RELIGION

• There are four Sundays in this season. This

“CELEBRATING WITH season begins on the first Sunday of Advent
falling on or closest to November 30 and
JESUS” ends before Christmas. It marks the
beginning of a new year in the liturgical
When to Celebrate the Liturgy? year.

• “From the time of the Mosaic Law, the

People of God have observed fixed feasts,
beginning with Passover, to commemorate CHRISTMAS SEASON
the astonishing actions of the Savior God, to • It begins from the vigil of the Lord’s birth
give Him thanks for them, to perpetuate and ends with the feast of the Baptism of
their remembrance and to teach new the Lord. It is the long awaited birth of the
generations to conform their conduct to Son of God, the Word made flesh, the
them. promised Messiah, the Savior of all
mankind, Jesus Christ true God and true
• In the age of the Church, between the Man who came into the world to lay down
Passover of Christ already accomplished His life for our redemption.
once for all, and its consummation in the
Kingdom of God, the liturgy celebrated on
fixed days bears the imprint of the newness
ORDINARY TIME
of the mystery of Christ” (CCC, 1164).
• It is the period of thirty-four Sundays
• The Church’s liturgical year begins on the referring to the “hidden life of Jesus”, the
first Sunday of Advent and ends on the stage in the Lord’s life in which the Gospels
celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the are silent about Him. It is from the time He
King held on the last Sunday in Ordinary was found in the temple when He was
Time. From its beginning to end there are twelve years old up to the beginning of his
liturgical seasons which denote the Public Ministry at the age of thirty.
unfolding of the various aspects of the one
Paschal Mystery. • This period has two phases. The first phase
begins after the Christmas Season and
continues until Tuesday before Ash
ACOLPEO Wednesday. It is resumed again on Monday
after Pentecost and ends at the beginning of
• A = Advent Advent.
• C = Christmas
• O= Ordinary Time I • It is called “Ordinary” because it refers to
• L = Lent the time of the year in which the church is
• P = Paschal Triduum not celebrating the more prominent seasons
• E = Easter of Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter.
• O = Ordinary Time II
• There are three important feasts in this
period: the Most Holy Trinity, the Body and
ADVENT SEASON
Blood of Christ, and the Sacred Heart of
• It is the time of joyful expectation in which Jesus.
we prepare in the spirit of penance both for
the celebration of Jesus’ birth and for His
coming again in glory “to judge the living
and the dead”, as we profess in the Creed.
Holy Trinity Lord’s Paschal Mystery, that is, His
Passion, Death and Resurrection.
• Octave of Pentecost/ first Sunday after
Pentecost
• The day of Resurrection is the apex of the
Church’ s calendar. “It is called the Lord’s
The Solemnity of the Body & Blood of Christ day because on it the Lord rose victorious to
(Corpus Christi Sunday): the Father” (CCC, 1166). It is the Easter
Sunday. “Therefore Easter is not simply one
• 60 Days After Easter/ Sunday after Holy feast among others, but the “Feast of
Trinity feasts’, the ‘Solemnity of solemnities’”
(CCC, 1169).
The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus:
EASTER SEASON
• 19 Days After Pentecost on a Friday
• It is the fifty day celebration of the joyful
exultation of the Lord’s resurrection from
Transfiguration of the Lord Easter Sunday to Pentecost.
• August 6
• The “sanctoral” in the liturgical year refers to
the annual cycle of celebrating the
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed mysteries of Christ, the memorials of
Virgin Mary martyrs and saints, especially the Mother of
God. “By keeping the memorials of the
• August 15 saints – first of all the holy Mother of God,
then the apostles, the martyrs and other
LENT saints – on fixed days of the liturgical year,
the Church on earth shows that she is
• It begins from Ash Wednesday and ends on united with the liturgy of heaven” (CCC,
Holy Thursday. This penitential season is in 1195).
preparation for the celebration of Easter.
We spend “40 days” of prayer, fasting and
almsgiving commemorating the 40 days “Holy days of Obligation”
spent by Jesus in the desert in preparation
for His public ministry. January 1: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception
Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday)
December 25: Solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord
• This day’s procession highlights the praise Jesus Christ
due to Christ, the king, while the Mass
underscores Christ’s Passion. The purpose
of Holy Week is to remember Christ’s
passion, beginning with his Messianic
entrance into Jerusalem.

