART
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HEART
other references show that hearses of thirty, twelve,
nine, and even seven candles were used. At the pres-
ent day, the' Tenebrae hearse is made to bear fifteen
candles, all of which, according to the " Caeremoniale
Episcoporum" (II, xxii, 4), should be of unbleached
wax, though in some churches a white candle is used
on the apex of the triangle. During the service, these
candles are gradually extinguished, one at the end of
each psalm, alternately on either side of the candle-
stick, beginning with the lowest. Since there are nine
psalms in the Matins and five in the Lauds, only the
highest candle of the triangle is left burning after the
psalms have all been sung. As each of the last six
verses of the Benedictus is chanted, one of the six
candles on the altar, also of unbleached wax, is extin-
guished. Likewise, all other lights in the church are
put out, except the candle on the summit of the tri-
angle. This candle is then
taken from its place, and hid-
den behind the altar, to be
brought forth again, still
lighted, at the conclusion of
the service. The symbolism of
the TenebriE hearse and its
candles is variously explained.
The triangle itself is said to
be a symbol of the Blessed
Trinity; according to some
the highest candle represents
Christ, while the other four-
teen represent the eleven
Apostles and the three Maries;
again we are told that the
centre candle is a type of the
Blessed Virgin, who alone be-
lieved in the Resurrection,
while the gradual extinction
of the others symbolizes the
waning faith of the Apostles
and Disciples. (SeeTENEBR.^.)
A Rood account of the Tenebrte
hear-se, with a discussion on the
origin of the custom of gradually
extinguishing the candles, may be
found in Thurston, Lent and Holy
Week (London, 1904); Rock. The
Church of Out Fathers, ed. Hart
andFrere (4 vols., London, 1903),
II, 399 sqq., describes and gives
illustrations of the ancient funeral
hearse. For the ceremony of extinguishing the candles and other lights, described above, see Cceremmnale Episcoporum (II. xxii. 4 sqq.). Cf. Wiseman. Four Lectures on Hoi i/ Week (Baltimore, 1854); Pope, Holy Week in the Vatican (Boston, 1874); Handbook to Christian and Ecclesiastical Rome: Liturgy (London, 1897).
Leo a. Kelly.
Heart of Jesus, Devotion to the. — The treat- ment of this subject is divided into two ]5arts: (I) Doctrinal Explanations; (II) Historical Ideas.
I. Doctrinal Explanations. — Devotion to the Sacred Heart is but a special form of devotion to Jesus. We shall kpow just what it is and what dis- tinguishes it when we ascertain its object, its founda- tions, and its proper act.
(1) Special object of the devotion to the Sacred Heart. — The nature of this question is complex and frequently becomes more complicated because of the difficulties arising from terminology. Omitting terms that are over-technical, we shall study the ideas in themselves, and, that we may the sooner find our bearings, it will be well to remember the meaning and use of the word heart in current language.
(i) The word heart awakens, first of all, the idea of a material heart, of the vital organ that throbs within our bosom, and which we vaguely realize as intimately connected not only with our own physical, but with our emotional and moral, life. Now this heart of flesli is currently accepted as the emblem of the emotional and moral life with which we associate
Funeral Hearse at the Dirge in Westminster
Abbey for Abbot Isijp
it, and hence the place assigned to the word heart in
symbolic language, as also the use of the same word
to designate those tilings symbolized by the heart.
Note, for instance, the expressions "to open one's
heart", "to give one's heart", etc. It may happen
that the symbol becomes divested of its material
meaning and that the sign is overlooked in beholding
only the thing signified. Thus, in current language,
the word soul no longer suggests the thought of
breath, and the word heart brings to mind only the
idea of courage and love. But this is perhaps a fig-
ure of speech or a metaphor, rather than a symbol.
A symbol is a real sign, whereas a metaphor is only a
verbal sign; a symbol is a thing that signifies another
thing, but a metaphor is a word used to indicate some-
thing different from its proper meaning. Finally,
in current language, we are constantly passing from
the part to the whole, and,
by a perfectly natural figure
of speech, we use the word
heart to designate a person.
These ideas will aid us in
determining the object of
the devotion to the Sacred
Heart.
(ii) The question lies be- tween the material, the meta- phorical, and the symbolic sense of the word heart; whether the object of the de- votion is the Heart of flesh, as such, or the love of Jesus Christ metaphorically signified by the word heart; or the Heart of flesh, but as symbol of the emotional and moral life of Jesus, and especially of His love for us. We reply that worship is rightly paid to the Heart of flesh, inasmuch as the latter symbolizes and recalls the love of Jesus, and His emotional and moral life. Thus, although directed to the material Heart, it does not stop there: it also includes love, that love which is its principal object, but which it reaches only in and through the Heart of flesh, the sign and symbol of this love. Devotion to the Heart of Jesus alone, as to a noble part of His Divine Body, would not be devotion to the Sacred Heart as understood and approved by the Church, and the same must also be said of devotion to the love of Jesus as detached from His Heart of flesh, or else connected therewith by no other tie than that of a word taken in the metaphori- cal sense. Hence, in the devotion, there are two ele- ments: a sensi'ijle element, the Heart of flesh, and a spiritual element, that which this Heart of flesh recalls and represents. But these two elements do not form two distinct objects, merely co-ordinated they con- stitute but one, just as do the body and soul, and the sign and the thing signified. Hence it is also under- stood that these two elements are as essential to the devotion as body and soul are essential to man. Of the two elements constituting the whole, the principal one is love, which is as much the cause of the devotion and its reason for existence as the soul is the princi- pal element in man. Consequently, devotion to the Sacred Heart may be defined as devotion to the adorable Heart of Jesus Christ in so far as this Heart represents and recalls His love; or, what amounts to the same thing, devotion to the love of Jesus Clirist in so far as this love is recalled and symbolically represented to us by His Heart of flesh.
(iii) Hence the devotion is based entirely upon the symbolism of the heart. It is this symbolism that
