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Theliturgical year, also called thechurch year,Christian year,ecclesiastical calendar, orkalendar,[1][2] consists of the cycle ofliturgical days and seasons that determines whenfeast days, includingcelebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of scripture are to be read.[3]
Distinctliturgical colours may be used in connection with different seasons of the liturgical year. The dates of the festivals vary somewhat among the different churches, although the sequence and logic is largely the same.
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| Liturgical seasons |
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The liturgical cycle divides the year into a series of seasons, each with their own mood,theological emphases, and modes ofprayer, which can be signified by different ways of decorating churches, colours ofparaments andvestments for clergy,scriptural readings, themes for preaching and even different traditions and practices often observed personally or in the home. In churches that follow the liturgical year, thescripture passages for each Sunday (and even each day of the year in some traditions) are specified in alectionary.
After theProtestant Reformation, Anglicans and Lutherans continued to follow the lectionary of theRoman Rite. Following a decision of theSecond Vatican Council, theCatholic Church revised that lectionary in 1969, adopting a three-year cycle of readings for Sundays and a two-year cycle for weekdays.
Adaptations of the revised Roman Rite lectionary were adopted by Protestants, leading to the publication in 1994 of theRevised Common Lectionary for Sundays and major feasts, which is now used by many Protestant denominations, including alsoMethodists,United, someReformed, etc. This has led to a greater awareness of the traditional Christian year among Protestants, especially amongmainline denominations.
Scholars are not in agreement about whether the calendars used by the Jews before theBabylonian exile weresolar (based on the return of the same relative position between the Sun and the Earth),lunisolar (based on months that corresponded to the cycle of the moon, with periodic additional months to bring the calendar back into agreement with the solar cycle) like the present-dayJewish calendar ofHillel II, orlunar, such as theHijri calendar.[4]
The first month of the Hebrew year was calledאביב (Aviv), meaning the month of green ears of grain. Having to occur at the appropriate time in the spring, it thus was originally part of atropical calendar. At about the time of theBabylonian exile, when using the Babylonian civil calendar, the Jews adopted the termניסן (Nisan) as the name for the month,[5] based on the Babylonian name Nisanu.[6] Thomas J Talley says that the adoption of the Babylonian term occurred even before the exile.[7]
In the earlier calendar, most of the months were simply called by a number (such as "the fifth month"). The Babylonian-derived names of the month that are used by Jews are:
In Biblical times, the following Jewish religious feasts were celebrated:
The Liturgical Calendar of theEast Syriac Rite is fixed according to the flow of salvation history. With a focus upon the historical life ofJesus Christ, believers are led to the eschatological fulfillment (i.e. the heavenly bliss) through this special arrangement of liturgical seasons.[8] The liturgical year is divided into 8 seasons of approximately 7 weeks each but adjusted to fit the solar calendar. The arrangement of the Seasons in the Liturgical Year is based on seven central events on celebrations of the Salvation History. They are:
One of the oldest available records mentioning the liturgical cycle of east-syriac rite is handwritten manuscript named 'Preface to Hudra' written by Rabban Brick-Iso in 14th century.[9] The manuscript mentions that the liturgical year is divided into nine seasons starting from Subara and ends with Qudas Edta. Catholic churches of east-syriac rite maintains the same liturgical calendar until the current date except that many consider 7th and 8th seasons as a single one. The biblical reading and prayers during Mass andLiturgy of the Hours vary according to different seasons in the liturgical calendar.
The various seasons of the liturgical calendar ofSyro-Malabar Church andChaldean Catholic Church are given below.
Weeks of Annunciation (Subara) is the first season of the liturgical year. The liturgical year begins with the commemoration of biblical events leading to the annunciation and birth of Jesus as expected savior in the old testament. The season begins on the Sunday just before the first of December and ends with the feast ofEpiphany that isthe Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. The faithful practice abstinence during December 1–25 in preparation for Christmas; this period is called "25 days Lent".[10]
Feasts celebrated during this season
Weeks of Epiphany begins on the Sunday closest to the feast ofEpiphany and runs to the beginning of Great Fast. The worddenha inSyriac means sunrise. Church considers the baptism of Jesus in theRiver Jordan as the first historical event in which theTrinity was revealed to humankind in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus the season commemorates the manifestation or revelation of Jesus and Trinity to the world. During the season the church celebrates the feasts of Saints in connection with the manifestation of the Lord.
Feasts celebrated during the period
During these weeks the faithful meditate over the 40-day fast of Jesus and the culmination of his public life in passion, death and burial. The season begins 50 days before Easter on Peturta Sunday and comprises the whole period ofGreat Lent and culminates onResurrection Sunday. Word Peturta in Syriac means "looking back" or "reconciliation". Faithful enter the weeks of Great Fast, celebrating the memory of all the Faithful Departed on the last Friday of Denha.
