Lil Red Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 This is a quote from cappie in the Q & A phorum: [quote]The liturgical year is the cycle of seasons and feasts celebrated by the church during the course of a 12 month period. The cycle begins on the first Sunday of Advent (close to the beginning of December) and includes 5 major seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is an unusual name, but is called "Ordinary" in the sense that it is a time in which we grow in our faith, as contrasted with seasons that concentrate on the great mysteries of our faith, the birth, death and resurrestion of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Feasts are Christian celebrations held on specific days to honour the risen Jesus, Mary or one of the saints. They are grouped into three categories, by order of importance: 1)Solemenities, 2) Feasts, and 3) Memorials. The current Calandar was approved by Pope Paul VI in 1969. Each Bishops conference may add particular saints or celebrations particular to their country, e.g. Our Lady of Guadalupe in the USA and Blessed Mary MacKillop in Australia. The liturgical colours are 1) White, for Joy or happiness, worn at Christmas, Easter and the feasts of saints that were not martyrs. 2) Violet or purple worn during Advent and Lent, usually associated with penance. In some places blue is worn during Advent to separate it from Lent. 3) Red symbloises fire and is worn on the feast of Pentecost, it also stands for blood and so is worn on Good Friday and Palm Sunday to symbolise the blood shed by Jesus for us. It is also worn on the feasts of martyrs. 4) Green is worn during ordinary time and is a symbol of hope and growth. [b]Blue is never to be used as a liturgical color.[/b] [i]added by cmotherofpirl[/i] [url="http://phorum.phatmass.com/index.php?showtopic=21863"]Click here to find out why.[/url] In some countries Black is worn at funerals as a sign of mourning although today purple is sometimes worn, but it seems that white, the sign of resurrection is more in favour these days. Gold may be worn at Easter or Christmas as sign of special solemnity.[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted August 17, 2004 Author Share Posted August 17, 2004 The Church celebrates the memory of Christ's saving work on appointed days in the course of the year. Each day is made holy through the liturgical celebrations of God's people, especially the eucharistic sacrifice and the divine office. By means of devotional exercises, instruction, prayer and works of penance and mercy, the Church completes the formation of the faithful during the various seasons of the liturgical year. [b][u]Sunday[/b][/u] The Church celebrates the Paschal Mystery, the memorial of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, on the first day of the week, known as the Lord's Day or Sunday. Sunday should be considered the original feast day. The observance of Sunday begins with the evening before. [b][u]The Easter Triduum[/b][/u] The Easter Triduum of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ is the highest point of the entire liturgical year. The Great Three Days begin with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, reach a high point in the Easter Vigil, and close with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday, and if possible, also on Holy Saturday, the Easter Fast is observed everywhere. The Easter Vigil, on the night when Christ arose from the dead, is considered the 'mother of all vigils': during it the Church keeps watch, awaiting the resurrection of Christ and celebrating the sacraments especially of Baptism and Eucharist. [b][u]Easter Season[/b][/u] The fifty days from Easter to Pentecost are celebrated as one feastday, sometimes called the 'great Sunday'. The Ascension is usually celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter. The days between Ascension and Pentecost celebrate a novena of prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit. [b][u]Season of Lent[/b][/u] The season of Lent is a preparation for the celebration of Easter. The liturgy prepares the catechumens, who are preparing to be baptised, for the celebration of the Paschal mystery, through the several stages of Christian initiation: it also prepares the faithful, who recall their baptism and do penance. Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday to the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Ashes are distributed on Ash Wednesday which is also a day of universal fasting. The Sixth Sunday of Lent marks the beginning of Holy Week and is called Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday. [b][u]Christmas Season[/b][/u] The Christmas season celebrates the birth of our Lord and his early manifestations. It runs from First Vespers of Christmas until the Sunday after Epiphany. Epiphany is usually celebrated on January 6. The season closes on the Sunday after January 6, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. [b][u]Advent[/b][/u] The season of Advent has twofold character. It is a season when minds are directed to Christ's second coming at the end of time; and from December 17 a time of preparation for Christmas when the first coming of God's Son to us is recalled. Advent begins on the Sunday nearest November 30, and has four Sundays. [b][u]Ordinary Time[/b][/u] On the other Sundays of the year the mystery of Christ in all its fullness is celebrated, and these Sundays are known as Sundays in Ordinary Time. [b][u]Other Solemnities[/b][/u] Trinity Sunday celebrated the mystery of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on the Sunday after Pentecost. Corpus Christi or The Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. The Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Friday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost. Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted August 17, 2004 Author Share Posted August 17, 2004 [b]Some Feast Days[/b] [b]January[/b] 1 - Mary, the Mother of God 25 - Conversion of St. Paul [b]February[/b] 2 - Presentation of Jesus in the Temple 22 - St. Peter, First Pope [b]March[/b] 8 - John of God 17 - Patrick 19 - Jospeh, the husband of Mary 25 - Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel to Mary [b]April[/b] 25 - Mark, Evangelist [b]May[/b] 1 - Joseph, the Worker 3 - Philip and James, Apostles 14 - Matthias, Apostle 31 - Visitation by Mary to Elizabeth [b]June[/b] 3 - Uganda Martyrs, Charles Lwanga and Companions 11 - Barnabas, Apostle 24 - Birth of John the Baptist 29 - Peter and Paul, Apostles [b]July[/b] 3 - Thomas, Apostle 25 - James, Apostle 31 - Ignatius Loyola [b]August[/b] 8 - Dominic 15 - Assumption of Mary to Heaven 22 - Queenship of Mary 24 - Bartholomew, Apostle 29 - Beheading of John the Baptist [b]September[/b] 8 - Birthday of Mary 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows 21 - Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist 27 - Vincent de Paul 29 - Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael [b]October[/b] 1 - Teresa of the Child Jesus 4 - Francis of Assisi 7 - Our Lady of the Rosary 18 - Luke, Evangelist 28 - Simon and Jude, Apostles [b]November[/b] 1 - All Saints 2 - Remembrance of the dead 21 - Presentation of Mary in the Temple 30 - Andrew, Apostle [b]December[/b] 3 - Francis Xavier 8 - Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary 21 - Peter Canisius 25 - Christmas, the birth of Jesus 27 - John, Apostle and Evangelist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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