Covering Images During Holy Week

[landon13]

Hello,

I know that it is traditional to cover images and crucifixes during Holy Week to remember the sacrifice of Christ and to remember the absence of this sacrifice before His death on Good Friday. I was just wondering, if you put this practice in place in your own homes with religious images.

Today I commenced the covering of images on a small altar/prayer table I have in my closet. I covered a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and covered an icon of Christ. I also removed the crucifix from this altar and removed all prayer cards &c., of saints. One thing I also did was I emptied and dried out my holy water fonts in my home. The only real thing I’m leaving out to meditate upon is the Rosary because I pray that every day.

The only area I have yet to cover is the crucifix in my bedroom hanging next to my bedroom door and the icon of my patron saint, St. John the Baptist.

I’m just wondering if you all have any other suggestions or comments on this practice. Also, I want to know what I should do with the Palms from Palm Sunday mass tomorrow? Should I still put those next to my crucifix even though it will be covered?

Thanks.

 

[corsair]

Here is an article from Dr. Taylor Marshall’s blog

Why Do We Veil Crucifixes and Images on the 5th Sunday of Lent?

Posted: 17 Mar 2013 07:47 AM PDT

The traditional Catholic custom of veiling images on the 5th Sunday of Lent is making a big come back. The practice lost momentum in the 1970s and 80s, but we’re seeing it make its way back into parish life.

Why are images veiled beginning on the fifth Sunday in Lent? Traditionally, the two weeks of “Passiontide” begin on the fifth Sunday of Lent. The first week is Passion Week, and the second week is Holy Week.

The traditional Gospel reading for this Sunday focuses on the increasing hatred against Christ from the Jewish authorities. They accuse Him of being a Samaritan, committing sorcery, blasphemy, and as being possessed by Satan. They don’t think that Christ is “a good teacher.” They think He is a demonic agent.

The old Gospel reading for Passion Sunday (fifth Sunday of Lent) from the eighth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel ends with these words:

“They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:59, D-R)

According to Saint Augustine, at this moment when “Jesus hid himself,” Christ in fact became invisible by virtue of His divine nature. Saint Augustine writes:

He hides not Himself in a corner of the temple, as if afraid, or running into a cottage, or turning aside behind a wall or column: but by His Divine Power making Himself invisible, He passed through their midst.

To help signify this mystery, Catholic statues and images are veiled with purple cloth beginning at the Vespers on the evening before Passion Sunday. Jesus “hides Himself.”

The statues remain covered until the Gloria of Holy Saturday. This is the moment at which the fast of Lent ends and the glory of Easter begins. This unveiling reveals that Christ has revealed himself as risen and victorious.

It’s also a pious custom for lay Catholics to cover blessed images and statues at home during Passiontide with purple veils.

Our Catholic Faith is so rich! Be sure to teach your children and grandchildren these beautiful and ancient traditions!

HT: Fr Phil Wolfe for the St Augustine reference.

 

[DaveBj]

At our parish, there is a statue of the risen Christ with His hands raised high over the altar. With all the statues covered, it looks like we now have a purple ghost there.

Frankly, for me this falls into the class of unexplainable customs that we could well do without.

 

[adrianschauer82]

I love when parishes start doing this cause you know that something special is coming.

 

[Diana_Catherine]

Do you all cover everything because I have a lot. We have crucifixes in many rooms and images and more. I would like to do this though. I think it would be good to teach my family this tradition.

 

[johnthebaptist1]

Its a wonderful thing your doing to show you love for Jesus durning Holy Week.and Yes you can put Plams under your Cross.

 

[landon13]

Do you all cover everything because I have a lot. We have crucifixes in many rooms and images and more. I would like to do this though. I think it would be good to teach my family this tradition.

See, what I did was I wrapped a statue of The Sacred Heart of Jesus with cloth and then put a white piece of paper to cover an icon of Christ on my home altar. The other images that I have hanging around this home altar I removed but left the nails in the wall to remember that something is missing. I like the look of it because it is very plain and you know something is missing right now without the death and resurrection of Christ. I removed the crucifix from this altar, though, and will place it there on Good Friday. Then I will uncover the images on Easter Sunday and replace the images of Saints, &c., on Monday of next week.