PASCHAL TRIDUUM

• It commences with the Mass of the Lord’s

Supper on Holy Thursday and ends with the
celebration of the Easter Sunday. During
this most sacred time, we focus on the
 •
WHERE TO CELEBRATE THE MAIN PARTS OF A CHURCH INTERIOR ARE
THE “NAVE” WHERE THE ASSEMBLY IS
THE LITURGY? GATHERED AND THE “SANCTUARY” WHERE THE
PRIEST OR BISHOP AND OTHER ALTAR
MINISTERS PERFORM THEIR RESPECTIVE
FUNCTIONS.
• THE EXERCISE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS A
• THE CHURCH BUILDING CAN BE CONSIDERED AS
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT.
A MONUMENT OF FAITH. IT ENSHRINES THE
• WE CANNOT SAY THOUGH THAT ALL RELIGIONS
FAITH OF OUR ANCESTORS.
AND RELIGIOUS SECTS ARE JUST EQUAL AND
• THE SACREDNESS OF THE CHURCH BEING THE
THE SAME. THAT IS RELIGIOUS INDIFFERENTISM
HOUSE OF GOD CALLS FOR OUR UTMOST
WHICH IS WRONG.
REVERENCE AND MOST DILIGENT ATTENTION
• CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS HERE AND
• A CHURCH BUILDING DEMANDS OUR HIGHEST
ELSEWHERE CONSTRUCT BUILDINGS FOR
DEFERENCE BECAUSE IT IS BLESSED AND
DIVINE WORSHIP. NATURALLY, THE PRACTICE
DEDICATED TO GOD AS A HOUSE OF WORSHIP
OF RELIGION IS TIED TO A CERTAIN PLACE.
AND MORE SO, BECAUSE IT HOUSES THE MOST
TRADITIONALLY, THE PLACE OF WORSHIP
BLESSED SACRAMENT IN THE TABERNACLE.
BECOMES ALSO THE IDENTITY OF A PARTICULAR
RELIGION. • OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCH AS
PEOPLE OF GOD, BODY OF CHRIST AND TEMPLE
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS US TO A
THE WORSHIP “IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH” ( JN. 4:24) IS KNOWLEDGE THAT AS BAPTIZED INDIVIDUALS
NOT BOUND EXCLUSIVELY TO ANY SPECIFIC PLACE WHEN WE ASSEMBLE IN A PLACE, WE ARE THE
(CCC, 1179) “LIVING STONES” GATHERED “TO BUILD A
SPIRITUAL HOUSE” (1 PT. 2:4-50).
INCORPORATED TO CHRIST THROUGH THE
CHURCH HOLY SPIRIT, “WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE
LIVING GOD” (2 COR. 6:16)
• “THESE VISIBLE CHURCHES ARE NOT SIMPLY
• THE PLACE WHERE WE GATHER AS A
GATHERING PLACES BUT SIGNIFY AND MAKE
LITURGICAL ASSEMBLY IS THE EDIFICE WE BUILD
VISIBLE THE CHURCH LIVING IN THIS PLACE, THE
AS OUR CHURCH. WE HAVE CHURCH BUILDINGS
DWELLING OF GOD WITH MEN RECONCILED
WE USE AS PLACES OF GATHERING FOR OUR
AND UNITED IN CHRIST” (CCC, 1180).
DIVINE CULT, BUT MORE THAN BEING VISIBLE
• THE BEAUTY OF CHURCH BUILDING DIRECTS
CHURCHES THEY SIGNIFY AND MANIFEST THE
OUR ATTENTION TO THE BEAUTY, GREATNESS,
CHURCH THAT WE ARE.
AND LOVE OF GOD. CHURCHES ARE NOT JUST
• THE CHURCH IS THE HOUSE OF PRAYER IN
STONE MESSENGERS OF THE FAITH, BUT
WHICH THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS CELEBRATED
DWELLING PLACES OF GOD, WHO IS REALLY
AND RESERVED, WHERE THE FAITHFUL
AND TRULY AND SUBSTANTIALLY PRESENT IN
ASSEMBLE, AND WHERE OUR SAVIOR IS
THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR” (YOUCAT,
WORSHIPPED. THIS HOUSE OUGHT TO BE
190).
BEAUTIFUL AND A WORTHY PLACE FOR PRAYER
• NOTICEABLY, ARTISTIC STRUCTURE AND
AND SACRED CELEBRATIONS ( SC, 122-127; CCC,
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS TYPICALLY
1181).
REPRESENT THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND
• THE IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE CHURCH THAT
SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A CERTAIN
MANIFEST THE PRESENCE AND ACTION OF
PERIOD IN HISTORY. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE
CHRIST.
ROMANESQUE, GOTHIC, BAROQUE AND
MODERN CHURCHES. THE CHURCH INTERIOR IS
USUALLY FIXED IN ITS FRAMEWORK.
 ALTAR PLACE TO RECEIVE PENITENTS FOR THE
EXPRESSION OF REPENTANCE AND THE
• IT IS THE CENTER OF THE CHURCH WHERE
RECEPTION OF FORGIVENESS.
THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS IS MADE
PRESENT UNDER SACRAMENTAL SIGNS. IT IS
THE TABLE OF THE LORD TO WHICH THE
PEOPLE OF GOD IS INVITED TO SHARE IN
THE BANQUET OF THE LORD.

TABERNACLE

• IT IS THE BOXLIKE RECEPTACLE WHERE THE

BLESSED SACRAMENT IS RESERVED. IT IS
SOLID, INVIOLABLE AND LOCATED ALWAYS
WITHIN THE CHURCH IN A MOST DIGNIFIED
PLACE THAT IS TRULY PROMINENT AND
CONDUCIVE TO PRAYER. THE DIGNITY,
PLACING AND SECURITY OF THE
EUCHARISTIC TABERNACLE SHOULD
FACILITATE THE ADORATION OF THE LORD
REALLY PRESENT IN THE MOST BLESSED
SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR. THE
SANCTUARY LAMP MUST BE KEPT BURNING
BEFORE THE TABERNACLE.

CHAIR

• IT IS RESERVED FOR THE BISHOP

(CATHEDRA) OR FOR THE PRIEST TO
EXPRESS HIS OFFICE OF PRESIDING OVER
THE ASSEMBLY AND OF DIRECTING PRAYER.

LECTERN (AMBO)

• THIS IS THE SUITABLE PLACE IN A CHURCH

INTENDED FOR THE PROCLAMATION OF
THE WORD OF GOD.

BAPTISTRY

• THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD

BEGINS WITH BAPTISM, THUS A CHURCH
MUST HAVE AN APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR
THE CELEBRATION OF BAPTISM.

CONFESSIONAL

• THE RENEWAL OF THE BAPTISMAL LIFE

REQUIRES PENANCE. IT IS AN APPROPRIATE