Passion sunday

(Veiled statues on Good Friday Tenebrae)
Today is the Fifth Sunday of lent, traditionally the First Sunday of the Passion. It is on this day that the church changes focus from penance, to the passion of Christ. That's why we veil statues,crosses and holy images in the church,so as to keep focus on Christ's passion, and not on the saints. The office changes: In the old office, the gloria patri is removed from the responds at matins, the hymns focus on the cross, and the passion of Jesus. The homilies at matins and the scripture passages for lauds, vespers, and the little hours are also of our lord's passion. It's almost the same in the liturgy of the hours, save the omission of the gloria patri. Besides holy week, we have the feast of our lady's sorrows in passiontide coming.
At mass today, I realized just how much fun it is when your parish has lots of young families. Because there's nothing better than the sound of Five crying children throughout mass. But hey, at least we have five crying childre. There are some parishes with no young families, or very few children.