MANILA: For Catholics, Lent means a period of sacrifice. Often, we think of this in terms of food: abstaining from meat on Fridays (hence the popularity of fish among Filipinos), or temporarily giving up certain comforts or pleasures.
In church, a number of practices also change every Lenten season. Because this period in the liturgical calendar focuses on penance and reflection, elements of the mass like celebratory and recessional hymns are omitted, to encourage solemnity. It is also expected that the more somber atmosphere will help the faithful to better prepare spiritually.
Aside from hitting pause on the more celebratory and joyful hymns, by a certain point, visual cues also tell us that Holy Week is approaching. By the fifth week of Lent, churches will begin to veil all images and statues in purple cloth.
This tradition has been observed in Catholic churches all over the world, with some references noting it being practiced as early as the ninth century. It is often said that veiling is a form of fasting for the eyes, allowing church-goers to focus solely on Christ’s passion, the centre of Holy Week.
This custom of veiling is included in the Roman Missal - the Catholic Church’s book that contains all the prescribed prayers, chants, and instructions for the celebration of mass. According to the Roman Missal, veiling is not a required practice. However, if churches do decide to take part in this custom, it must be done on the fifth Sunday of Lent, also known as Passiontide, or the final part of Lent, two weeks before Easter.
The cross is then unveiled after the Good Friday liturgy, while the rest of the images or statues in the church can be unveiled before the beginning of the Easter Vigil. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
