Learning Objective: To know why the Church has a Liturgical
Year and why it is important.
The notion of time
helps us celebrate life
by marking and
recalling the
important dates and
events in our lives.
Ex: Birthdays,
anniversaries ,
graduations, etc.
Time has an
important place in our
spiritual life:
It helps us reconnect
with God.
There are two types
of time:
Chronos and Kairos
Chronos is the time
we measure.
Ex: hours, days,
weeks, minutes
Kairos is the Lord’s
time.
It is God’s special
time.
Kairos reveals his will
for our lives.
The Liturgical year or
Church calendar helps
us celebrate the life,
death and
resurrection of Jesus.
This is called the
paschal mystery.
The Paschal mystery
is celebrated through
specific seasons.
There are five
specific seasons in the
Church’s calendar:
Advent, Christmas,
Ordinary Time, Lent
and Easter.
The Liturgical year is
a cycle of seasons
repeating itself at the
end of each cycle.
The Church year or
cycle begins with
Advent and ends with
ordinary time.
The Church calendar
or Church year begins
with the Holy season
of Advent.
The Church year
begins in late
November or Early
December.
Four weeks prior to
December 25.
The word liturgical
comes from the Greek
word liturgy.
Liturgy meant “Public
Works”
In Church language
liturgy is the public
worship given to God.
I.E. Mass and
sacraments.
Through the Liturgical
Calendar Christians
express their faith in
Christ their saviour.
Each season of the
Liturgical year
celebrates an
important aspect of
Christ’s life.
Each season in the Each season has
Liturgical calendar different religious
has a particular practices, and
theme. symbols.
Each season has a
particular
liturgical color.
Each season
concentrates on
different parts of
the Bible.
The celebration throughout the year of the mysteries of
the Lord’s birth, life, death, and Resurrection in such a
way that the entire year becomes a “year of the Lord’s
grace.”
Thus, the cycle of the liturgical year and the great
feasts constitute the basic rhythm of the Christian’s life
of prayer, with its focal point Easter.
CCC glossary
The *economy of salvation is at work within
the framework of time.
CCC 1168
* God’s revelation and communication of Himself to the world
It is this mystery of Christ that the Church
proclaims and celebrates in her liturgy so
that the faithful may live from it and bear
witness to it in the world.
emphasis added;
Through the liturgy, Christ our High Priest
continues the work of our redemption.
Advent
ADVENT Wreath
Twofold character:
(1) as a season to prepare for Christmas when
Christ’s First Coming to us is remembered
(2) as a season when that remembrance
directs the minds and heart to await Christ’s
Second Coming at the end of time.
Advent Calendars
Advent is thus a period for
devout and joyful expectation.
Advent begins with evening prayer of the Sunday vigil falling on or
closest to 30 November and ends before evening prayer on the vigil
of Christmas.
The weekdays from December 17 - 24 prepare us more directly for
the Lord’s birth by evoking salvation history.
Each Mass includes one of the “O Antiphons” . . . .
7 ancient prayers of praise and longing:
O Wisdom The Jesse
O Lord Tree
O Root of Jesse
O Key of David
O Daystar
O Desired One
O Emmanuel
CHRISTMAS SEASON:
Next to the yearly celebration of the
paschal mystery (Easter), the Church
holds most sacred the memorial of
Christ’s birth and early manifestations.
This is the purpose of the Christmas Season.
The Christmas . . .to the Sunday of
season runs from The Baptism of the
evening prayer on Lord
Christmas Eve
(the Vigil) . . .
. . . .through the
Feast of the
Epiphany
CHRISTMAS SEASON
Christmas
Creche
LENT
is a preparation for the celebration of
Easter.
Lent disposes catechumens and the
faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery .
..
- through stages of Christian initiation (catechumens)
- through reminders of baptism (faithful)
and through penitential practices.
Lent runs from Ash Wednesday
through Palm Sunday & HOLY WEEK
but excludes Sundays.
The EASTER TRIDUUM
of the Passion
and Resurrection of Christ
is the culmination of
the entire liturgical year.
(Triduum = “the 3 days”)
HOLY GOOD HOLY EASTER
THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
Easter
Passion Sunday
of the
Easter
Mass of the Lord Easter
Vigil
Lord’s Supper
Season
The solemnity of EASTER
has the same kind of preeminence
in the liturgical year
that Sunday has in the week.
THE TRIDUUM
The triduum begins with the evening
Mass of the Lord’s Supper on HOLY THURSDAY
. . . continues through GOOD FRIDAY with the
commemoration of the Lord’s Passion
. . . and reaches its high point in the
THE EASTER VIGIL
this celebration of the holy night when
Christ rose from the dead,
ranks as the “mother of all vigils.”
The Triduum closes with evening prayer
on Easter Sunday
EASTER SEASON:
The fifty (50) days
from Easter
to the Ascension
to Pentecost
are celebrated
in joyful exultation
as one feast day, or better
as one “Great Sunday.”