According to the ecclesial tradition, the weeks of Great Fast is also an occasion to keep up the memory of the beloved Departed through special prayers, renunciation, almsgiving, and so on and thus prepare oneself for a good death and resurrection in Jesus Christ. During the fast faithful ofSyro Malabar Church do not use meat, fish, egg, many dairy products, and most favorite food items, and avoid sexual contacts on all days including Sundays and Feast days. Before European colonization,Indian Nasranis used to have food only once a day (after 3:00 pm) on all days during Great Fast.-Feasts in the Lenten Season
The following feasts are always in the Lenten Season:
The weeks of Great Resurrection begin on theResurrection Sunday and run to the feast ofPentecost. The Church celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord during these seven weeks: Jesus' victory over death, sin, suffering and Satan. The church also commemorates various events that occurred after the resurrection of Christ, such as the visits of Jesus to the Apostles and the ascension of Jesus.
According to eastern Christianity, the Feast of Resurrection is the most important and the greatest feast in a liturgical year. Therefore, the season commemorating the resurrection of Christ is also of prime importance in the church liturgy. The first week of the season is celebrated as the 'Week of weeks' as it is the week of the resurrection of Christ.
Feasts celebrated during the period:
The following feasts are always in the season of resurrection:
Weeks of apostles (Slihe) starts on the feast ofPentecost, fiftieth day of theResurrection Sunday. During these days the church commemorates the inauguration of church and the acts of apostles and church fathers through which the foundation of the church was laid. Church meditates on the virtues of the early church: fellowship, breaking of bread and sharing of wealth, and thefruits andgifts ofHoly Spirit. The spread of the church all over the world as well as her growth is also remembered during this season.
Feast celebrated during the season:
The following feasts are commemorated in the season of Slihe
Along the weeks of Qaita maturity and fruitfulness of church are commemorated. The Syriac word Qaita means "summer" and it is a time of harvest for the Church. The fruits of the Church are those of holiness and martyrdom. While the sprouting and infancy of the Church were celebrated in 'the Weeks of the Apostles,' her development in different parts of the world by reflecting the image of the heavenly Kingdom and giving birth to many saints and martyrs are proclaimed during this season. Fridays of this Season are set apart for honoring saints and martyrs.
Feast celebrated during the season:
The following feasts are commemorated in the season of Qaita
The name of the seasons of Eliyah-Sliba-Moses takes their origin from the feast of thetransfiguration of Jesus. And the seasons revolve around the exaltation of the cross on thefeast of the glorious cross on September 14. During the seasons of Eliyah and Sliba church reminds the faithful of the heavenly bliss which is promised to be inherited at the end of earthly life and the church commemorates the exaltic experience of the bliss through various sacraments. While during the season of Moses church meditates upon the end of time and thelast judgment. Many at times the season of Moses is regarded as a distinct and separate season from the other two since it has a distinct theme.
The season of Eliyah has a length of one to three Sundays. Season of Sliba starts on Sunday on or after the feast of the glorious cross and has a length of three to four weeks. The first Sunday of Sliba is always considered as the fourth Sunday of the combined season. The season of Moses always has four weeks.
Feast celebrated during the seasons:
The following feasts are commemorated in the seasons of Eliyah-Sliba-Moses
The weeks of the dedication of the church is the last liturgical season in the East Syriac rite.[11][12] It consists of four weeks and ends on the Saturday before Sunday between November 27 and December 3. The theme of the season is that the church is presented by Christ as his eternal bride before his father at the heavenly bride chamber. The period has its origin in the feast of the dedication of the church of Sephelcure or the Jewish feast of Hanukkah. However, the season was officially instituted by Patriarch Isho-Yahb III of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (647–657) by separating it from the season of Moses.[13]
Feasts celebrated during the season:
The liturgical year in theEastern Orthodox Church is characterized by alternatingfasts andfeasts, and is in many ways similar to the Catholic year. However, Church New Year (Indiction) traditionally begins onSeptember 1 (Old Style or New Style), rather than the first Sunday of Advent. It includes both feasts on theFixed Cycle and thePaschal Cycle (or Moveable Cycle). The most important feast day by far is the Feast ofPascha (Easter) – the Feast of Feasts. Then theTwelve Great Feasts, which commemorate various significant events in the lives ofJesus Christ and of theTheotokos (Virgin Mary).
The majority of Orthodox Christians (Russians, in particular) follow theJulian Calendar in calculating their ecclesiastical feasts, but many (including the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece), while preserving the Julian calculation for feasts on the Paschal Cycle, have adopted theRevised Julian Calendar (at present coinciding with theGregorian Calendar) to calculate those feasts which are fixed according to the calendar date.
Between 1900 and 2100, there is a thirteen-day difference between the dates of the Julian and the Revised Julian and Gregorian calendars. Thus, for example, where Christmas is celebrated on December 25 O.S. (Old Style), the celebration coincides withJanuary 7 in the Revised Calendar. The computation of the day ofPascha (Easter) is, however, always computed according to alunar calendar based on the Julian Calendar, even by those churches which observe the Revised Calendar.
There are four fasting seasons during the year: The most important fast isGreat Lent which is an intense time of fasting,almsgiving and prayer, extending for forty days prior toPalm Sunday andHoly Week, as a preparation forPascha. TheNativity Fast (Winter Lent) is a time of preparation for the Feast of theNativity of Christ (Christmas), but whereas Advent in the West lasts only four weeks, Nativity Fast lasts a full forty days. TheApostles' Fast is variable in length, lasting anywhere from eight days to six weeks, in preparation for theFeast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29). TheDormition Fast lasts for two weeks fromAugust 1 toAugust 14 in preparation for the Feast of theDormition of the Theotokos (August 15). The liturgical year is so constructed that during each of these fasting seasons, one of the Great Feasts occurs, so that fasting may be tempered with joy.
In addition to these fasting seasons, Orthodox Christians fast on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year (and some Orthodoxmonasteries also observe Monday as a fast day). Certain fixed days are always fast days, even if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday (in which case the fast is lessened somewhat, but not abrogated altogether); these are: TheDecollation of St.John the Baptist, theExaltation of the Cross and the day before the Epiphany (January 5). There are several fast-free periods, when it is forbidden to fast, even on Wednesday and Friday. These are: the week following Pascha, the week followingPentecost, the period from the Nativity of Christ until January the 5th and the first week of theTriodion (the week following the 17th Sunday before Pentecost).
The greatest feast is Pascha. Easter for both East and West is calculated as the first Sunday after thefull moon that falls on or after March 21 (nominally the day of thevernal equinox), but the Orthodox calculations are based on theJulian calendar, whose March 21 corresponds at present with April 3 of theGregorian calendar, and on calculations of the date of full moon different from those used in the West (seecomputus for further details).
The date of Pascha is central to the entire ecclesiastical year, determining not only the date for the beginning of Great Lent and Pentecost, but affecting the cycle ofmoveable feasts, of scriptural readings and theOctoechos (texts chanted according to the eight ecclesiastical modes) throughout the year. There are also a number of lesser feasts throughout the year that are based upon the date of Pascha. The moveable cycle begins on theZacchaeus Sunday (the first Sunday in preparation for Great Lent or the 33rd Sunday after Pentecost as it is known), though the cycle of the Octoechos continues until Palm Sunday.
The date of Pascha affects the following liturgical seasons:
Some of these feasts follow the Fixed Cycle, and some follow the Moveable (Paschal) Cycle. Most of those on the Fixed Cycle have a period of preparation called aForefeast, and a period of celebration afterward, similar to the WesternOctave, called an Afterfeast. Great Feasts on the Paschal Cycle do not have Forefeasts. The lengths of Forefeasts and Afterfeasts vary, according to the feast.
Note: In Eastern practice, should this feast fall during Holy Week or on Pascha itself, the feast of the Annunciation is not transferred to another day. In fact, the conjunction of the feasts of the Annunciation and Pascha (dipli Paschalia,Greek:διπλή Πασχαλιά) is considered an extremely festive event.
Some additional feasts are observed as though they were Great Feasts:
Every day throughout the year commemorates some saint or some event in the lives ofChrist or theTheotokos. When a feast on the moveable cycle occurs, the feast on the fixed cycle that was set for that calendar day is transferred, with thepropers of the feast often being chanted atCompline on the nearest convenient day.
In addition to the Fixed and Moveable Cycles, there are a number of otherliturgical cycles in the ecclesiastical year that affect the celebration of the divine services. These include, theDaily Cycle, theWeekly Cycle, the Cycle ofMatins Gospels, and theOctoechos.
Western Christian liturgical calendars are based on the cycle of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, and are also followed in many Protestant churches, including the Lutheran, Anglican, and other traditions. Generally, the seasons in liturgical western Christianity areAdvent,Christmas, Ordinary Time (Time afterEpiphany),Lent,Easter, and Ordinary Time (Time afterPentecost). Some Protestant traditions do not include Ordinary Time: every day falls into a denominated season. Other Protestant churches, such as a minority in the Reformed tradition, reject the liturgical year entirely on the grounds that its observance is not directed in scripture.[15]
For those that follow the Western liturgical year, theRevised Common Lectionary provides scriptural structure for the patterns of the seasons. Protestant denominations that follow this lectionary include Methodists, Anglicans/Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, some Baptists and Anabaptists, among others.[16] With regard to the calendars of the Western Christian Churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary,[17]Vanderbilt University Professor Hoyt L. Hickman, states that:[17]
All these calendars agree that the Lord's Day is of primary importance among the observances of the year and that the Christian Year contains two central cycles – the Easter cycle and the Christmas cycle. Each cycle includes a festival season (Easter and Christmas), preceded by a season of preparation and anticipation (Lent and Advent). In most denominational versions and in theCommon Lectionary, Lent and Advent are immediately preceded by a transitional Sunday (Transfiguration and Christ the King), and the Easter and Christmas Seasons are immediately followed by a transitional Sunday (Trinity and Baptism of the Lord).[17]
Protestant Churches, with exception of the Lutheran and Anglican, generally observe fewer if any feasts with regard to the saints than the aforementioned liturgical denominations, in addition to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
In summary, theCatholic Church "unfolds within the cycle of a year ... the whole mystery of Christ, from the incarnation and birth until the ascension, the day of Pentecost, and the expectation of blessed hope and of the coming of the Lord. Recalling thus the mysteries of redemption, the Church opens to the faithful the riches of her Lord's powers and merits, so that these are in some way made present for all time, and the faithful are enabled to lay hold upon them and become filled with saving grace." Within this cycle, the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated both weekly, on Sundays, and annually, at Easter, "together with His blessed passion".[18]: Para. 102 A number of changes to the Catholic Church's liturgical year were put in place by theSecond Vatican Council.[18]: para. 107
Various other events in the life of Christ and his saints are also recalled and celebrated on specific days or seasons of each year.
