This month marks the beginning of the most somber times of the Church Year. We enter the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The 40 days of Lent, excluding Sundays and feast days, begin on February 18 and end at Easter. The number 40 is significant in the Bible, as it is associated with trials, preparation, temptations, and testing. There are several well-known examples in the Bible, such as the Flood, Israel’s wilderness wanderings, and Christ’s temptation. Other biblical examples include: Moses spent 40 years in Midian (Acts 7:30) and 40 days on Sinai receiving the Law (Ex. 24:18; 34:28). Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days (1 Samuel 17:16). The Lord gave Nineveh 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4). Thus, before the feast of Easter, Lent is a time to examine ourselves, repent of our sin, and look to the cross, where the sacrifice to end all sacrifices was made. 

I have heard many say that Lent is their favorite season of the Church Year. Of course, all seasons of the Church Year are about Christ, but I think Lent is the favorite of many because during this season the cross of our Lord shines especially bright. As Lent unfolds, it ushers us to the foot of the cross, where those haunting words we hear on Ash Wednesday, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return,” are answered. The readings, hymns, and Propers of the Day (elements that change weekly, like the Introit and Collect) narrow our focus onto Jesus on the cross for us. 

As Lent marches along, the season gets more focused on the cross as “little seasons” within the season of Lent unfold. Lent slows down, until finally, as the last of these Little Seasons are observed, we walk with the Lord to the upper room, the cross, and the empty tomb in real time.  

The “Little Season” of Passiontide begins on the 5th Sunday of Lent, Judica Sunday. The Alleluias and Gloria in Excelsis have already been silenced in the Divine Service; now the “Lesser Gloria,” that is, the “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,” is silenced in the Introit. The other distinguishing characteristic of Passiontide is that the crosses in the sanctuary are veiled. The historic custom, in the one-year lectionary, is that this veiling follows the Gospel reading for Judica Sunday, John 8:42-59. “So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” Thus, the crosses are hidden. The other reason is that, as the cross becomes liturgically brighter as we approach Good Friday, it’s too glorious to behold, much like why Moses veiled his face from the people. Jesus enters His glory on the cross, and like Israel gazing at Moses, it’s too much glory for us to take.  

The next Little Season is Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday. Palm/Passion Sunday is characterized, of course, by palms, which decorate the sanctuary. Often, there is a Palm Sunday Procession where the Palm Sunday account is read, and the pastor, or the entire congregation, processes in to the hymn All Glory Laud and Honor. The Gospel reading is St. Matthew’s Passion, which moves us from Jesus riding in on a donkey to the cross. Most churches don’t have services every day of Holy Week, but if a congregation were inclined to do so, they would hear the account of our Lord’s Passion from all four Gospel writers. Holy Monday, you would hear John 12, Mary anoints Jesus' feet with ointment and wipes them with her hair, as well as the plot to kill Jesus. On Holy Tuesday, you would hear our Lord’s Passion according to St. Mark, and on Holy Wednesday, you would hear our Lord’s Passion according to St. Luke. 

This ushers us to the final Little Season in Lent, the Triduum. As the name indicates, there are three days in this season: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. 

Maundy comes from the Latin word Mandatum, which means mandate or command. It comes from John 13, the appointed Gospel in the One Year Lectionary, where Jesus says to His disciples on the night of His betrayal and arrest, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another,”

On Maundy Thursday, we hear of our Lord’s institution of Holy Communion–the very body and blood of Jesus given and shed for us. We watch as the altar is stripped as Psalm 22 is chanted or read. Note that the Maundy Thursday service does not have a benediction. The congregation departs in silence immediately after the altar is stripped. This is because, liturgically, the service hasn’t ended; we just push “pause” until the service is picked up on Good Friday. 

On Good Friday, we especially consider our Lord’s suffering and death. We hear the Lord’s Passion according to St. John. “It is finished,” our Lord declares from the cross. The Lord’s work of salvation is complete; there is nothing left to accomplish. All your sins on Him were laid, and He has given His innocent suffering and death to atone for them all. Liturgically, the Good Friday Chief Service has neither an invocation nor a benediction. We pick up where we left off the night before, beginning immediately with prayer. The Triduum hasn’t ended; the story doesn’t end with our Lord’s death, but His resurrection. 

Few congregations still have an Easter Vigil Service, but it is a glorious service. Historically, this is the service where baptisms would occur, as well as confirmations. The service begins outside, around a fire. A new paschal candle is blessed with a date and with five nails pressed into the wax. The congregation, holding candles lit from the paschal candle, processes into the darkened sanctuary. There are several readings when the lights come on, and it is announced, “Christ is Risen!” with the joyous response, “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” 

Lent is good for us. It shows us who we are as sinners, but also shows us who we are in Christ. It reminds us that we’re engaged in spiritual warfare against the devil, who lies and murders day and night, but Lent also shows us that our Lord went to battle armed with a few nails and a cross for you and is victorious. Beloved in Christ, you’ve been baptized into that victory. As we approach this holy season, the Lord grant you a blessed Lententide.