Jesus is obliged to hide Himself when “humanity” ‘stones” ‘Divinity” (Gospel). The Jewish synagogue makes its final decision to ignore the miracles, the doctrine and the sinless of Christ, even though all these were prophesied in their own Old Testament.
Due to stiff-necked pride and hard-hearted materialism, their part of the covenant had become a dead letter. Jesus makes a terrifying analysis of them: “You are not of God.”
In the Epistle St. Paul indicates how the High Priest of the Old Testament offered the blood sacrifices of victim goats, an offering which acknowledged that man deserves to be done away with for trying to do away with God by sinful rebellion. He now beholds the Altar of Calvary where Jesus, Eternal High Priest, sheds His Precious Blood to “cleanse our conscience” and “to serve the Living God.” Let us not “stone” Christ or cause Him to hide Himself.
Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite
for Palm Sunday St Francis of Assisi Llay Chain, Llay Near Wrexham LL12 0NT
1230pm
on Sunday 13 February 2016 |
The last week is Holy Week, while the first is called in Latin "Hebdomas Passionis", by the Greeks "Week of the palms" (from the Sunday following).
The rubrical prescriptions of the Roman Missal, Breviary, and "Caeremoniale Episcoporum" for this time are:
Before Vespers of Saturday preceding Passion Sunday the crosses, statues, and pictures of Our Lord and of the saints on the altar and throughout the church, with the sole exception of the crosses and pictures of the Way of the Cross, are to be covered with a violet veil, not translucent, nor in any way ornamented.
The crosses remain covered until after the solemn denudation of the principal crucifix on Good Friday. The statues and pictures retain their covering, no matter what feast may occur, until the Gloria in Excelsis of Holy Saturday.
Interestingly, there has been allowance for the statue of St. Joseph, if outside the sanctuary, to remain uncovered during the month of March, which is dedicated to his honour, even during Passiontide.
At the Mass of Passiontide, the Pslam Judica is not said; the Gloria Patri is omitted at the Asperges, the Introit, and the Lavabo; only two orations are recited and the Preface is of the Holy Cross.
In the Dominical and ferial offices of the Breviary the doxology is omitted in the Invitatorium and in the responses, whether long or short.
The crosses are veiled because Christ during this time no longer walked openly among the people, but hid himself. Hence in the papal chapel the veiling formerly took place at the words of the Gospel: "Jesus autem abscondebat se." Another reason is added by Durandus, namely that Christ's divinity was hidden when he arrived at the time of His suffering and death. The images of the saints also are covered because it would seem improper for the servants to appear when the Master himself is hidden (Nilles, "Kal.", II, 188).