This Sunday when you come into the church you will notice something different about it. This Sunday is the beginning of Passiontide, when our focus moves from Jesus enduring the temptations of the wilderness to Jesus’s journey to the cross. In Passiontide we enter ever more deeply into the story of Christ’s Passion until we come to the three days of the Triduum, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. In Passiontide we are preparing ourselves for these three holy days.
That’s why the church will look different. In Lent we don’t have flowers in the church. We choose to deny ourselves the beauty of the flowers so that we concentrate more on God. That’s also why we don’t say or sing Alleluia. We put aside our shouts of joy, so that they are even more joyful on Easter morning. In Passiontide we go a step further, and veil the images and crosses in the church. We do this to concentrate our minds on getting ready, to focus our minds on the words we are hearing, and to heighten our anticipation of Easter — when the veils will be removed and the church beautifully decorated. In Passiontide we we begin the journey to the cross that will finally lead us to that glorious morning.
with my prayers and blessings, Nicola