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Matilda
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 11:36am | IP Logged
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1. I thought that the covering of religious items was on Holy Thursday but I keep reading everywhere that it was supposed to happen yesterday. Is this one of those new calendar/ old calendar differences? My husband was an altar server for many years and he said that he only remembers covering the images of Our Lord (particularly the crucifixes) on Holy Thursday.
2. Do you cover EVERY religious image or just the images of Our Lord? What about statues and pictures of saints? What about a statue of the Madonna and Child? Do you cover just the Holy Child or the Blessed Virgin too?
3. Do you cover the whole thing, for just the faces? I am asking mostly because I don't think I have enough purple to cover everything completely.
TIA!
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Charlotte (Matilda)
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MaryMary
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 12:15pm | IP Logged
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Hi Charlotte,
This past weekend, my spiritual director mentioned that the last two weeks of lent used to be refered to as "Passiontide" where the Church would clothe herself in purple, covering all religious images and crucifixes (apparently because in John 8:58-59 Jesus left the Temple and hides Himself from Jews wanting to stone Him)
I don't know where I've been all these years because I don't recall this veiling happening outside of Holy Week, either. But at Mass on Sunday, indeed, all statues and crucifixes were covered with purple cloth (kinda like a sewn purple bag placed on top of the image)
I have also seen strips of purple cloth tied or strewn around religious images in people's homes. Perhaps that might work if you only have a small amount of purple cloth?
Hope this helps!
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Mary
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Philothea
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 12:24pm | IP Logged
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I was really confused when everything was covered at Mass on Sunday, too, as it's always been a Holy Thursday thing as long as I've been Catholic (which admittedly isn't long -- since 2006). My 4yo asked me about it and I didn't know what to tell him -- thanks for asking this here.
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Mary G
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 12:49pm | IP Logged
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In the "old days", Passion Sunday was the 5th Sunday, than Palm Sunday, than Holy Week ... so draping the statues etc would traditionally have been done yesterday ... but, and I'm a cradle Catholic in mostly pretty traditional parishes and have only seen this done from Passion/Palm Sunday on ... so thus, Holy Week.
I've always covered ours on Holy Monday and uncovered them at vigil time on Holy Saturday (or after we get back from Vigil if we went).
Does that help?
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Matilda
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 1:03pm | IP Logged
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MaryMary wrote:
I don't know where I've been all these years because I don't recall this veiling happening outside of Holy Week, either. But at Mass on Sunday, indeed, all statues and crucifixes were covered with purple cloth (kinda like a sewn purple bag placed on top of the image)
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This is what I meant specifically. I feel like this is new this year or rather an old tradition that has been rediscovered recently and I wondered if I missed something. Did the Pope mention it recently or did the Bishops make some kind of encouraging statement that I missed? We have had purple ribbons on our crucifixes since Lent began and I was planning on covering all of the other images of Our Lord on Holy Thursday evening (when Our Lord would have been taken away from the disciples) but now I am a little confused as to why this tradition is being reinvigorated this year.
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Charlotte (Matilda)
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LucyP
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 1:05pm | IP Logged
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Here in the UK Palm Sunday is called Passion Sunday. We veil our images and statues - last year was our first year as Catholics and we did it on Palm Sunday, this year we did it yesterday (5th Sunday). I have some squares and rectangles of purple (some cut from a dress of DD's, some of which I bought) and some is just cut with pinking shears and draped over the picture or crucifix or statue, and some I pinned together last year intending to make the sort of bag-like affair, but they are just held together with pins this year too. I have a couple of pictures which I just turned to face the wall, and a couple that have just got a cross of ribbon wrapped round them, like a wrapped parcel, iykwim.
I uncover the crucifixes for Good Friday and everything else on Holy Saturday.
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CathinCoffeland
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 1:21pm | IP Logged
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Charlotte, I dont have enough purple cloth either...in the past on passion sunday we have just covered the images of our lord completely and draped wide purple ribbons scross other images in our home.
