Dear Friends,
As we enter into the 5th Sunday of Lent, you will notice a big difference within the sanctuary of the church: all the
crucifixes and statues are covered/veiled with purple cloth. Some of us may not know why we do this, so let’s look into
this ancient practice.
The 5th Sunday marks the beginning of the last two weeks in Lent, known as Passiontide. This is when the Church shifts
her focus from Christ in the desert (the Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent) to Christ during His Passion.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) contains guidelines and rules for the Liturgy of the Mass and
Special Holy Days, like Good Friday. We read there that, in the U.S. Dioceses, “the practice of covering crosses and
statues throughout the church from [the fifth] Sunday [of Lent] may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the
end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the
Easter Vigil.”
Why cover/veil our crucifixes and statues? The practice alerts us that we are entering a different phase of Lent. This can
be startling at first. The intent is not to disconcert but rather to help us keep in mind that the last two weeks of Lent are
a time of more intense preparation for the celebration of the Sacred Triduum. The veils are hard to miss. They tell us:
get ready!
But this veiling practice may seem out of place, even counterintuitive. Why cover the crucifix during the time we focus
on Christ’s Passion? Mother Church knows that absence can be as good a teacher as presence. Our senses are engaged
and heightened. Like the suppression of the “Alleluia” before the Gospel during Lent, the veiled crucifixes and statues
speak of our exile from our true Home, where the angels sing Alleluia without ceasing. We become aware that soon we
will experience a time of great sadness, a sense of great loss. The veiled images help build within us a longing for Easter
Sunday.
At the Easter Vigil, images unveiled reminds us of a great truth. In this world, our vision is veiled. We cannot see
our true home. The Resurrection calls us to recognize that it is only through our death that we will see the glory of
everlasting life. Our earthly veil will be lifted as Christ, like a bridegroom lifting the veil of his beloved, says, “I am the
resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me
will never die” (John 11:25-26).
This weekend, let us earnestly pray for our Elect, who will experience the Third Scrutiny this Sunday. Let us ask that, as
they reflect and meditate on the beautiful story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11: 1-45), they will see
that our Lord Jesus is truly divine and the author and Lord of LIFE itself. With them and the Candidates seeking full
communion in the Catholic Church, may we move from death to life.
The question Jesus asks Martha is the same question he asks us today: “I am the resurrection and the life . . . Do you
believe this?” I pray our response is the same as Martha’s: “Yes, Lord. I have to come to believe that you are the Christ,
the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world” (John 11:27).
Moving on to calendar matters: because 17 March falls on a Sunday, we will not celebrate the feast of St. Patrick this
year. However, I do wish you all a very Happy Feast of St. Patrick! May the prayer of St. Patrick dance on our lips today:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise . . . .
When we go on our Pilgrimage to Ireland, we will walk in places that St. Patrick himself went. Join us for the pilgrimage
scheduled for July.
On 19 March, we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Joseph is the patron of
the Universal Church, and Brother André was his humble mouthpiece. He desired to build the biggest basilica possible
to honor St. Joseph. We will visit this beautiful monument and many other holy shrines in Montreal and Quebec City
during our Pilgrimage to Canada in September.
So that we too may honor St. Joseph, we will have two Masses on Tuesday, 19th March: at 8 a.m. and at 12:05 p.m. Fr.
Joseph Mary Wolfe from EWTN will preside at this Feast Day Mass. Please come and pray for our Holy Mother Church!
Have a Blessed Week!
With love,
Fr. John