Last Week of Lent & Easter

Dear Friends in Christ,

You have noticed that the statues and images in our church have been covered with violet cloth since last Sunday. You may wonder why. The tradition of covering statues and crosses in Lent is very old. It goes back several hundred years to the times when many people could not read. While everyone knew that Lent began on Ash Wednesday with the distribution of ashes, they also needed a reminder that the last part of Lent included the celebration of the Passion of the Lord.

Hence, the last two weeks of Lent are traditionally called Passion-tide. Part of the reason for the covering of statues comes from the gospel that used to be read on the Fifth Sunday of Lent (formerly called “Passion Sunday”). That gospel was taken from John 8:46-59. The text relates that Jesus encountered some fierce opposition from the Jews, who responded by trying to seize Him and stone Him. The gospel says that Jesus slipped from their grasp and hid Himself. That is why the statues, images, and crosses are “hidden” during this time. However, there is also another very good reason to cover the statues. The Church is contemplating the Passion of her Lord; she is in mourning because He has been taken away from her.

The statues and images will remain covered until just before the Easter Vigil. Crosses will be uncovered at the Good Friday services and left for veneration through Holy Saturday until before the Easter Vigil. At the Easter Vigil the uncovered statues and crosses as well as the other flowers and decorations will remind us that He is risen as He promised. The Church’s mourning for the loss of her suffering Savior will be turned into joy at His resurrection.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand