Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

    praise him in his mighty firmament!

-Psalm 150:1

Whether you’ve spent a lot of time in a liturgical church (like most Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Catholic congregations) or are a newcomer to the seasons of the church year, you may have wondered why we put away our Alleluias during the season of Lent. What’s the big deal?

First of all, let’s do a quick vocabulary review. Alleluia is a Greek version of the Hebrew word Hallelujah. They both mean the same thing: “Praise God!” Alleluia/Hallelujah is a word of joyful praise and thanks to God, celebrating all that God has done. In the Bible, it’s most often found in the book of Psalms. It can be tricky to find, though, because some translations of the Bible keep “Hallelujah” but most translate it to “Praise the LORD” in what we read. Either way, the sense of joyful praise comes through.

Next, a little bit about Lent. Lent has been observed from the early stages of Christian practice, at least since the year 339, when a bishop in Egypt wrote that “the whole world observed” 40 days of fasting before Easter. Over the centuries, Lenten observances and practices have taken different forms. Omitting the Alleluia seems to have begun sometime in the 7th or 8th century. Lent is also characterized by almsgiving (extra acts of generosity, especially to the poor), prayer, and fasting (especially from certain rich foods, meat, or alcohol). It is a season of repentance, when Christians have often tried to reconcile damaged relationships with each other and with God.

Modern Lenten practices have included 40 days of abstaining from single-use plastics, extra focus on service to neighbors, purposeful study, or some kind of taking-on of a discipleship practice. For instance, this year Pope Leo XIV recommended, “I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”

So, finally, to the original question: why do we give up the Alleluia? As I mentioned before, Lent is a season of repentance. (We may also use the word “penitential,” which means having to do with the sorrow we feel from recognizing and naming our sin– it’s the same word that we get “penitentiary” from: a place where people are supposed to feel sorry for doing something wrong.) In the spirit of somber reflection on our individual and collective sin, many churches have stepped away from saying Alleluia in order to keep the feeling more serious. Taking a break from praise in order to focus on repentance can be important for our spiritual self-honesty.

The other reason to have a season of the church yeah without Alleluias is that it helps us remember that we are just as welcome in worship when we are sad as when we are joyful. Sometimes the circumstances of our individual lives or our community are not alleluia-inducing. Especially when we have been suffering or need to lament, we need worship that clearly includes us. Taking six weeks to skip Alleluia lets those who are sad feel included and it challenges those who are joyful to have empathy and care for their struggling neighbors.

One last question: can you say Alleluia if something amazing happens to you or the world during Lent? Of course! We make these rules to help us connect with God and each other better, not to prove how good we are at rule-following. If you have reason to praise God, then by all means, praise God!