Lent Day 33 and 34: The A Word

I know. I’m being more inconsistent than a soap opera lately. I have no excuses.

But it brings up a commonly asked question: Is fasting, prayer, and almsgiving required on Sundays?

Technically no. However, there’s still a type of fasting that goes on during Sunday Mass. The Gloria isn’t sung, for one thing. Some churches choose to pray the Apostle’s Creed instead of the Nicene Creed. The kyrie and Agnus Dei are sung in their original language (Greek and Latin, respectively). But there’s also something missing. It starts with the letter “A” and means “He is Risen.”

It’s “Alleluia.” 

Why don’t we say it during Mass during Lent? Because Lent is supposed to reflect on Jesus’s time in the desert along with his Passion and death. It’s also a common Catholic practice to not say “Alleluia” at all until Easter arrives. It’s kind of the equivalent of keeping a surprise party secret.

And if there are changes made in the Mass during Lent, we have to apply these changes to our Lenten resolutions as well. So don’t think that just because it’s Sunday, you can have your cake and eat it. The cake is a lie anyway.