Maggie
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LisaR
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 1:21pm | IP Logged
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Matilda wrote:
| 1. I thought that the covering of religious items was on Holy Thursday but I keep reading everywhere that it was supposed to happen yesterday. Is this one of those new calendar/ old calendar differences? |
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Our diocese has always done it yesterday, and we do, too. (oops, still have some more to go!)
we cover the whole thing, and any religious image/statue, etc...it also is a time that we go "bare" in the home, no vases of flowers, knicknacky things/seasonal items are put away, etc.
kind of the kick start to our spring cleaning that begins in earnest Holy Week.
We cover the computer and TV with purple cloth too...The TV is totally out of comission anyway for us in Lent.
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 1:24pm | IP Logged
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This has happened in our parish the past couple of years since a fairly orthodox priest has been here.....we were talking about it yesterday after Mass and lots of people were wondering too.
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Suzanne in ID
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Matilda
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 1:33pm | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
| This has happened in our parish the past couple of years since a fairly orthodox priest has been here..... |
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I thought maybe it was a Tridentine Rite tradition that was different from the Latin Rite and that would make sense to me because we don't attend a Tridentine Rite Mass. But then I see it being mentioned by people who attend Latin Rite Masses. We attend Mass pretty regularly at a Cistercian Abbey where they still sing Gregorian Chant and the prayers in Latin. They are as orthodox as they come around here and yet I have never seen them cover their statues on Passion Sunday. Even our pastor, who was transferred into the boonies for saying the Novus Ordo Mass in Latin they way the Pope says it doesn't cover the statues on Passion Sunday.
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Charlotte (Matilda)
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JennGM
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I was going to type up a bunch of references, but I found this blog post which explains it all. If it is going to be done, then it's done before the 5th Sunday Vigil Mass or First Vespers.
From Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year by Msgr. Peter J. Elliott, there are some details on the veiling:
Quote:
Veiling Crosses and Images
124. As already noted, the First Preface of the Passion is used during the Fifth Week of Lent, marking the beginning of the last phase of Lent, traditionally known as Passiontide. The custom of veiling crosses and images in these last two weeks of Lent has much to commend it in terms of religious psychology, because it helps us to concetrate on the greater essentials of Christ's work of Redemption. The episcopal conference decides whether this should be obligatory within its territory, but any pastor may choose to restore or maintain this wise practice in his own parish. The violet veils should preferably be made of a plain light fabric, without any decoration. The Stations of the Cross and images in stained-glass windows are never veiled. Crosses and images are veiled before the First Vespers or vigil Mass of the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Crosses are unveiled after the Good Friday ceremonies. All other images are unveiled, without any ceremony, just before the Easter Vigil begins. |
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So, while the liturgy of Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday from the Traditional Calendar are combined into one Sunday, Palm Sunday of Our Lord's Passion, marking the beginning of Holy Week, the veiled images start before the 5th Sunday of Lent, which begins Passiontide.
I had no idea. Learn something new everyday!
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Bookswithtea
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I'm so glad this came up. I thought it was just me that was confused. I always thought it was Holy Thursday too, but our priest mentioned it on Sunday, too. I guess I need to get those purple cloths out this afternoon! 
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MaryMary
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| Posted: March 30 2009 at 3:16pm | IP Logged
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Just as an aside, my spiritual director stated that, "even if Lent hasn't been what you wanted it to be in terms of your penances/prayer/spiritual life being stepped up, 'Passiontide' (two weeks before easter)is a new beginning. This is when Lent really counts. It can all begin anew right now...
This encouraged me and I thought it might encourage those of you who have not had as great a Lent as you intended, either...
Sorry to hijack, Charlotte!
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Mary
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DeAnn M
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Thanks for the explanations, ladies. This falls under the, "I should really know this, but I'm going to use the,'I'm a convert' excuse for now"
Also, Mary, your Spiritual Director's advice is wonderful. I'm going to embrace that and move through Passiontide with a renewed determination.
Just as an aside...my two-year-old asked if Jesus was wearing a sock to cover His boo-boos. How cute is that?
Have a blessed Passiontide, Ladies,
DeAnn
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 01 2009 at 7:31pm | IP Logged
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I also found this Zenit dispatch from 2005 which has excerpts from Mons. Ellitt's book that Jenn linked to above.
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Suzanne in ID
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Questions on veiling religious images...