There are many forms of liturgy in the Catholic Church. Even putting aside the many Eastern rites in use, theLatin liturgical rites alone include theAmbrosian Rite, theMozarabic Rite, and theCistercian Rite, as well as other forms that have been largely abandoned in favour of adopting theRoman Rite. There are also historical versions of the liturgy that varied greatly from the present one, such those used by theAnglo-Saxon Church.
The liturgical calendar in that form of the Roman Rite (seeGeneral Roman Calendar)of 1960 differs in some respects from that of the present form of the Roman Rite.
TheChurch of England,Mother Church of theAnglican Communion, uses a liturgical year that is in most respects identical to that of the 1969 Catholic Common Lectionary. While the calendars contained within theBook of Common Prayer and theAlternative Service Book (1980) have no "Ordinary Time",Common Worship (2000) adopted the ecumenical 1983Revised Common Lectionary. The few exceptions are Sundays following Christmas andTransfiguration, observed on the last Sunday before Lent instead of onReminiscere.
In some Anglican traditions (including the Church of England) the Christmas season is followed by an Epiphany season, which begins on the Eve of the Epiphany (on January 6 or the Sunday after January 1) and ends on theFeast of the Presentation (on February 2 or the Sunday after January 27). Ordinary Time begins after this period.
TheBook of Common Prayer contains within it the traditional Western Eucharistic lectionary which traces its roots to theComes of St. Jerome in the 5th century.[23] Its similarity to the ancient lectionary is particularly obvious during Trinity season (Sundays after the Sunday after Pentecost), reflecting that understanding of sanctification.[24]
Reformed Christians emphasize weekly celebration of theLord's Day. While some of them celebrate also what they call the fiveevangelical feasts, others celebrate no holy days but the Lord's Day and reject the liturgical year as non-scriptural, and as therefore inconsistent with theregulative principle of worship.[15][25]
Advent (from theLatin wordadventus, which means "arrival" or "coming") is the first season of the liturgical year. It begins four Sundays before Christmas, the Sunday falling on or nearest to November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve. Traditionally observed as a "fast", it focuses on preparation for the coming ofChrist, not only the coming of the Christ-child at Christmas, but also, in the first weeks, on theeschatological final coming of Christ, making Advent "a period for devout and joyful expectation".[26]
This season is often marked by theAdvent Wreath, a garland of evergreens with four candles. Although the main symbolism of the advent wreath is simply marking the progression of time, many churches attach themes to each candle, most often 'hope', 'faith', 'joy', and 'love'. Other popular devotions during Advent include the use of theAdvent Calendar or theTree of Jesse to count down the days to Christmas.
Liturgical colour: violet or purple;[27] blue in some traditions, such as Anglican/Episcopalian, Methodist, and Lutheran.[28][29][30]
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TheChristmas season immediately follows Advent. The traditionalTwelve Days of Christmas begin withChristmas Eve on the evening ofDecember 24 and continue until the feast ofEpiphany. The actual Christmas season continues until theFeast of the Baptism of Christ, which is celebrated on the Sunday after January 6, or the following Monday if that Sunday is kept as Epiphany.[31]
In the pre-1970 form, this feast is celebrated on January 13, unless January 13 is a Sunday, in which case the feast of theHoly Family is celebrated instead.[31] Until the suppression of the Octave of the Epiphany in the 1960 reforms, January 13 was the Octave day of the Epiphany, providing the date for the end of the season.
Traditionally, the end of Christmastide was February 2, or theFeast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known asCandlemas. This feast recounts the 40 days of rest Mary took before being purified and presenting her first-born son to the Temple in Jerusalem. In medieval times, Candlemas eve (Feb. 1st) marked the day when all Christmas decorations, including theChristmas tree and theNativity scene, were taken down. However, the tradition of ending Christmastide on Candlemas has slowly waned, except in some pockets of the Hispanic world where Candlemas (or La Fiesta de la Candelaria) is still an important feast and the unofficial end of the Christmas season.
Liturgical colour: white
"Ordinary" comes from the same root as our word "ordinal", and in this sense means "the counted weeks". In the Catholic Church and in some Protestant traditions, these are the common weeks which do not belong to a proper season. In Latin, these seasons are called the weeksper annum, or "through the year".
In the current form of the Roman Rite adopted following the Second Vatican Council, Ordinary Time consists of 33 or 34 Sundays and is divided into two sections. The first portion extends from the day following the Feast of the Baptism of Christ until the day before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent). It contains anywhere from three to eight Sundays, depending on how early or late Easter falls.
The main focus in the readings of the Mass is Christ's earthly ministry, rather than any one particular event. The counting of the Sundays resumes following Eastertide; however, two Sundays are replaced by Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, and depending on whether the year has 52 or 53 weeks, one may be omitted.
In the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite, the Time after Epiphany has anywhere from one to six Sundays. As in the current form of the rite, the season mainly concerns Christ's preaching and ministry, with many of his parables read as the Gospel readings. The season begins on January 14[32] and ends on the Saturday before Septuagesima Sunday. Omitted Sundays after Epiphany are transferred to Time after Pentecost and celebrated between the Twenty-Third and the Last Sunday after Pentecost according to an order indicated in theCode of Rubrics, 18, with complete omission of any for which there is no Sunday available in the current year.[33] Before the 1960 revisions, the omitted Sunday would be celebrated on the Saturday before Septuagesima Sunday,[34] or, in the case of the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, on the Saturday before the Last Sunday after Pentecost.[35]
Liturgical colour: green
Gregory the Great is the first to document a period of preparation for Easter beginning withSeptuagesima, whose name refers to a period of around seventy days before Easter.[36][37] This pre-Lenten period lasts two and a half weeks, encompassingSexagesima andQuinquagesima. It concludes withCarnival andShrove Tuesday.
This period opens an educational period leading up to the reception ofcatechumens at Easter.[38] Events such asmystery plays from theOld Testament performed during this period historically supported this instructional campaign,[39] reflecting the traditionallectionary for theCanonical hours, which begins onSeptuagesima with theBook of Genesis, as is still reflected in theBook of Common Prayer.[40]
The pre-Lenten liturgy introduces some customs of Lent, including the suppression of theAlleluia and its replacement at Mass with theTract. The Gloria is no longer said on Sundays.[41]
The 1969 reform of the Roman Rite subsumed these weeks liturgically into Ordinary Time,[42] but Carnival is still widely celebrated. A pre-Lenten provision continues in many Anglican and Lutheran liturgies.[43]
Liturgical colour (where observed): violet or purple
Lent is a major penitential season of preparation forEaster. It begins onAsh Wednesday and, if the penitential days ofGood Friday andHoly Saturday are included, lasts for forty days, since the six Sundays within the season are not counted.
In the Roman Rite, theGloria in Excelsis Deo and theTe Deum are not used in the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours respectively, except on Solemnities and Feasts, and theAlleluia and verse that usually precede the reading of the Gospel is either omitted or replaced with another acclamation.
Lutheran churches make these same omissions.
As in Advent, the deacon and subdeacon of the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite do not wear their habitual dalmatic and tunicle (signs of joy) in Masses of the season during Lent; instead they wear "folded chasubles", in accordance with the ancient custom.
In the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite, the two weeks before Easter form the season of Passiontide, a subsection of the Lenten season that begins withMatins ofAsh Wednesday and ends immediately before the Mass of theEaster Vigil.[44] In this form, what used to be officially calledPassion Sunday,[45] has the official name of the First Sunday in Passiontide,[46] andPalm Sunday has the additional name of the Second Sunday in Passiontide.[47] In Sunday and ferial Masses (but not on feasts celebrated in the first of these two weeks) theGloria Patri is omitted at theEntrance Antiphon[48] and at the Lavabo,[49] as well as in the responds in the Divine Office.
In the post-1969 form of the Roman Rite, "Passion Sunday" and "Palm Sunday" are both names for the Sunday before Easter, officially called "Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion". The former Passion Sunday became a fifth Sunday of Lent. The earlier form reads Matthew's account on Sunday, Mark's on Tuesday, and Luke's on Wednesday, while the post-1969 form reads the Passion only on Palm Sunday (with the three Synoptic Gospels arranged in a three-year cycle) and onGood Friday, when it reads the Passion according to John, as also do earlier forms of the Roman Rite.
The veiling of crucifixes and images of the saints with violet cloth, which was obligatory before 1970, is left to the decision of the national bishops' conferences. In the United States, it is permitted but not required, at the discretion of the pastor.[50] In all forms, the readings concern the events leading up to theLast Supper and the betrayal, Passion, and death of Christ.
The week before Easter is calledHoly Week.
In the Roman Rite, feasts that fall within that week are simply omitted, unless they have the rank of Solemnity, in which case they are transferred to another date. The only solemnities inscribed in the General Calendar that can fall within that week are those ofSaint Joseph and theAnnunciation.
Liturgical colour: violet or purple. The colour rose may be used, where it is the practice, onLaetare Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent). On Palm Sunday the colour since 1970 is red, by earlier rules violet or purple, with red being used after 1955 for the blessing of the palms.
The Easter Triduum consists of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.[51] Each of these days begins liturgically not with the morning but with the preceding evening.
