22/03/2026
Have you noticed?
As you entered the church this Sunday of Passiontide (the Fifth Sunday of Lent), the sacred images are veiled in violet cloth. It seems as if something is hidden, something is being taken away from our sight.
This is not merely decoration, but a deeply meaningful sign in the life of the Church.
The veiling of images begins in Passiontide as a preparation for the Pascal Triduum, the remembrance of the suffering and death of Jesus. By covering these sacred images, the Church invites us to shift our focus from what is seen to the deeper mystery of the Cross.
In the Gospel, there is a moment when Jesus “hid Himself” and was no longer seen by the people (cf. John 8:59). The veiled images reflect this mystery: the seeming absence of God, especially in moments of suffering, sin, and darkness in our lives.
But this is not an absence without hope. Rather, it is an invitation to faith: that even when we do not see Him, He is present. that even when God seems silent, He is at work. and that even if we trade God away, He will never trade us away.
As the images are hidden, we are challenged to seek Christ not only in what is visible, but in prayer, sacrifice, and true conversion of heart.
And when the crucifix is unveiled on Good Friday and the others most fully at Easter, we are reminded that the Cross is not the end, but the path to victory.
In the quiet witness of these veiled images, may we hear more clearly the voice of God inviting us: “Trust in Me. I am here.”
