Liturgy The Liturgical Year

The liturgical year is like the Lost River: It flows underneath the consciousness-operating almost unrealized and then, suddenly rises to the surface of our consciousness!

The Liturgical Year Liturgical year-the annual cycle of religious feasts and seasons that form the context of the Church’s worship. During the year we remember and celebrate God the Father’s saving plan as it is revealed through the life of his Son, Jesus Christ.

The liturgical year is always present, always now. Celebrates God’s time. The liturgical year provides a structure in which the universal Church celebrates the whole mystery of the Church: From the Incarnation and birth, through his life, death, Resurrection, Ascension, to “Pentecost-and prays in anticipation of Christ’s coming again. In the liturgical year, all these events are “re-membered” and made present in the now.

Advent The beginning of the Church year occurs at Advent. Preparation for the Christmas season. Four weeks in the season. The color purple. Time of waiting, hope, and preparation.

For what are we waiting ? The celebration of the birth of Christ: the Word Made Flesh. The birthing of Christ in our hearts. The final coming of Christ in glory at the end of time. We are awaiting Our Redeemer! (according to St. Bernard of Clairvaux)

Christmas: A Season, Not a Day Begins on December 25th. Lasts until the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord: the third Sunday after Christmas Day. Color is white or gold: joy Time of reflection on the Incarnation A major solemnity celebrated during this season: the Feast of the Epiphany.

Epiphany The revelation of God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. January 6. Now celebrated in many diocese on the Sunday before 1/6.

Ordinary Time Called ordinary because its days are numbered using ordinal numbers, i.e., the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, … Sunday in Ordinary Time. Separated into two blocks: - between the end of Christmas season to Lent. - Pentecost to Advent. Green for hope.

Ordinary Time Focus on the life of Jesus: his mission, miracles, teachings. Time to reflect on and internalize his teachings and values.

Lent We recall Christ’s passion-his suffering-and death on the cross. The most solemn time on the Christian calendar. Purple: symbolizing penance. Focus on Christian practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The Church commits as a community, the Body of Christ, to these actions of sacrifice. Reflection on the redemptive act of Christ’s death Prep time for the Resurrection.

Easter Triduum The week preceding Easter, beginning on Palm or Passion Sunday, the Sunday before, is called Holy Week. The last days of this week called the Triduum (the “Three Days”) are the most solemn of the entire year.

Triduum Holy Thursday: celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper Good Friday: We remember the passion and death of Jesus. No mass. Holy Saturday: We prepare for the Easter Vigil. The most beautiful liturgy of the year. Signs and symbols: fire, candles, water, Welcoming of the Elect into the Church. Awaiting Easter. Sacraments of Initiation.

Easter Season The celebration of the Resurrection Begins a 50 day period New life Everyday of the first week of Easter is celebrated as Easter Sunday.

Liturgical Rites and Traditions Eastern Catholic Churches: the twenty-one Churches of the East with their own liturgical and administrative traditions, in union with the universal Catholic Church and its head the bishop of Rome. Chose to remain with the Roman Church after 1054 schism. Reunited with it at a later date.

Eastern Churches Each Church has its own bishops, liturgical language, and liturgical customs. All ancient customs.

The Eastern Churches Each uses one of five rites: The Antiochene Chaldean Byzantine Alexandrian (Coptic or Ethiopian) Armenian

Within the Latin Rite There are other rites within the Latin rite besides the Roman Rite. Ambrosian Rite (Milan) The Mozarabic Rite(in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Toledo, Spain and six surrounding parishes Bragan Rite (the Archdiocese of Braga Portugal) The Dominican, Carmelite, and Carthusian Rites.

All these rites are legitimate expressions of the liturgy of the universal Catholic Church. They make present the saving mysteries of Christ

World Youth Day Celebrated since 1985 Begun by the late Pope5 John Paul II on Decemeber 20, 1985 Liturgy was just the same as any other.

Liturgies are the same? Because Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We encounter Jesus Christ in every liturgy Whether a few or a crowd of oeople, Jesus died and rose for us, it will always be him whom we encounter in the liturgy.

Celebrating the liturgy! One has to be present, contribute, and participate: Be present mentally and spiritually, as well as physically. Pray to the Holy Spirit Listen to the prayers. Listen to the readings. Pray during the General Intercessions Sing. Respond. Use your body.

Liturgy is a two way street: God communicates with us and we communicate with him.