The triduum begins on the evening before Good Friday withMass of the Lord's Supper, celebrated with white vestments,[52] and often includes a ritual of ceremonial footwashing. It is customary on this night for a vigil involving private prayer to take place, beginning after the evening service and continuing until midnight. This vigil is occasionally renewed at dawn, continuing until the Good Friday liturgy.
During the day ofGood Friday Mass is not celebrated in the Catholic Church. Instead a Celebration of the Passion of the Lord is held in the afternoon or evening. It consists of three parts: aLiturgy of the Word that includes the reading of the account of thePassion byJohn the Evangelist and concludes with a solemnUniversal Prayer. Other churches also have their Good Friday commemoration of the Passion.
The colour of vestments varies: no colour, red, or black are used in different traditions. Coloured hangings may be removed. Lutheran churches often either remove colourful adornments and icons, or veil them with drab cloth. The service is usually plain with somber music, ending with the congregation leaving in silence. In the Catholic, some Lutheran, and High Anglican rites, a crucifix (not necessarily the one which stands on or near the altar on other days of the year) is ceremoniously unveiled. Other crucifixes are unveiled, without ceremony, after the service.
Holy Saturday commemorates the day during which Christ lay in the tomb. In the Catholic Church, there is no Mass on this day; the Easter Vigil Mass, which, though celebrated properly at the following midnight, is often celebrated in the evening, is an Easter Mass. With no liturgical celebration, there is no question of a liturgical colour.
TheEaster Vigil is held in the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, to celebrate theresurrection of Jesus. See alsoPaschal candle. The liturgical colour is white, often together with gold. In the Roman Rite, during the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" the organ and bells are used in the liturgy for the first time in two days, and the statues, which have been veiled during Passiontide (at least in the Roman Rite through the 1962 version), are unveiled. In Lutheran churches, colours and icons are re-displayed as well.
Easter is the celebration ofJesus' Resurrection. The date of Easter varies from year to year, according to a lunar-calendar dating system (seecomputus for details). In the Roman Rite, the Easter season extends from theEaster Vigil throughPentecost Sunday. In the pre-1970 form of the rite, this season includes also theOctave of Pentecost, so Eastertide lasts untilNone of the following Saturday.
In the Roman Rite, theEaster octave allows no other feasts to be celebrated or commemorated during it; a solemnity, such as the Annunciation, falling within it is transferred to the following Monday. If Easter Sunday or Easter Monday falls on April 25, the Greater Litanies, which in the pre-1970 form of the Roman Rite are on that day, are transferred to the following Tuesday.[53]
By a decree of May 5, 2000, the Second Sunday of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Day itself), is known also in the Roman Rite as theFeast of the Divine Mercy.[54]
Ascension Thursday, which celebrates the return of Jesus to heaven following his resurrection, is the fortieth day of Easter, but, in places where it is not observed as aHoly Day of Obligation, the post-1969 form of the Roman rite transfers it to the following Sunday.[55]
Pentecost is the fiftieth and last day of the Easter season. It celebrates the sending of theHoly Spirit to theApostles, which traditionally marks the birth of the Church, see alsoApostolic Age.
Liturgical colour: white, but red on the feast of Pentecost.
This season, under various names, follows the Easter season and the feasts of Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. In the post-1969 form of the Roman rite, Ordinary Time resumes onPentecost Monday, omitting the Sunday which would have fallen on Pentecost. In the earlier form, where Pentecost is celebrated with an octave, the Time after Pentecost begins at Vespers on the Saturday after Pentecost. The Sundays resume their numbering at the point that will make the Sunday before Advent the thirty-fourth, omitting any weeks for which there is no room (present-day form of the Roman Rite) or are numbered as "Sundays after Pentecost" (pre-1970 Roman Rite,Eastern Orthodoxy and some Protestants) or as "Sundays after Trinity" (some Protestants). This season ends on the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent.
Feasts during this season include:
In the final few weeks of Ordinary Time, many churches direct attention to the coming of the Kingdom of God, thus ending the liturgical year with aneschatological theme that is one of the predominant themes of the season of Advent that began the liturgical year. For instance, in theextraordinary form of the Roman Rite, the Gospel of the Last Sunday isMatthew 24:15–35 and in the ordinary form of the Roman Rite all the last three Sundays of the liturgical year are affected by the theme of theSecond Coming.
While the Roman Rite adopts no special designation for this final part of Ordinary Time, some denominations do, and may also change the liturgical colour. TheChurch of England uses the term "Sundays before Advent" for the final four Sundays and permits red vestments as an alternative. TheUnited Methodist Church may use the name "Kingdomtide".[56] TheLutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) uses the terms "Third-Last, Second-Last and Last Sunday in the Church Year" and does not change from green. The LCMS does not officially celebrate a "Feast of Christ the King". TheWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) uses the term "Period of End Times" and assigns red vestments to the first and second Sundays.
