THE MYSTERY OF PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK
THE holy liturgy is rich in mystery during these days of the
Church's celebrating the anniversaries of so many wonderful
events; but as the principal part of these mysteries is embodied
in the rites and ceremonies of the respective days, we shall give
our explanations according as the occasion presents itself. Our
object in the present chapter, is to say a few words respecting
the general character of the mysteries of these two weeks.
We have nothing to add to the explanation, already given in our
Lent, on the mystery of forty. The holy season of expiation
continues its course until the fast of sinful man has imitated, in
its duration, that observed by the Man-God in the desert. The army
of Christ's faithful children is still fighting against the
invisible enemies of man's salvation; they are still vested in
their spiritual armour, and, aided by the angels of light, they
are struggling hand to hand with the spirits of darkness, by
compunction of heart and by mortification of the flesh.
As we have already observed, there are three objects which
principally engage the thoughts of the Church during Lent. The
Passion of our Redeemer, which we have felt to be coming nearer to
us each week; the preparation of the catechumens for Baptism,
which is to be administered to them on Easter eve; the
reconciliation of the public penitents, who are to be readmitted
into the Church on the Thursday, the day of the Last Supper. Each
of these three object engages more and more the attention of the
Church, the nearer she approaches the time of their celebration.
The miracle performed by our Savior almost at the very gates of
Jerusalem, by which He restored Lazarus to life, has roused the
fury of His enemies to the highest pitch of frenzy. The people's
enthusiasm has been excited by seeing him, who had been four days
in the grave, walking in the streets of their city. They ask each
other if the Messias, when He comes, can work greater wonders than
these done by Jesus, and whether they ought not at once to receive
this Jesus as the Messias, and sing their Hosanna to Him, for He
is the Son of David. They cannot contain their feelings: Jesus
enters Jerusalem, and they welcome Him as their King. The high
priests and princes of the people are alarmed at this
demonstration of feeling; they have no time to lose; they are
resolved to destroy Jesus. We are going to assist at their impious
conspiracy: the Blood of the just Man is to be sold, and the price
put on it is thirty silver pieces. The divine Victim, betrayed by
one of His disciples, is to be judged, condemned, and crucified.
Every circumstance of this awful tragedy is to be put before us by
the liturgy, not merely in words, but with all the expressiveness
of a sublime ceremonial.
The catechumens have but a few more days to wait for the fount
that is to give them life. Each day their instruction becomes
fuller; the figures of the old Law are being explained to them;
and very little now remains for them to learn with regard to the
mysteries of salvation. The Symbol of faith is soon to be
delivered to them. Initiated into the glories and the humiliations
of the Redeemer, they will await with the faithful the moment of
His glorious Resurrection; and we shall accompany them with our
prayers and hymns at that solemn hour, when, leaving the
defilements of sin in the life-giving waters of the font, they
shall come forth pure and radiant with innocence, be enriched with
the gifts of the holy Spirit, and be fed with the divine flesh of
the Lamb that liveth for ever.
The reconciliation of the penitents, too, is close at hand.
Clothed in sackcloth and ashes, they are continuing their work of
expiation. The Church has still several passages from the saved
Scriptures to read to them, which, like those we have already
heard during the last few weeks, will breathe consolation and
refreshment to their souls. The near approach of the day when the
Lamb is to be slain increases their hope, for they know that the
Blood of this Lamb is of infinite worth, and can take away the
sins of the whole world. Before the day of Jesus' Resurrection,
they will have recovered their lost innocence; their pardon will
come in time to enable them, like the penitent prodigal, to join
in the great Banquet of that Thursday, when Jesus will say to His
guests: ' With desire have I desired to eat this Pasch with you
before I suffer.'1
Such are the sublime subjects which are about to be brought before
us: but, at the same time, we shall see our holy mother the Church
mourning, like a disconsolate widow, and sad beyond all human
grief Hitherto she has been weeping over the sins of her children;
now she bewails the death of her divine Spouse. The joyous
<Alleluia> has long since been hushed in her canticles; she is now
going to suppress another expression, which seems too glad for a
time line the present. Partially, at first,2 but entirely during
the last three days, she is about to deny herself the use of that
formula, which is so dear to her: Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. There is an accent of jubilation
in these words, which would ill suit her grief and the
mournfulness of the rest of her chants.
Her lessons, for the night Office, are taken from Jeremias, the
prophet of lamentation above all others. The colour of her
vestments is the one she had on when she assembled us at the
commencement of Lent to sprinkle us with ashes; but when the
dreaded day of Good Friday comes, purple would not sufficiently
express the depth of her grief; she will clothe herself in black,
as men do when mourning the death of a fellow-mortal; for Jesus,
her Spouse, is to be put to death on that day: the sins of mankind
and the rigours of the divine justice are then to weigh him down,
and in all the realities of a last agony, He is to yield up His
Soul to His Father.
The presentiment of that awful hour leads the afflicted mother to
veil the image of her Jesus: the gross is hidden from the eyes of
the faithful. The statues of the saints, too, are covered; for it
is but just that, if the glory of the Master be eclipsed, the
servant should not appear. The interpreters of the liturgy tell us
that this ceremony of veiling the crucifix during Passiontide,
expresses the humiliation to which our Savior subjected Himself,
of hiding Himself when the Jews threatened to stone Him, as is
related in the Gospel of Passion Sunday. The Church begins this
solemn rite with the Vespers of the Saturday before Passion
Sunday. Thus it is that, in those years when the feast of our
Lady's Annunciation falls in Passion-week, the statue of Mary, the
Mother of God, remains veiled, even on that very day when the
Archangel greets her as being full of grace, and blessed among
women.
ENDNOTES
1 St. Luke xxii. 16.
2 Unless it be the feast of a saint, as frequently happens during
the first of these two weeks. The same exception is to be made in
what follows.
(Taken from Volume VI of "The Liturgical Year" by Abbot Gueranger
O.S.B. published by Marian House, Powers Lake, ND 58773.)
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