We are in the season of Lent. The children of our Catholic Community of Sacred Heart would like to present a question to you at Masses on the next five weekends of Lent. They would love for you to "wonder" along with them!

Question #1, for the First Sunday of Lent (February 21):

Have you noticed at Mass, the priest is not always dressed in the same color vestments? How many different color vestments are there, and why? I wonder why?

Answer #1:

The Church changes the color of the priest's vestments according to the liturgical time of the year:

White — when the Church celebrates great feasts such as Christmas and Easter.

Purple — when the Church is preparing for these great feasts. These would be the penitential seasons such as Advent and Lent.

Green — is worn after the feasts. It is called Ordinary Time.

Red — is worn for Feast of Pentecost or for feasts of Martyrs.


Question #2, for the Second Sunday of Lent (February 28):

Have you noticed that at a certain time in the Mass, the priest adds a few drops of water into the chalice of wine? I wonder why?

Answer #2:

During Mass, at the preparation of the gifts of bread and wine, the priest pours a few drops of water into the chalice of wine. Jesus was human and divine. The wine represents the divinity of Jesus, while the water represents His humanity along with ours. Jesus came to share our humanity so that we could share in His divinity. As those drops of water are mixed in with the wine, I wonder if they can be separated?


Question #3, for the Third Sunday of Lent (March 7):

Have you noticed that the altar server rings a bell three times during Mass? I wonder what the priest is doing when the server rings it the first time?

Answer #3:

When the altar server rings the bell the first time at Mass, notice the position of the priest’s hands. They are placed over the top of the gifts of bread and wine. The priest is invoking God the Father to send down the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine to transform them into the body and blood of Jesus. We call this the epiclesis.


Question #4, for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (March 14):

Have you noticed that at a certain part of the Mass — the priest washes his hands. I wonder why?

Answer #3:

When the altar server rings the bell the first time at Mass, notice the

As the Mass moves from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest washes his hands. He is asking forgiveness of his sins so that he be made worthy to offer sacrifice. He is preparing his hands to touch what will soon become the Body of Christ.


Question #5, for the Fifth Sunday of Lent (March 21):

At the Passover meal that Jesus shared with His apostles, He said certain words that were never spoken at a Passover meal before. I wonder what were these special words?

Answer #5:

At the command of God, the Jewish people had been celebrating the Passover meal for approximately 1,400 years. As Jesus gathered for His last Passover meal with His apostles, He said some special words that had never been said before at a Passover meal:
 
Can you imagine what His apostles were thinking as they heard these new words spoken by Jesus?  Jesus knew that His appointed time had come.  By these words, He was able to remain with His people for all times and in all places.

Thank you for your participation during Lent!