Liturgical colours: white if the saint was not martyred; red if the saint was martyred
There are degrees of solemnity of the office of the feast days of saints. In the 13th century, the Roman Rite distinguished three ranks: simple, semidouble and double, with consequent differences in the recitation of theDivine Office or Breviary. The simple feast commenced with the chapter (capitulum) of First Vespers, and ended with None. It had three lessons and took the psalms of Matins from the ferial office; the rest of the office was like the semidouble. The semidouble feast had two Vespers, nine lessons in Matins, and ended with Compline. The antiphons before the psalms were only intoned.
In the Mass, the semidouble had always at least three "orationes" orcollects. On a double feast the antiphons were sung in their entirety, before and after the psalms, while in Lauds and Vespers there were nosuffragia of the saints, and the Mass had only one "oratio" (if no commemoration was prescribed). If ordinary double feasts (referred to also as lesser doubles) occurred with feasts of a higher rank, they could be simplified, except the octave days of some feasts and the feasts of the Doctors of the Church, which were transferred.
To the existing distinction between major and ordinary or minor doubles,Pope Clement VIII added two more ranks, those of first-class or second-class doubles. Some of these two classes were kept with octaves. This was still the situation when the 1907 articleEcclesiastical Feasts in theCatholic Encyclopedia was written. In accordance with the rules then in force, feast days of any form of double, if impeded by "occurrence" (falling on the same day)[58] with a feast day of higher class, were transferred to another day.
Pope Pius X simplified matters considerably in his 1911reform of the Roman Breviary. In the case of occurrence the lower-ranking feast day could become acommemoration within the celebration of the higher-ranking one. Until then, ordinary doubles took precedence over most of the semidouble Sundays, resulting in many of the Sunday Masses rarely being said. While retaining the semidouble rite for Sundays, Pius X's reform permitted only the most important feast days to be celebrated on Sunday, although commemorations were still made untilPope John XXIII's reform of 1960.
The division into doubles (of various kinds) semidoubles and simples continued until 1955, whenPope Pius XII abolished the rank of semidouble, making all the previous semidoubles simples, and reducing the previous simples to a mere commemoration in the Mass of another feast day or of the feria on which they fell (seeGeneral Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII).
Then, in 1960, Pope John XXIII issued theCode of Rubrics, completely ending the ranking of feast days by doubles etc., and replacing it by a ranking, applied not only to feast days but to all liturgical days, as I, II, III, and IV class days.
The1969 revision byPope Paul VI divided feast days into "solemnities", "feasts" and "memorials", corresponding approximately to Pope John XXIII's I, II and III class feast days. Commemorations were abolished. While some of the memorials are considered obligatory, others are optional, permitting a choice on some days between two or three memorials, or between one or more memorials and the celebration of the feria. On a day to which no obligatory celebration is assigned, the Mass may be of any saint mentioned in theRoman Martyrology for that day.[59]
Observed by Catholics and some Anglicans on August 15, which is the same as the Eastern and Orthodox feast of theDormition, the end of the earthly life of the Virgin Mary and, for some, her bodily Assumption into heaven, is celebrated. The teaching on thisdogma was summmed byPope Pius XII in hisbullMunificentissimus Deus of 1 November, 1950.
In other Anglican and Lutheran traditions, as well as a few others, August 15 is celebrated as St. Mary, Mother of the Lord.
Liturgical colour: white
Because of the dominance of Christianity in Europe throughout theMiddle Ages, many features of the Christian year became incorporated into the secular calendar. Many of its feasts (e.g.,Christmas,Mardi Gras,Saint Patrick's Day) remain holidays, and are now celebrated by people of all faiths and none—in some cases worldwide. The secular celebrations bear varying degrees of likeness to the religious feasts from which they derived, often also including elements of ritual frompagan festivals of similar date.
