Advent
Ordinary Christmas
Time
Ordinary
Easter
Time
Lent
Organizational tool
Celebrates the Mystery of Christ
Liturgical year celebrations
Proper of Seasons
Solemnities and Feasts
Story of Redemption
Incarnation
Second Coming
Advent
Christmas
Lent
Easter
Ordinary Time
White (or Gold)
Joy, Triumph, Glory, Light, Innocence, Purity
Christmas, Easter, Feast Days of Saints
Red
Blood
Passion of Jesus, Pentecost, Martyrdom, Apostles
Green
Creation, life
Ordinary Time
Violet (Purple)
Penance, humility
Advent, Lent
Rose
Joy (replaces Violet 3rd Sunday of Advent; 4th Sunday of Lent)
Black
Mourning, sorrow
Traditional use on All Souls Day
Holy Days of Obligation
Sunday (eighth day)
Immaculate Conception of Mary
Christmas
Solemnity of Mary
Ascension
Assumption
All Saints
Cycle of Sunday Readings
Year A: Matthew
Year B: Mark
Year C: Luke
John throughout each year
Daily Readings
Year 1 or 2
Over the course of the 3 year cycle, we will
have proclaimed a vast majority of Scripture
Sundays and Feast Days
Four readings
▪ Old Testament: Corresponds with Gospel of the Day
▪ Psalm: Reflection
▪ Apostolic letter: Semi-continuous reading
▪ Gospel
Weekdays
Three readings
▪ Old Testament or Apostolic letter: Semi-continuous reading
▪ Psalm
▪ Gospel
Begins the Closest Sunday to Nov 30
Church year November 29, 2015
About 4 weeks long
Ends Christmas Eve
Violet
First appeared in 380 AD
Begins at the time we began to celebrate the
FEAST of Christmas
In 1180 Pope Gregory VII standardized to 4
weeks before Christmas
Prepare to celebrate the anniversary of the
Incarnation
Prepare our souls to be fitting abodes for the
Redeemer
Prepare ourselves to be ready for the 2nd
coming
Theme of anticipation
Stay awake!
Be prepared!
Theme of repentance
John the Baptist
Prepare through repentance
Visibly change our lives
Theme is rejoicing and patience
Kingdom of heaven revealed in the works of Christ
Expectation
Rejoice in the Lord always, the Lord is near!
Theme of Emmanuel, “God With Us”
Prophecy is fulfilled
Incarnation via Holy Spirit
Mary is blessed among women
Immaculate Conception
December 8
Celebrates Mary’s immaculate soul
Holy Day of Obligation
Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 12
Celebrates Mary as Patroness of the Americas
A time of preparation for the coming of Jesus
A penitential and joyous aspect
Not to be confused with our culture’s
interpretation as a time to shop
Christ’s birth and early December 25
manifestations Holy Family
Solemnity of the
Blessed Virgin Mary,
the Mother of God
Epiphany
Baptism of Jesus
White/Gold
First appeared in the calendar of 354
Pagan feasts of Winter Solstice
December 25 in Rome
January 6 in Egypt
Christ is the Sun of Justice and Light of the
World
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Sunday within the Octave of Christmas
December 26
Gospel of Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23
Childhood story
Flight to Egypt
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the
Mother of God
Octave day of Christmas
January 1
Celebrates Mary as the Virgin Mother of God
Celebrates the giving of the name of Jesus
Epiphany
Celebrates Christ’s manifestation
Matthew 2: 1-12
January 6 or the Sunday between January 2 and
January 8
▪ January 2
Baptism of the Lord
Matthew 3: 13-17
Sunday after January 6
▪ January 9
Ideal Christian Sunday 34 Sundays
Begins Monday
following January 6
Pauses during Lent and
Easter seasons
Begins again Monday
following Pentecost
Sunday
Finishes before the
First Sunday of Advent
Green
Gospels presented in semi continuous
reading
Present Jesus’ life and preaching
Old Testament readings chosen to
correspond to Gospel
Reading from the Apostles are semi
continuous letters from Paul and James
Preparation for the Begins on Ash
Celebration of Easter Wednesday
Moveable date
Ends at the Mass of the
Lord’s Supper
Holy Thursday
6 Sundays
Passion or Palm Sunday
Violet/Purple
First Sunday
Temptation
Second Sunday
Transfiguration
Third Sunday
Samaritan woman
Fourth Sunday
Man born blind
Fifth Sunday
Raising of Lazarus
Old Testament presents the History of
Salvation
Letters of the Apostles selected to provide a
connection between Old Testament and
Gospel
Two Gospel readings
Christ’s solemn entry into Jerusalem
Account of the Passion
Marks the beginning of Holy Week
Red
Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord’s Supper (White)
Good Friday
Lord’s Passion (Red)
Holy Saturday
Easter Vigil (White)
One Great Sunday 50 Sacred Days
Easter Sunday
Ascension
Pentecost
7 Sundays
Divine Mercy Sunday
White
Major themes
Presence of the risen Christ
Transforming power of the Paschal Mystery
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
40 Days after Easter
Transferred to the 7th Sunday of Easter
Celebrates Christ’s ascending into Heaven
First reading from the Acts of the Apostles 1:
1-11
An account of the Ascension
Second reading from Ephesians 1: 17-23
Gospel of Luke 24:46-53
Promise of Pentecost (power of the Holy Spirit)
Week of weeks (7x7+1 festival day)
Jewish celebration of God’s covenants
Birthday of the Church
First reading from Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-11
Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
Second reading from 1Corinthians 12: 3-7, 12-13
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Gospel of John 20: 19-23
“Receive the Holy Spirit”
Red
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Sunday following Pentecost Sunday
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood
of Christ (Corpus Christi)
2nd Sunday following Pentecost
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Friday following Corpus Christi Sunday
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15
All Saints
November 1
All Souls
November 2
Christ the King
34th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Theme of repentance
First reading from Isaiah 11:1-10
Kingdom of peace and harmony
Second reading from Romans 15: 4-9
Hope and encouragement
Gospel of Matthew 3: 1-12
John the Baptist
Prepare through repentance
Visibly change our lives
Where is your “desert spot” where you can
quiet your inner noise to listen to God?
When I hear John’s harsh language, my first
inclination is to ……
What “good fruit” is ripening in you?