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April 16, 2020 - The Return of the A-word!
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When we begin the Lenten season if you pay attention to the liturgy you will notice that the Alleluia is omitted - we are liturgically forbidden to say it! It is the only time of the year when we do not proclaim this glorious word, and I always find it difficult, restricting, and to a degree naggingly annoying.
Throughout the course of the year when priests and religious pray the Liturgy of the Hours we are consistently praying alleluia at the end of nearly every prayer. But during Lent we are forbidden to use it. In Lent we reflect on the reality of our life without the resurrected Jesus; we are reflecting on our sinful condition and on our need for Salvation - in a sense our need for praising and singing alleluia! It is always difficult to remember to not say Alleluia, and I often slip up at the beginning of the Lenten season.
However, there is great wisdom in this practice of omitting the Alleluia during Lent. Though Lent is not the only penitential season of the Liturgical year (Advent is also penitential), Lent is the season that intentionally reflects to us the destitution of sin and death, and reveals most clearly to us our need for a Savior. This most recent Lent of 2020 has been the most revealing Lent in our lifetimes of the fact that we truly need a Savior - we can NOT save ourselves! The coronavirus pandemic has made this abundantly clear. In this way then we already see some good coming from the pandemic; the truth of our faith is becoming more evident - our world needs Jesus Christ!
Removing the A-word (alleluia) from our vocabulary during Lent helps to remind us that our rejoicing is not complete until our Savior has completed His saving work through is Passion, Death and Resurrection. We wait restricted and hampered by our sins. We experience the truth that without Jesus we have no reason for rejoicing. We realize that we cannot save ourselves. We are in a deplorable state of sin that leads to death. There is nothing we can do, except to pray for Jesus to come and save us! The missing alleluia reminds us that we are awaiting the day of rejoicing. It is hard and it even hurts omitting the alleluia.
But alas, we are back to our Easter Alleluia! The wait is over...the restrictions are gone...the strife is complete...our savior has won salvation for us! We can once more rejoice and sing and pray Alleluia! We are FREE! It is now the 5th day of Easter and I still have a slight hesitation before I proclaim alleluia at the end of my prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours. Yet this hesitation helps me to remember that yes, I can now proclaim it, and I experience a renewed sense of Easter joy each time!
Though I don't like having to omit the alleluia, following this practice deepens my Easter joy. This wise omission makes our Easter alleluia better express the joy we celebrate. We receive back the proper word of praise to usher in the glorious truth that sin and death have been conquered in Jesus Christ! The Liturgy is never done without purpose and this removal and return of the A-word is an excellent and appropriate way for us to prayerfully experience Easter joy. Especially during this special Easter Octave when for 8 days the liturgy has us proclaim the Easter Alleluia not just once but twice at the end of each Mass...Thanks be to God, Alleluia, Alleluia!!
Stay tuned to what we say at the very end of Easter at Pentecost...this time, hopefully, we will be together in church to sing our Easter Alleluias!