Feast of the Most Sacred Linen

Friday after the Second Sunday of Lent

Feast of the Most Sacred Linen (sindon)

And Joseph, taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new sepulchre. (Matthew 27:59-60)

I. According to a mystery, this linen cloth (sindon) signifies three things.

1° It signifies the clean flesh of Christ. For it comes from flax, which is whitened by great pressure; thus the flesh of Christ through great pressure arrived at the radiance of the resurrection; thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead (Luke 24:46).

2° It signifies the Church, which has neither spot nor wrinkle; and this is signified by the linen, which is woven together out of various fibers.