ORDINARY TIME:
Apart from those seasons having their
own distinctive character,
33 or 34 weeks remain in the yearly The
Wedding at
cycle that Cana
do not celebrate a specific
aspect of
the mystery of Christ.
Rather, they are devoted
to the mystery of Christ
in all its aspects. “I am the Vine,
you are the
This 2-part period is known Branches” The loaves &
the fishes
as "Ordinary Time."
The last Sunday of
the Liturgical Year is the
Feast of Christ the King
LITURGICAL COLORS
VIOLET - Expectation, Purification, or Penance.
(Advent & Lent)
Optional: ROSE - Joy, Rejoicing, Praise -- in
the midst of Advent & Lent
Gaudete Sunday, 3rd Sunday in Advent
Laetare Sunday, 4th Sunday in Lent
WHITE (OR GOLD) - Joy and Triumph. (Triduum, Easter,
Christmas, as well as Holy Days and certain feast days throughout
the year, e.g. feasts of Mary.)
RED - Royalty, Fire, and Martyrdom. (Pentecost, Palm/Passion
Sunday, Good Friday, Triumph of the Cross, feast days of martyrs)
GREEN - A sign of Life and Growth. (Ordinary Time)
LITURGICAL CYCLE OF SCRIPTURE READINGS
For Sundays and other special days
throughout the church year, there are three
sets of readings assigned for the day.
These readings are assigned to
Liturgical Years A, B, and C.
Years which are evenly divisible by 3 are assigned year A, such as 2023.
We are now in Liturgical Year 2023,
Year A, Weekly Cycle I
Sunday Dec. 3, 2024 will begin Liturgical
Year 2024:
Year B, Weekly Cycle II
Each Sunday Mass has
three scripture readings:
1st = Old Testament
2nd = New Testament letters or Revelation
3rd = from the Gospels
Year A: the Gospel of Matthew
Year B: the Gospel of Mark
Year C: the Gospel of Luke Year A
Year B
Year C
The Gospel of John is used in all 3 Sunday Cycles
All 3 Cycles
-- 1st & 3rd readings are linked in meaning or context
-- 2nd is semi-continuous from Sunday to Sunday
-- RESPONSORIAL PSALM sung or recited after 1st reading
-- The Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia verse) is sung by the
whole congregation before the Gospel
. . . But no Alleluia's sung during Lent & Triduum,
until the Easter Vigil.
For weekdays in ordinary time and other special
days throughout the church year:
There is a 2-year cycle
with 1st reading, psalm, & Gospel
Liturgical Cycle I : odd years
Liturgical Cycle II : even years
The weekday Liturgical Cycles start on the first Sunday of
Advent of the previous year.
We’ve been in Weekly Cycle II (of Church Year 2010)
. . . the upcoming Advent, starting Nov 28, 2010
will begin Weekly Cycle I (of Church Year 2011)
FEASTS, MEMORIALS, COMMEMORATIONS
AND SOLEMNITIES
These are days which the Church has
set aside as having special meaning;
there are several types of celebrations.
The Presentation
of the Lord
-- events in the life of Christ Feb 2
-- days dedicated to a particular saint
-- feasts of Mary (under her different
“titles” of praise)
Our Lady of
the Rosary
Oct 7
The Annunciation
Mar 25 Our Mother of Sorrows
Sep 15 Our Lady of
Guadalupe
Dec 12
Holy Days of Obligation (in the United States)
Jan 1= Solemnity of Mary Mother of God
Ascension of the Lord
(moveable date based on Easter)
Aug 15 = Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Nov 1 = All Saints Day
Dec 8 = Immaculate Conception
Dec 25 = Christmas
Easter & Pentecost are always on Sundays
and have moveable dates
DAYS OF FAST (Ash Wednesday & Good Friday)
ABSTINENCE (Ash Wednesday & Lenten Friday's)
Fasting is restricting eating to one full meal and two lighter
meals in the course of a single day, and prohibits eating between
meals.
(For all adults who have not yet reached age 60.
Pregnant women & the sick are not obligated.)
Abstinence is refraining from eating meat.
(for all who have completed their 14th year)
"Paschal Fast" = from Mass of Lord's Supper on Holy
Thursday to Easter Vigil
His Birth – PURPLE, ROSE, WHITE
His Life - GREEN
His Death – PURPLE, RED
His Resurrection – ROSE, WHITE
His Ascension – RED
Advent Christmas Ordinary Lent Easter
Purple White Green Purple White
Symbols
Advent wreath Nativity Chi-Ro Ashes Paschal Candle
Advent Christmas Ordinary Lent Easter
Time
Awaiting for The Birth The Repentance New Life
the Messiah
Preparing for Of Christ
Public
Conversion Resurrection
Christmas The Ministry
Final Incarnation
Judgement Of Christ Penance Witnessing
Advent Christmas Ordinary Lent Easter
Time
Prayer Reconciliation Discipleship Prayer Sharing
Acts of following our faith
Good Kindness Jesus’ Fasting with
Peacemaking teaching in
deeds the routine of Almsgiving others
Penance every day life.
