"Father", said the little eight-year old girl shortly before Mass. "Why are the statues covered?" She was referring to the large purple veils that now adorned the sanctuary, hiding all of the artwork. Passiontide, as we call it, has its earliest beginnings in the 9th century. It's meant to evoke absence and emptiness. The little girl immediately picked it up and understood that something is missing. I told her to keep following her instinct during Holy Week. The drama will only intensify. This "something" is actually a "someone". Stay tuned.