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Answers to the Lent and the Liturgy (Holy Mass) in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church Quiz
1. What color vestments do the Clergy, (Bishops, priests and Deacons) wear during the Liturgy in the season of Lent?
A) Whatever color the priest directs
B) Purple (Lavender)
C) The color appointed for that Sunday by the local Bishop
Answer: B
Explanation: Purple is a color liturgically associated with repentance. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states, in paragraph 345. The purpose of a variety in the color of the sacred vestments is to give effective expression even outwardly to the specific character of the mysteries of faith being celebrated and to a sense of Christian life’s passage through the course of the liturgical year. Violet or purple is used in Advent and Lent.
2. Do we say/sing the Gloria during the Liturgy of the Eucharist (Holy Mass) during Lent?
A) Yes, we sing the Gloria at every Liturgy
B) Only on specific Sundays during the Lenten Season
C) No, we do not say/sing the Gloria during the Liturgy of the Eucharist during Lent.
Answer: C
Explanation: The General Instructions of the Roman Missal states in paragraph 53:
53. The Gloria is a very ancient and venerable hymn in which the Church, gathered together in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb. The text of this hymn may not be replaced by any other text. The Gloria is intoned by the priest or, if appropriate, by a cantor or by the choir; but it is sung either by everyone together, or by the people alternately with the choir, or by the choir alone. If not sung, it is to be recited either by all together or by two parts of the congregation responding one to the other. It is sung or said on Sundays outside the Seasons of Advent and Lent, on solemnities and feasts, and at special celebrations of a more solemn character.
A) Yes, as in every Mass, the Alleluia is proclaimed or sung before the Gospel is read
B) Only on those Sundays which are appointed by the Church
C) No, the Alleluia is Neither said nor sung during the season of Lent during the Liturgy.
Answer: C
Both to express the penitential nature of the Season and to build an anticipation for its reappearance during the Easter Vigil when we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states in paragraph 62:
“After the reading that immediately precedes the Gospel, the Alleluia or another chant indicated by the rubrics is sung, as required by the liturgical season. An acclamation of this kind constitutes a rite or act in itself, by which the assembly of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak to it in the Gospel and professes its faith by means of the chant. It is sung by all while standing and is led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated if this is appropriate. The verse, however, is sung either by the choir or by the cantor….The Alleluia is sung in every season other than Lent. The verses are taken from the Lectionary or the Gradual. During Lent, in place of the Alleluia, the verse before the Gospel is sung, as indicated in the Lectionary. It is also permissible to sing another psalm or tract, as found in the Gradual.”
4. Do we place flowers around the altar during Lent?
A) No, we do not place flowers on the alter during Lent.
B) Yes, only we use those floral arrangements which are more somber and subdued in order to reflect the penitential nature of the liturgical season
C) Yes, but only lavender or purple flora and plant arrangements, and sparingly.
Answer: A
Explanation: The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states in paragraph 305:
“Moderation should be observed in the decoration of the altar. …During Lent it is forbidden for the altar to be decorated with flowers. Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), solemnities, and feasts are exceptions. …Floral decorations should always be done with moderation and placed around the altar rather than on its mensa.”
5. True or False, during Lent, weekday Mass is replaced with the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
A) True
B) False
Answer: False
Explanation: Weekday Mass is always offered no matter what season. The only exception is on Good Friday when Christ was in the tomb. On Good Friday parishes may offer communion that was previously consecrated in a special ceremony that includes the Liturgy of the Word and Veneration of the Cross. Catholics are invited to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation more frequently during Lent and to celebrate Mass on weekdays during the season.
