Although Lent is a time of personal spiritual growth, it is also a time to remember that the Faith is very much a communal thing; we are all members of the same Body.

For this reason, the communal prayers of the Church, both at Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, change during Lent to reflect the fact that Lent is a penitential season. At Mass, the priest wears purple vestments instead of green, and the Gloria and the Alleluia, both joyful prayers of praise to God, are omitted.

The word “alleluia” , as well as the triumphant prayer the Te Deum, are not said during the Liturgy of the Hours.

For this reason, paying attention to the liturgy is a great way to further appreciate and more deeply enter into the mysteries of the Faith.