Vestment Colors
Vestment colors are used to represent the mood of the Mass being
celebrated. The color for the altar cloth and the celebrant's sash will be
of this color. There are four standard vestment colors.
Violet - Represents Expectation, Purification, or Penance. Used
during Lent and Advent.
White (or Gold) - Represents Joy and Triumph. Used during the
Paschal Triduum, Easter, and
Christmas, as well as for Holy
Days and Feast Days throughout the year.
Red - Represents Royalty, Fire, and Martyrdom. Used on special
Feast Days and Holy Days
throughout the year.
Green - A sign of Life and Growth. Represents
Ordinary Time.
Other colors may be substituted where traditionally appropriate, if
desired. Some typical examples are Black, used for funerals, and
Pink, used on the third Sunday of Advent.
Liturgical Years
For Sundays and other special days throughout the church year, there are
three sets of readings assigned for the day. These readings are assigned to
Liturgical Years A, B, and C. Years which are evenly divisible by 3 are
assigned year C, such as 1995. Year A follows year C, Year B follows Year A,
and Year C follows Year B. Bear in mind that Liturgical Years start on the
first Sunday of Advent of the previous year, so December 1, 1996 started
Liturgical Year B.
Liturgical Cycles
For weekdays in ordinary time and other special days throughout the
church year, there are two sets of readings for the day. These readings are
assigned to Liturgical Cycles I and II. Odd years are assigned cycle I, and
even years are assigned cycle II. Bear in mind that Liturgical Cycles start
on the first Sunday of Advent of the previous year, so December 1, 1996
began Liturgical Cycle I.
Seasons of the Liturgical Year
The seasons of the liturgical year begin with Advent, a time of
preparation for the Christmas season. The Christmas season
celebrates the birth of Jesus (on December 25) and continues until the
Baptism of Our Lord. This is followed by the first of two periods of
Ordinary Time, which continues until Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks
the beginning of the season of Lent, a time of penitence leading to
the Paschal Triduum after the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The
Triduum is the three days before Easter. Easter Sunday marks the
start of the Easter season, which continues as a time of celebration
until Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost Sunday marks the start of the second
period of Ordinary Time, which continues until the Advent
season begins again.
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Holy Days of Obligation
Holy days of obligation are special feasts on
which Catholics who have reached the age of reason are seriously obliged to
assist at Mass and avoid unnecessary work. See
Sunday Obligation below.
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Sunday Obligation
One of the precepts of the Church is to keep holy the day of the Lord's
Resurrection; to worship God by participating in Mass every Sunday and
holy day of obligation; to avoid those activities
that would hinder renewal of soul and body, for example, needless work and
business activities, unnecessary shopping, and so forth.
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Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations and Solemnities
These are days which the Church has set aside as having special meaning.
There are several types of celebrations. Some are events in the life of
Christ. Some are days dedicated to a particular saint. There are three types
of feast days. Optional Feasts are not universally celebrated.
Holy Days of Obligation are days on which
Catholics are required to attend Mass. All other celebrations are
celebrated, but Catholics are not obligated to attend.
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Fast and
Abstinence
Fasting is restricting eating to one full meal and two lighter
meals in the course of a single day, and prohibits eating between meals.
Adults who have not yet reached their sixtieth year are bound by the Canon
Law to fast. Pregnant women and people who are sick are not obligated to
fast.
Abstinence is refraining from eating meat. People who have completed
their fourteenth year are bound by the Canon Law to abstain.
Anyone who feels that they cannot fulfill the law of abstinence or the law
of fasting should consult a parish priest or confessor.
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Commons
For many celebrations throughout the year, readings are assigned from
various
Commons. Commons are groups of readings appropriate for a
type of celebration. These readings include First Readings, Responsorial
Psalms, and Gospel Readings. One reading may be selected from each group for
use during the Mass.
Often, more than one type of Common is appropriate for a celebration. In
these cases, readings may come from any of the appropriate commons.
Alternately, the readings from the regular liturgical
year
or
cycle for the current day (
the
proper of the Season) can normally be used.
Easter is a special season for Commons. During Easter, a separate set of
readings is assigned for the First Readings.
There are also subcategories within the Commons. These are readings which
are more appropriate for some celebrations than others. An example of this
is the subcategory of Popes within the Common of Pastors.
There are seven Commons for the liturgy, as follows:
- Common for the Dedication of a Church
-
Outside Easter
During Easter
- Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Outside Easter
During Easter
- Common of Martyrs
-
Outside Easter
During Easter
- Common of Pastors
-
Outside Easter
During Easter
- Common of Doctors of the Church
-
Outside Easter
During Easter
- Common of Virgins
-
Outside Easter
During Easter
- Common of Holy Men and Women (Common of Saints)
-
Outside Easter
During Easter
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Proper
Many celebrations throughout the year have specific readings assigned.
These readings are called the
Proper of the celebration. These
readings are usually chosen over the
Commons, as they
are more appropriate for the specific Celebration.
Additionally, each day of the year has a set of readings appropriate for the
day and season. These readings are called the
Proper of the Season.
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The Rosary
The Rosary is a series of prayers specifically prepared to be used in
personal devotion. That is, the Rosary can be prayed alone or in without the
guidance of a spiritual leader. This differs from a mass, which is meant to
be led by a celebrant.
The Rosary has several prayers which are constant, and the Mysteries, which
can vary. Prior to October 16, 2002, there were three sets of Mysteries. On
October 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II added a fourth set. Although there is no
requirement to do so, most people follow the recommended schedule of the
Mysteries, which lists a different set of Mysteries for each day.
The Mysteries of the Rosary are as follows:
|
 |
The Joyful Mysteries |
|
|
The Annunciation; The Visitation; The Birth of Jesus; The
Presentation; The Finding in the Temple |
|
|
These are the Mysteries of Jesus' birth and early life. |
|
 |
The Luminous Mysteries (added October 16,
2002) |
|
|
The Baptism; The Wedding at Cana; The Proclamation of the
Kingdom of God; The Transfiguration; The Instituition of the
Eucharist |
|
|
These are the Mysteries of Christ's priesthood. |
|
 |
The Sorrowful Mysteries |
|
|
The Agony in the Garden; The Scourging at the Pillar; The
Crowning with Thorns; The Bearing of the Cross; The Crucifixion |
|
|
These are the Mysteries of Christ's suffering and death. |
|
 |
The Glorious Mysteries |
|
|
The Resurrection; The Ascension; The Descent of the Holy
Spirit; The Assumption; The Coronation |
|
|
These are the Mysteries of Christ's victory over death and
Mary's special place as the Holy Mother. |
To learn more about the Rosary, including the Luminous Mysteries, visit the
Catholic Calendar Rosary Page. To learn more about the traditional
Rosary from before the introduction of the Luminous Mysteries, visit the
previous
Catholic Calendar Rosary Page.
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Leap Years
For a great deal of information about the evolution of leap years and
how leap years are currently calculated, as well as a tool for determining
if a certain year is a leap year and why, visit our
Leap
Year Page.
References
The following works were used for the above information:
English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for
the United States of America, copyright © 1994,
United States Catholic Conference
(http://www.nccbuscc.org/)
Handbook for Today's Catholic, copyright © 1994,
Liguori Publications (http://www.liguori.org)
What It Means to be Catholic, copyright © 1986
St. Anthony Messenger Press and
Franciscan Communications (http://www.americancatholic.org/)
Vatican II Sunday Missal, copyright © 1974,
Daughters of St. Paul (http://www.pauline.org)
Vatican II Weekday Missal, copyright © 1975,
Daughters of St. Paul (http://www.pauline.org)
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