Roman Catholic Liturgical Seasons
Roman Catholic Liturgical Seasons
Roman Catholic Liturgical Seasons
Liturgical
Seasons
An Introduction to the Churchs
Calendar
Why A Calendar?
We all use calendars to mark off
and celebrate in a special way
different times of the year such as:
o The seasons
o National and secular holidays such as
Independence Day and Thanksgiving
o Anniversaries
o Birthdays
Advent
Christmas
Ordinary Time
Lent
The Easter Triduum
Easter
Advent:
A Season of Waiting
The first four weeks of the Churchs Liturgical Calendar
make up the season of Advent.
During the season of Advent the Church prepares for
two main things:
1. The Celebration of our Lord Jesus birth on Christmas Day
2. The Second Coming of the Lord.
In the flesh
Into our hearts
At our deaths
At the Last Judgement
Advent:
Colors, Symbols, and Practices
Advent is a Penitential Season a season
of penance.
o Purple is the color the Church uses to
symbolize penance. It is the liturgical color
of Advent.
o During Advent we refrain from singing the
Gloria at Mass.
o We should set aside time for Confession,
fasting and other acts of penance and
charity during the season of Advent.
Pope Francis in Purple Vestm,ents.
Advent:
Colors, Symbols, and Practices
The Advent Wreath is the
most common symbol of
Advent.
o The wreath contains 3 purple and1
pink candle one for each of the
four Sundays of Advent.
o It is lit in the Church at Mass and in
the Domestic Church, the home, for
prayer and meditation.
Advent:
Whats With the Pink Candle?
The third Sunday of Advent is
known as Gaudete Sunday
o
Christmas:
And the Word was made flesh
The Season of Christmas celebrates the Birth of
our Lord Jesus.
Christmas, along with Easter, are the two greatest
celebrations on the Churchs calendar.
o On Christmas I celebrate Easter, because Jesus was born to die for
me. - Lyrics to a song on Christmas for Little Children
Christmas:
Colors, Symbols and Practices
Contrary to the red and green
theme that identify the secular
celebrations of Christmas,
white is the official liturgical
color of the Christmas season.
White symbolizes light,
innocence, purity, joy, glory
and triumph.
On special feasts, gold
vestments can be used to
accent or totally replace white
vestments.
Christmas:
Colors, Symbols and Practices
The Nativity Scene and the
Christmas Tree are the two
main symbols of Christmas.
At Midnight Mass the infant
Jesus is placed in the
Nativity Scene.
The Christmas tree points
us to heaven, and its
evergreen color is a symbol
of Gods eternal love.
Christmas:
Octaves: Let the Celebrations Continue
An Octave is an eight day celebration of a Feast Day.
o During the celebration of an Octave, each day is celebrated as if it were the feast day.
o Daily Mass celebrated during the Octave includes the Gloria
Ordinary Time:
The Life and Teaching of Jesus
Ordinary Time is named
for the ordinal numbers
which count the weeks of
Ordinary Time.
Ordinary Time is
expressed by the Latin
term tempus per
annum meaning time
throughout the year.
During Ordinary Time the
Churchs liturgy focuses
on the Life and Teaching
of Jesus.
Ordinary Time:
Colors, Symbols and Practices
Lent:
A Season of Penance
Lent is a 40 day Penitential
Season, which prepares the
church to celebrate the
mystery of the Passion, Death
and Resurrection of the Lord
Jesus.
Lent begins with the
celebration of Ash
Wednesday and concludes on
the evening of Holy Thursday.
The three pillars of Lent are
prayer, fasting and
almsgiving.
Lent:
Colors, Symbols and Practices
The Liturgical color for Lent
is purple, which is a
penetential color.
o Priests wear a purple stole whenever
they hear confessions.
Lent:
Colors, Symbols and Practices
The two most common
symbols of Lent are
ashes and palms.
The ashes distributed
on Ash Wednesday are
traditionally made from
the previous years
palm branches, which
are burnt.
Lent:
Colors, Symbols and Practices
Some common devotional practices performed
during Lent include:
o Abstinence from meat on Fridays (as directed
by the Church)
o Fasting or giving up something
o Confession
o Praying the Stations of the Cross
o Lenten retreats or missions
Easter:
Alleluia, He Is Risen
The Season of Easter celebrates the Resurrection of
Our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.
The Season of Easter begins with the Easter Vigil
and concludes on Pentecost Sunday.
The Feasts of Divine Mercy Sunday and the
Ascension of the Lord fall during the Easter Season.
Easter:
Colors, Symbols and Practices
White is the official
liturgical color of the
Easter season.
White symbolizes light,
innocence, purity, joy,
glory and triumph.
Pentecost Sunday is
celebrated with the color
red for the Holy Spirit.
Easter:
Colors, Symbols and Practices
White is the official
liturgical color of the
Easter season.
White symbolizes light,
innocence, purity, joy,
glory and triumph.
Pentecost Sunday is
celebrated with the color
red for the Holy Spirit.
Easter:
Urbi et Orbi
The Urbi et Orbi (for
the city and for the
world) message is
delivered by the Holy
Father each Christmas
and Easter.
Pope Francis greeting the crowds after
delivering the Urbi et Orbi Message.
Sources
Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their
Biblican Roots by Dr. Scott Hahn
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Prayers & Devotions 365 Daily Meditations: Pope
John Paul II
Advent & Christmas Wisdom from Pope John Paul
II
Pope Francis, Wednesday Audience April 1, 2015
Catholic Online Liturgical Colors