Passiontide is the name given to the last two weeks of Lent - from Passion Sunday to Holy Saturday. It gets its name from the fact that the Passion of Our Lord is naturally predominant during this time in the Church's thought and focus.
Crucifixes and crosses in the church are veiled in purple throughout Passiontide. The only exceptions to this are the crosses on the Stations of the Cross and the votive candle stand.
Veiling/covering is a sign of mourning, and the spirit of the Passiontide veiling hopefully encourages us to draw our attention from everything but Christ and His suffering. In short, the Church calls us to "consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners." (Hebrews 12:3)
The veiling is also a very powerful symbol of the hiding of our Lord's glory throughout His earthly life, and especially during His bitter passion.
Parishioners are encouraged to set aside this time for Christ, and to ensure the clearing of our calendars of things temporal, so that we can focus more fully on things spiritual, through prayer, worship, study of Holy Scripture.
Music (MP3) worth considering
