We
enter the Time of the Passion. From this moment on, our gaze turns to the
divine Crucified, as the preface of the cross invites us.
The
serious and dramatic character of this liturgical period is manifested in a
sensitive way by the rules of the Church during this fortnight. The statues are veiled to show that the
servant must fade when the glory of the Master is eclipsed. The cross itself is veiled to recall the
humiliations of Our Lord, forced to hide so as not to be stoned by the
Jews. The Gloria Patri is removed from the introite and the lavabo as
a sign of sadness and the psalm Judica me
(Ps 42) is no longer said at the prayers at the bottom of the altar. In this psalm, in fact, we ask: « Why
are you sad, my soul? Why are you disturbing me?» So you want to drive away the
sadness of your heart, but today we have every reason to be sad…
These
external signs, which strike our senses, show us that we are entering a very
special period of the liturgical year.
Their purpose is to direct our minds and hearts to the mysteries we will
meditate on. These signs are there to
prepare our souls to contemplate the great mystery of our redemption.
If,
in fact, during the first part of Lent, the Church has invited us to atone for
our sins through penance, she then asks us to join in the sufferings of Our
Lord in order to better understand the gravity of sin, but also the depth of
God’s love for us.
It
is necessary that sin be something serious for having brought about such
expiation, but it is also necessary that the good God love us with a sublime
love for having accepted such sufferings in order to atone for it in our place!
in "Lent for every day" by Abbot Patrick Troadec, FSSPX
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