| Date Range | East Syriac | Eastern Orthodox | Western | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Season | Celebration | Season | Celebration | |
| Counting in relation to Christmas | |||||
| November 15 | Dedication of the church (Qudas Edta) | Nativity Fast (40 days) | |||
| 5th Sunday before Christmas | Christ the King Sunday | ||||
| 4th Sunday before Christmas | Annunciation (Suvara) | Advent | Beginning of the Western Liturgical Calendar | ||
| 3rd Sunday before Christmas | |||||
| 2nd Sunday before Christmas | Gaudete Sunday | ||||
| 1st Sunday before Christmas | |||||
| December 24 | Christmas Eve | ||||
| December 25 | Christmastide | Christmas | Christmastide | Christmas | |
| December 25 to January 5 (includes 1 to 2 Sundays) | |||||
| Counting in relation to Epiphany | |||||
| January 6 | Epiphany (Denha) | Epiphany (Theophany) | Christmastide | Epiphany | |
| 1st Sunday after Epiphany | Baptism of Jesus | ||||
| Varies between zero and four Sundays | Ordinary Time (After Epiphany) | ||||
| Counting in relation to Easter | |||||
| 11th Sunday before Easter | Epiphany (Denha) | Zaccheaus Sunday (Slavic) or Sunday of the Canaanite (Greek) | Ordinary Time (After Epiphany) | ||
| 10th Sunday before Easter | Pre-Lent | ThePublican and the Pharisee | |||
| 9th Sunday before Easter | TheProdigal Son | ||||
| 8th Sunday before Easter | TheLast Judgement or Meat-Fare Sunday | ||||
| 7th Sunday before Easter | Great Fast (Sawma Rabba) | The Sunday of Forgiveness orCheesefare Sunday | Transfiguration Sunday | ||
| 48 days before Easter | Great Lent (40 days, including 5 Sundays) | Clean Monday | |||
| 46 days before Easter | Lent (38 days and 6 Sundays, 44 days total) | Ash Wednesday | |||
| 6th Sunday before Easter | Triumph of Orthodoxy | ||||
| 5th Sunday before Easter | St. Gregory Palamas | ||||
| 4th Sunday before Easter | Adoration of the Cross | ||||
| 3rd Sunday before Easter | St. John of the Ladder | ||||
| 2nd Sunday before Easter | St. Mary of Egypt | ||||
| 8 days before Easter | Great and Holy Week (7 days including, 1 Sunday) | Lazarus Saturday | |||
| 1st Sunday before Easter | Palm Sunday | Palm Sunday | |||
| Monday before Easter | Great and Holy Monday | Holy Monday | |||
| Tuesday before Easter | Great and Holy Tuesday | Holy Tuesday | |||
| Wednesday before Easter | Great and Holy Wednesday | Holy or Spy Wednesday | |||
| Thursday before Easter | Great and Holy Thursday | Maundy Thursday | |||
| Friday before Easter | Great and Holy Friday | Paschal Triduum | Good Friday | ||
| Saturday before Easter | Great and Holy Saturday | Holy Saturday | |||
| Easter Sunday | Resurrection (Qyamta) | Pentecostarion (Paschaltide) | Great and Holy Pascha | Easter | |
| Week after Easter | Bright Week | Eastertide | |||
| 1st Sunday after Easter | Thomas Sunday | Divine Mercy Sunday | |||
| 2nd Sunday after Easter | The HolyMyrrhbearers | ||||
| 3rd Sunday after Easter | The Paralytic | ||||
| 25 days after Easter (Wednesday) | Mid-Pentecost | ||||
| 4th Sunday after Easter | TheSamaritan Woman | ||||
| 5th Sunday after Easter | The Blind Man | ||||
| 40th day after Easter (Thursday) | Ascension of Jesus | Ascension of Jesus | |||
| 6th Sunday after Easter | The Fathers of theFirst Ecumenical Council | ||||
| 7th Sunday after Easter | Apostles (Slihe) | Pentecost | Pentecost | ||
| Counting in relation to Pentecost | |||||
| 1st Sunday after Pentecost | Apostles (Slihe) | Pentecostarion (Paschaltide) | All Saints | Ordinary Time (After Pentecost) | Trinity Sunday |
| 8 days after Pentecost (Monday) | Apostles' Fast begins (ends June 29) | ||||
| 2nd Sunday after Pentecost | |||||
| 7th Sunday after Pentecost | Summer (Qaita) | ||||
| August 1 to August 14 | Dormition Fast | ||||
| 14th Sunday after Pentecost | Eliyah-Sliba-Moses | ||||
| September 1 | Beginning of Eastern Liturgical Year | ||||
| 20th to 25th Sunday after Pentecost (Sunday between October 30 and November 5) | Dedication of the church (Qudas Edta) | All Saints' Sunday | |||
—used especially of ecclesiastical calendars // the Episcopal kalendar
It is as a result of this connection that "kalendar/calendar" came to refer to the orderly arrangement of time as we now know it, but the established church retained the older "K" spelling to distinguish their kalendar from an ordinary list of events. In other words, a kalendar is simply a church calendar!
The Church's Year, as it has been known for many centuries throughout Christendom, is characterised first, by the weekly festival of the Lord's Day (a feature which dates from the dawn of the Church's life and the age of the Apostles) and, secondly, by the annual recurrence of fasts and festivals, of certain days and certain seasons of religious observance. These latter emerged, and came to find places in the Kalendar at various times.
Those inheriting a Reformed theology (which would include the OPC) have adopted the stance that the church is only to practice in worship what the Bible actually establishes, often called the "regulative principle" of worship. Many in the Reformed tradition would exclude the practice of Lent on this basis—it lacks scriptural warrant. Furthermore, the Bible's liturgical calendar is remarkably simple—all men are duty-bound to keep the Lord's day!
The Revised Common Lectionary, used by Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans and some Baptists, is arranged in a three-year cycle.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)For many twentieth-century Christians the All Saints-tide period is extended to include Remembrance Sunday. In the Calendar and Lectionary we have sought to make it easier to observe this without cutting across a developing lectionary pattern, and we have reprinted the form of service approved ecumenically for use on that day.
| Systems | |||||||
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In limited use |
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| By specialty |
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| Reform proposals | |||||||
Displays and applications | |||||||
Year naming and numbering |
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