Do Sundays of Lent have a penitential character?
Sundays of Lent have a penitential character, but one markedly different from that of the weekdays of Lent. Because Sunday is primarily a day of celebration of the resurrection (Catechism, nos. 2174, 2177), it is not counted among the forty days of Lent that are traditionally marked by fasting. “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice” (no. 2181) and retains its essential character as a day marked by “worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body” (no. 2185). Nevertheless, the entire season of Lent, including the Sundays of Lent, is a time of penance. The penitential character of Sundays of Lent is reflected in the wearing of violet vestments and the prayers and readings of the Sunday Masses. It is also reflected in the prohibitions of the singing of the Gloria, the singing of the Alleluia, the adorning of the altar with flowers, and the playing of t