In my bedroom, I have a crucifix hanging over an icon of my Patron Saint. I wrapped and secured a cloth around the crucifix and hung it back up there but I did not cover the icon of St. John the Baptist. I did this thinking that John the Baptist went before Christ to prepare His way so, I can still remember St. John the Baptist and what it was like before the Sacrifice of God.

I really like the idea of covering the icons and crucifixes and this really has helped me meditate during just the last few days of Lent with these images covered. When I am praying the rosary (Sorrowful Mysteries) before these almost ghostly figures it really helps remember what happened before Christ sacrificed Himself for us.

 

[landon13]

Its a wonderful thing your doing to show you love for Jesus durning Holy Week.and Yes you can put Plams under your Cross.

After Mass today I will probably be taking the Palms and maneuvering them every which way to see what will be the best way to place them around my crucifix and my altar…and trying to re-learn how to fold the Palm Crosses on google!

 

[hannajomar]

Do you all cover everything because I have a lot. We have crucifixes in many rooms and images and more. I would like to do this though. I think it would be good to teach my family this tradition.

Often, I will just take down many of my statues, pictures, etc. and hide them somewhere. Before I go to Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night, I bring out “everyone” to celebrate.

 

[Megan7]

Here is an article from Dr. Taylor Marshall’s blog

Why Do We Veil Crucifixes and Images on the 5th Sunday of Lent?

Posted: 17 Mar 2013 07:47 AM PDT

The traditional Catholic custom of veiling images on the 5th Sunday of Lent is making a big come back. The practice lost momentum in the 1970s and 80s, but we’re seeing it make its way back into parish life.

Why are images veiled beginning on the fifth Sunday in Lent? Traditionally, the two weeks of “Passiontide” begin on the fifth Sunday of Lent. The first week is Passion Week, and the second week is Holy Week.

The traditional Gospel reading for this Sunday focuses on the increasing hatred against Christ from the Jewish authorities. They accuse Him of being a Samaritan, committing sorcery, blasphemy, and as being possessed by Satan. They don’t think that Christ is “a good teacher.” They think He is a demonic agent.

The old Gospel reading for Passion Sunday (fifth Sunday of Lent) from the eighth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel ends with these words:

“They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:59, D-R)

According to Saint Augustine, at this moment when “Jesus hid himself,” Christ in fact became invisible by virtue of His divine nature. Saint Augustine writes:

He hides not Himself in a corner of the temple, as if afraid, or running into a cottage, or turning aside behind a wall or column: but by His Divine Power making Himself invisible, He passed through their midst.

To help signify this mystery, Catholic statues and images are veiled with purple cloth beginning at the Vespers on the evening before Passion Sunday. Jesus “hides Himself.”

The statues remain covered until the Gloria of Holy Saturday. This is the moment at which the fast of Lent ends and the glory of Easter begins. This unveiling reveals that Christ has revealed himself as risen and victorious.

It’s also a pious custom for lay Catholics to cover blessed images and statues at home during Passiontide with purple veils.

Our Catholic Faith is so rich! Be sure to teach your children and grandchildren these beautiful and ancient traditions!

HT: Fr Phil Wolfe for the St Augustine reference.

 

[datritle]

At our parish, there is a statue of the risen Christ with His hands raised high over the altar. With all the statues covered, it looks like we now have a purple ghost there.

Frankly, for me this falls into the class of unexplainable customs that we could well do without.

HAHAHAHAH thanks for my first laugh of the day!

 

[Rich_C]

Catholics haven’t traditionally covered sacred images just during Holy Week, but throughout Passiontide, which includes the two weeks before Easter (my parish does this). The Sunday before Palm Sunday is traditionally known as “Passion Sunday,” although in the NO calendar it’s known as the 5th Sunday in Lent, as Corsair’s article points out.

 

[Phemie]

Parishes have the option of covering on the Saturday before the 5th Sunday in Lent or not until after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

In recent years my parish has opted for after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

 

[Marie5890]

Parishes have the option of covering on the Saturday before the 5th Sunday in Lent or not until after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

In recent years my parish has opted for after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

This is the option my parish uses as well.

 

[Aran_Houlihan]

we normally cover all statues crucifixes icons and the alter before palm Sunday . and unveil them them all on the Easter Vigil.

In nomine Patris, + et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Introibo ad altare Dei. R: Ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam .