“The Meaning of Veils in the Church and Holy Week“
By Fr. Isaiah Schick
A blessed Palm Sunday to you all! This Sunday is also called Passion Sunday, and one of the unique things that happens in churches this time of year is the veiling of crosses and other images. You may have also noticed that for the past several years now, a chalice veil has often been used (along with a burse – which is what holds the corporal cloth). It is about time that the meaning and purpose of veils on images and the chalice in church is explained!
You might remember that there are veils mentioned in the Old Testament: the veil that separated the Holy of Holies in the Temple (where the Ark of the Covenant was) from the rest of the world, the veil that covered Moses’ face because it was radiant after he spoke with the Lord, and the veils over human bodies (clothing!) after the Fall. If you notice, veils are always placed over sacred things with a two-fold purpose:
1) to remind us that they are sacred and that we do not see things as they truly are, and
2) to protect the sacred from desecration and us from being overwhelmed by the radiance of the sacred in our sinful condition.
What happened, then, during the Passion of Jesus Christ during that first Holy Week? “But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many,” (Matthew 27:50-53).
With the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, God split the veil in the temple “from top to bottom”, ripping open the Holy of Holies so that the presence of God might be poured out upon the whole world, with the effect that those lying dead in the tombs received again the breath of new life when Jesus rose again! Wow! This revelation (literally, “unveiling”) of the life of grace in the Holy Spirit is central to the work of the redemption wrought by Christ Jesus in the Paschal Mystery that we celebrate during Holy Week and the Easter season each year. So if this is the case, why do we bring veils back?? Well, the idea is not so much the veil itself, as to experience the profound meaning of the UN-veiling over, and over again so that it might finally sink in – much like the meaning of having a Holy Week each year! Is Jesus crucified again? No! But we enter into the Paschal Mystery ourselves again and again so as to experience ever-deepening conversion. It is very difficult to experience the beauty and significance of the UN-veiling if there is not also a time of veiling! This is why images and crosses are veiled only for the two weeks leading up to Good Friday and Easter – it is not a going backwards but rather a preparation to enter more deeply into the work that God continues to do, unveiling the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives as he works to bring about “new heavens and a new earth,” to make us saints!
When is the veil removed from the chalice? We hear the Word of God in the Scriptures, but then the Word of God comes to dwell among us in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist! As the altar is being prepared for the consecration, the veil is lifted – Jesus is about to raise us up to become one with him! The tombs of our stony hearts are being split open! This is an amazing mystery, and the veil being present so that it can be lifted at each Mass helps us to remember what is really taking place – heaven is about to be poured out on the earth in our very presence! To experience the “best of the best” of this beauty of the Church’s liturgy, join us as we celebrate Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. I look forward to seeing you all there!