Liturgical year 2011 12

LITURGICAL CYCLE/YEARLITURGICAL CYCLE/YEAR

The Liturgical Year• The liturgical year is the arrangement of the

Church’s celebrations of the various events in the life of Christ and the mysteries of our faith throughout the year.

• Comprises a cycle of seasons & feasts celebrated by the Church during a 12 month period.

• The seasons & feast days recall & celebrate the mysteries of Christ – His life, death & resurrection; as well as the love, devotion, faithfulness & holiness that surrounded His Mother, Mary, & the other Saints.

First Sunday of Advent27th Nov 2011

2011/2012

From Latin “adventus” meaning arriving or coming.

Period of joyous, devout & expectant anticipation & preparation for both the celebration of Jesus’ birth & his expected second coming.

Scripture readings focus on God’s promise to send a saviour to deliver us from sin & death.

It is a time to take life a little more slowly, and to focus on what we need to do to allow God to more fully enter our heart.

ADVENT

Period of waiting is marked with Advent Wreath with 4 candles, symbolizing the hopefulness of evergreens, the eternal love of God expressed in the circle without beginning or end, & the candle flames pushing out the darkness to make way for Christ, the Light of the world.

The Crib reminds us of what we are anticipating.

Liturgical colour: Purple (symbolizes penance), third week rose/pink (joy).

ADVENT

Christmas Day25th Dec 2011

CHRISTMAS• Begins with Christmas Eve Mass.• Celebrates the birthday of our Lord

Jesus Christ – “ the Word became flesh & dwelt among us” John 1:14.• A holy day of rejoicing &

thanksgiving.• Christmas season lasts till Feast of

the Baptism of Jesus.

• During this season we celebrate Jesus’ early childhood events:

oFeast of the Holy Family (27 Dec), oSolemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God (Jan 1), oSolemnity of the Epiphany (Jan 8)

• Themes: Joy, peace, Christ as Light of the world, The Incarnation• Liturgical colour: White (purity, holiness)• Christmas is second in importance to Easter.

CHRISTMAS

Baptism of the Lord

9th January 2012

Ordinary Time Root word “ordinal” means “the counted

weeks”. Begins on the day following Feast of the

Baptism of Our Lord, & ends on the day before Ash Wed which marks the beginning of Lent.

Next year 2012, Ordinary Time starts 10th Jan, ends 21st Feb. Ash Wed on 22nd Feb.

This period allows us to reflect on the mysteries of Christ just celebrated; also provides for celebration of other solemnities, feasts days & memorials of Saints of the Church.

Main focus of readings is Christ’s earthly ministry.

Liturgical colour: Green symbolizing growth of spiritual life.

Ash Wednesday22nd February 2012

Lent & Holy Week

• Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days.

• Period of penance & purification, renewed repentance of our sins, a new turning to God, to get ourselves ready to celebrate Easter.

• On Ash Wed we put ashes on our foreheads to signify repentance & sorrow for our sins.

• During Lent we perform acts of penance – includes fasting & abstinence, prayers, sacrifices & almsgiving.

Palm Sunday1st April 2012

LENT+ Prayer (God)+ Fasting (Self)+ Almsgiving(Neighbour)

Chrism Mass

Mass of theLord’s Supper

Service

Veneration of the Cross

Vigil

Mass(Baptism)

ASHWED

Passion Sun (Palm Sunday) Holy

ThursdayGoodFriday

HolySat

Holy week

Holy week recalls Jesus’ passage from life & death to the glory of his resurrection.

Holy week starts with Palm Sunday & ends in the 3 days of Easter Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday & Holy Saturday

Good Friday – 6 April Holy Saturday – 7 AprilEaster Sunday – 8 April

Holy Thursday recalls Jesus’ last supper with His disciples, when He instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist & the Holy Order of Priesthood.Good Friday commemorates his sufferings & death. On this day Mass is not celebrated, only a communion service, where the cross is venerated.Holy Saturday commemorates the day Jesus lay in the tomb. There is no daytime Mass, until midnight when the Easter Vigil Mass is celebrated - Christ has risen from the dead, conquering death!This marks the beginning of Easter.

• Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.• The Pascal Candle is lighted to signify

that Christ as Light of the world has triumphed over sin & death.

• Themes: New life in Christ, Light, Christian victory

• Liturgical colour: White, often with gold.• During Vigil Mass, the singing of the

Gloria & the Alleluia ring out with the bells ringing, to express our joy

EASTER!!!

• The Easter event of God raising Jesus to life is crucial to the Christian faith.

• Through the resurrection of Jesus, Christians believe that God our Creator offers salvation & hope to all humanity.

• Traditionally, it is also the time for all catechumens to be baptized on Easter Vigil.

• Easter season lasts for 50 days, ending on Pentecost Sunday.

EASTER!!!

Pentecost Sunday27th May 2012

Ordinary Time 2

• After Pentecost we enter Ordinary Time again.

• During this period, the mystery of Christ in all its fullness is celebrated & reflected on.

Special Sunday celebrations like Holy Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi & Christ the King, help accomplish this purpose.

• Solemnity of Christ the King marks the end of the Church Year, & a new cycle begins.

• Themes: Growth, journey in Christ

• Liturgical colour: Green

Christ the King25th Nov 2012

Group Sharing

Group SharingSome things that you can share …1. How has your journey been in

the RCIA so far?2. Any good experiences?3. Any bad experiences?4. Any difficulties or obstacles?5. How is your prayer life?6. How is your relationship with

God?7. Where are you in your journey? 8. Are you ready to be baptised as

a Catholic?9. Any questions?

BREAK TIME !!!

Liturgical celebrations are grouped into 3 categories, by order of importance:-

Solemnities: Highest order. Commemorate an event, a person or a belief of the highest significance in salvation history e.g. Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Christ the King, the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

Feast Days: Commemorate the astonishing actions of God; give him thanks for them; perpetuate their remembrance & teach new generations to conform their conduct to them e.g. Feast of the Holy Family, Baptism of Jesus, Birth of Mary.

Memorials: Give glory to God for martyrs & Saints, whose examples encourage the faithful on their pilgrim journey to the heavenly Father e.g. St. Francis Xavier (Dec 3), St Anthony of Padua (June 13)

THE LECTIONARY CYCLE

•The Lectionary is a book of Scripture readings used during Mass.•Term means “gathering or selection of readings”.•Every day of the year appropriate Scripture texts are prescribed & proclaimed in our Masses. This is the Lectionary Cycle.

Sundays• 3 Readings:

1st – OT, 2nd – NT; 3rd – Gospel• Responsorial Psalm after the 1st

reading• 3-year cycle.

A: Mathew; B: Mark; C: Luke

Weekdays• 2 Readings:

1st – OT or NT; 2nd – Gopsel• Responsorial Psalm after the 1st

reading• 2-year cycle – 1 & 2.

THE LECTIONARY CYCLE

Advent

Christmas

LentEaster

Holy Week

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

lightinnocencepurityjoytriumphglory

The Liturgical Colours

Advent

Christmas

LentEaster

Holy Week

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

The Liturgical Colours

the PassionbloodfireGod's Lovemartyrdom

Advent

Christmas

LentEaster

Holy Week

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

The Liturgical Colours

Advent

Christmas

LentEaster

Holy Week

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

The Liturgical Colours

Advent

Christmas

LentEaster

Holy Week

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

The Liturgical Colours

Advent

Christmas

LentEaster

Holy Week

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

The Liturgical Colours

The Deeper Meaning

“Recalling the mysteries of redemption, the Church opens to the faithful the riches of the Lord’s powers and merits, so that these are in some way made present in every age in order that the faithful may lay hold on them and be filled with saving grace” (Constitution on the Liturgy, 102).

PRESENCE

LITURGICAL YEAR

• Restoring Sacred Time

• Remembering the Past

• The Present Offer of Grace

• The Divine Future

THANK YOU & GOD BLESS ALWAYS !!!