Why? Because my dad always did it in our house growing up. Well, he did, but that's not the reason. There is a longstanding custom of veiling all statues and images and crucifixes during the last two weeks of Lent - although the practice has a long, and somewhat confusing, history. In fact, following Vatican II, there were some who sought to entirely abolish the practice, but it survived because of the "sensus fidelium" (the sense of the faithful) who had made the practice part of their own way of celebrating Lent.
The regulations regarding the practice are succinct and simple. "The practice of covering crosses and images in the church may be observed, if the episcopal conference decides. The crosses are to be covered until the end of the celebration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. Images are to remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil" (Sacramentary). They are to be covered from before the vigil Mass of the 5th Sunday of Lent, however neither the Stations of the Cross nor images in windows are ever veiled.
When we think about the liturgies of Holy Week, in some ways the unveiling of the Cross on Good Friday would lose its meaning if the crucifixes in the church were not already veiled.
But, why is this done on the 5th Sunday of Lent and not Palm Sunday or Holy Week, or even earlier in the Lenten Season? Well, the custom comes from the former liturgical calendar in which the Passion narrative was on the Fifth Sunday of Lent (hence called "Passion Sunday") as well as on Palm Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday of Holy Week, and Good Friday. For this reason, the period that follows the 5th Sunday of Lent was called Passiontide. A remnant of this custom is the mandatory use of the first Preface of the Lord's Passion during the 5th Week of Lent.
Msgr. Peter Elliott, in a book entitled Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year remarks, "The custom of veiling crosses and images during the last two weeks of Lent has much to commend it in terms of religious psychology, because it helps us to concentrate on the great essentials of Christ's work of Redemption.
Although the historical origin of the custom lies elsewhere, it probably derives from a custom, noted in Germany from the 9th Century (the 800's), of extending a large cloth in front of the altar from the beginning of Lent. This cloth, called the Hungertuch (hunger cloth), hid the altar entirely from the view of the faithful and was not removed until during the reading of the Passion on Holy Wednesday at the words "the veil of the temple was rent in two."
Some say that there was a practical reason for this practice insofar as the often illiterate faithful needed a way to know that it was Lent. However, the truth probably lies more in the fact that it is a remnant of the ancient practice of public penance - during which the penitents were ritually expelled from the church at the beginning of Lent.
After "public penance" fell into disuse - but the entire congregation symbolically entered the "order of penitents" by receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday - it was no longer possible to expel everyone from the church! Rather, the altar (or "Holy of Holies") was shielded from view until they were reconciled to God at Easter. For very similar reasons, later on in the Middle Ages, the images and crosses and saints were also covered from the start of Lent until Easter. The rule that limits this veiling to "Passiontide" doesn't appear until the publication of the Ceremonial of Bishops in the 17th century.
Perhaps, as we enter into these last 2 weeks of Lent, we could take this practice into our own homes - using purple or red cloth to cover the crucifixes and statues in our homes - maybe not for these entire two weeks, but just for Holy Week. Adopting the practice in our own homes would certainly remind us that we've entered into the most holy weeks of the year. It might also help us avoid distractions during this holy time. An added practice might be to place a shroud over the TV or computer, as a reminder during Holy Week that there should be no television viewing or playing on the computer. Some families cover mirrors in various parts of the house, also to limit distractions. These coverings should remain until after the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday (or until the children have gone to bed that night).
But we should keep one crucifix uncovered to use as a focal point for our family prayers and services throughout Holy Week. If there isn't a family altar already, a special place or table might be set up which would have a crucifix, some candles and, maybe, covered in a purple cloth.
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