The fall of the flowers of Jacaranda, the Aroma to Corozo and the imposition of the Cross of Ash announcing the beginning of Lent, time of reflection and penance destined to prepare the commemoration of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For the Catholic faithful, this period is characterized by various symbols, among which the use of purple color, present in sawdust carpets, the costumes of the cucuruchos and the ornaments of the fortune altars that decorate these 40 days prior to the Pascual Triduum. This color, beyond its visual presence, has a deep spiritual meaning.
Called Purple Purple, it was established as a liturgical color at the end of the 12th century by Pope Innocent III, when the use of different colors was formalized to differentiate the ornamentations of each time from the ecclesiastical calendar.
For the Church, the purple acquires different meanings related to the spiritual experience of the people of God, especially in the so -called strong times, such as Advent and Lent, being considered a sober, serious color and loaded with symbolism.
Penitential purple in Lent
The liturgical book of the Catholic Church, the Roman Missal, establishes that this color represents spiritual preparation and penance during the time of Lent. In other times of the liturgical calendar, outside of Lent or Easter, the purple is also associated with mourning, as a representation of the death of Jesus Christ.
During Lent, the Penitential Purple symbolizes austerity, penance, spiritual deepening, pain and preparation for the passion of Christ.
For the Church, its use in this period reminds the faithful of the suffering of Jesus Christ prior to their crucifixion, but also invites reflection on one’s life and the dependence of God’s love and will.
The liturgy manual establishes that the color is derived from a mixture of meanings and colors, where its importance and symbolism is born. Being a color obtained from two primary colors such as red and blue, their symbolisms are joined: red, which represents love, and blue, which refers to immortality; Together they symbolize austerity, penance, spiritual depth and preparation.
The Opus Dei portal details that “the purple color in the masses of deceased awakens in us the supernatural vision, the closeness of God, before the reality of death.”
Where was the use of purple?
The use of this color is born from an experience of Jesus Christ during the time of passion. Historically, it is detailed that Jesus was arrested by the Romans, accused by the Jewish leaders of blasphemy, and taken before Governor Pontio Pilate, who delivered it to the soldiers to be whipped.
It is believed that, after being hit, the soldiers made fun of Jesus calling him the king of the Jews, and placed a purple mantle, color that only used royalty at that time. Subsequently, they put a crown of thorns.
That is why this color symbolizes penance and mourning for the suffering of Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ purple mantle recalls the suffering that lived prior to his rusification. (PHOTO FREE PRESS: PL hemeroteca)