all see, to the resurrection of
Christ, which is the great object of our devotion on this day. In Rome
two sanctuaries are the great centres of attraction in the morning,
viz. S. John Lateran's on account of the baptism of adults, and
the Sixtine chapel, where the service is always beautiful, and
particularly on this day. We shall first give an account of the
ceremonies observed in the latter, and shall then describe the
additional interesting rites of S. John Lateran's.

[Sidenote: Sixtine chapel: 1. Blessing of fire and incense.]

1. As the missal prescribes, the altar is covered at a convenient
hour, and the candles of the altar are not lighted till the beginning
of the mass. A light, from which the charcoal for the incense is
enkindled, is struck from a flint in the sacristy; where also _M.
Sagrista_ privately blesses water. The cardinals enter the Sixtine
chapel vested in their purple _cappe_: the maces are reversed, as on
friday. Meantime in the sacristy the Card. Celebrant wearing a purple
cope and mitre, and assisted by the sacred ministers, blesses (as
usually with holy water and incense) the fire and the five grains of
incense, which are to be fixed in the paschal candle[111].

[Sidenote: Procession: Paschal candle.]

The Cardinal afterwards changes his cope for a chasuble, which is
purple as well as that of the subdeacon; but the deacon, as he is
going to bless the Paschal candle[112], wears a white dalmatic. They
then enter the Sixtine chapel; where, having put incense into the
thurible, the Cardinal remains: but the deacon, the subdeacon who
carries the cross, and the other ministers go to the Pauline chapel,
whence a procession returns in the following order. After two mace
bearers comes an acolythe with the five grains of incense, and another
with the thurible; then the subdeacon carrying the cross; and the
deacon with a reed, at the top of which are 3 candles united together.
At his left hand is a Master of ceremonies with a small candle lighted
from the blessed fire, and he is followed by two other acolythes.
When the deacon arrives near the door of the _cancellata_, one of the
three candles is lighted, and all genuflect, except the subdeacon: the
deacon then sings, _Lumen Christi_, the light of Christ, and the choir
answers, Thanks be to God. The other two candles are lighted in turn,
as the Deacon approaches nearer to the altar; singing the same words
each time, but gradually in a higher tone. He