This weekend we’ll celebrate the 5th Sunday of Lent and this is the traditional time to veil crucifixes and other holy images in purple cloth.

It seems counterintuitive to cover a crucifix during Lent, but in reality, the effect of this practice is that our longing to see Jesus is heightened by the fact that even this simple means is denied for a time.

This is a wonderful practice to duplicate in your home and can easily be done with a trip to the fabric store.  Before you panic, non-sewers, just look for stretchy purple fabric and you won’t have to sew it at all – just cut pieces big enough to cover your images and use a pin or two to hold it in place, if necessary.

If you’d like to learn more about this custom, read this article from our archives or this one from Aleteia.