According to the website loyolapress.com, the word “Lent” comes from the Old English word “lencten,” meaning “springtime” or “lengthening of days.” Some scholars suggest that Lent may also be linked to the Latin “quadragesima,” meaning “fortieth,” in reference to the forty days of fasting and preparation leading up to Easter. Lent is a sacred time of reflection, renewal, and growth in faith. Following Ash Wednesday Mass, Saint Joseph School students gathered for a special tradition: Burying the Alleluia.
Now in its second year, this tradition was led by Mrs. Susan Gallivan’s Fifth Grade students. They explained that during Lent, the Church refrains from speaking or singing “Alleluia” as a sign of solemn preparation for Easter. Just as we set aside something precious for a time to better appreciate it later, the school symbolically buries the Alleluia. Saint Joseph School Principal Mrs. Beth Boudreau presented a handcrafted wooden plaque with “Alleluia” painted in vibrant colors. After the reading of Psalm 112:1-7, a student leader proclaimed, “It’s time to say goodbye to our friend, the Alleluia, to let it rest for a while so that it will return to us at Easter full of enthusiasm to remind us again who we are: loved children of God.” Another student recited a prayer: “Lord God, our creator, as we bury this sign of heaven’s song, help us to turn ourselves to living a good Lent. Help us to give up things that stand between us and your love and walk with Jesus on the road that leads us closer to you. We give up our Alleluia only for a while so that we may make more beautiful music in our hearts and lives when we sing it again at Easter. Amen.”
The wooden Alleluia plaque was sealed in a protective bag and placed inside a handcrafted wooden crate. Each student then took turns adding a cup of soil over the crate as a symbolic act of preparation. Concluding the ceremony, the Fifth-Grade students prayed, “Lord, we have given up for a time the song of heaven so that we may prepare our hearts and minds to be ready for heaven. Help us, in Jesus, to die to selfish habits that keep us from you and to live more fully with your peace and joy. Please help us to be renewed in your Spirit as we live this Lent. Amen.”
The crate, marked with the word “Hope,” is displayed in the school’s main hallway throughout Lent. At Easter, the Alleluia will be unearthed, lilies will be planted in the crate, and the plaque will be displayed once more. This tradition helps students understand the significance of Lent and Easter in a tangible way.
