Friday, 9 August 2019

LITURGICAL YEAR


INTRODUCTION

Christ’s saving work is celebrated in sacred memory by the Church on fixed days throughout the year. Each week on the day called the Lord’s Day the Church commemorates the Lord’s resurrection. Once in a year at Easter the Church honors this resurrection and passion with the utmost solemnity. In fact through the yearly cycle the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and keeps the anniversaries of the saints.[1] The Catholic liturgical year revolves around two feasts: Christmas and Easter. They are high holy days because they commemorate the birth and Resurrection of the Church’s founder, Jesus Christ.

In Church language, liturgy is the public worship given to God. The anamnesis of the paschal mystery holds a primordial place in the church. The saving event of Christ; his passion, death and resurrection are the basic and central celebration in the Christian worship. This remembrance of the saving event of Christ is celebrated in the church with a specific programming as stipulated by the church. Thus this anamnestic celebration unfolds in the life of the church over the course of days, weeks, months, and the entire year. Thus the unfolding of the memorial event of the celebration of the paschal mystery is ordered by the church systematically and the result of this ordering gave birth to the liturgical year of the church. Thus, the liturgical year is the commemorative celebration, over the course of a year, of the saving deeds which God has accomplished in Jesus Christ.[2] As such, the liturgical year is the annual cycle of seasons and feasts that celebrates the Paschal mystery (Christ’s Life, Death, Resurrections and Ascension). The unfolding of the entire Christian story makes its power available once again in each retelling.[3]

However, the liturgical year in the church have the primary purpose of creating a participative celebration and profound understanding of the entire mystery of Jesus Christ; starting from his incarnation, birth, passion, death, resurrection and ascension. Extending also to the Pentecost, and continues in the expectation of his coming back in glory. Thus, the liturgical year is not merely to mark the passage of time. Thus, Through the Liturgical Calendar Christians express their faith in Christ their saviour. Each season of the Liturgical year celebrates an important aspect of Christ’s life.

CONTENT

The structure of the liturgical year contains two main elements which is the temporal cycle which contains the larger seasons and major feasts of the Lord, such as Christmas and Easter, and the sanctoral cycle which consist of the individual feasts; largely those of Mary and the saint. In addition, parts of the temporal cycle are tied to the lunar calendar and so are not observed the same date each year.

            Liturgical days: The smallest unit of the liturgical year is the liturgical day. The days are made holy and sanctified through the Eucharistic celebration and the liturgy of the hours. The liturgical days are divided into four degrees of celebration: the solemnities, feasts, Obligatory memorials, and optional memorials. However, the source and center of the liturgical year is the paschal mystery which is celebrated everyday by the church with special importance and priority to the first day of the week which is regarded as the day of the Lord, the first of all holy days; Sunday. The first and original feast day to evolve in the liturgical year when the paschal mystery was actualized in its fullness is Sunday.[4] The liturgical year contains Solemnities, feasts, memorials.

The Christian celebration of the feasts as thankful commemorations of the saving deeds of Jesus Christ is something that must be constantly repeated if the church is to be faithful to its role of proclaiming salvation an making it present or actualizing it. It was appropriate to take cosmically determined cycle of a year and assign a fixed place in it to the individual commemorative celebrations. To this effect, the liturgical year is the sum total of all the liturgical feasts that have found their appointed place in the annual cycle.[5]

Holy Days Of Obligation: Holy Days of Obligation are the days other than Sundays that we celebrate the great things God has done for us. On Holy Days of Obligation, Catholics attend Mass. The Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference has decided that the only holydays of obligation to be observed in Australia are the solemnities of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Feast Days: Within the organisation of the Liturgical year the church celebrates and commemorates many special days known as feast days.  These relate to the lives and death of the saints, the events in the life of Jesus and his mother Mary. They are organised according to dates and the major festivals of the church throughout the year.

SPIRITUALITY

The theological and spiritual significance of the liturgical commemoration of the paschal mystery is that these saving mysteries of Christ offer the faith perspective through which believers  deal with, and give meaning to, the fundamental mysteries of human life and salvation, particularly the vocation, suffering, and death. The actualization of Christ’s paschal mystery in the liturgical assembly underscores intrinsic ecclesiological aspects of the liturgical year. Times, feasts, and seasons for celebration are observed so that through the liturgy the Church can be drawn into Christ’s Paschal mystery.[6] It provides particular occasions and whole seasons to ritualize the significant movements in our Christian life. It is through this cyclical process that the Church renews itself again and again.

The liturgical year is divided into two basic celebrations: Christ our light which is celebrated or runs through Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord, and Christ our life which runs through Lent, Easter, Ascension (40 days after Easter when Jesus ascended into heaven, body and soul), and Pentecost (50 days after Easter when the Holy Spirit came upon the 12 Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary). The spirit of the liturgical year takes us from innocence to awareness, from foolishness to wisdom, from weakness to strength, from pain to compassion, from fear to faith, from defeat to victory, and from loneliness to friendship.

During the different seasons of the liturgical year, the Church, in accord with traditional discipline, carries out the formation of the faithful by means of devotional practices, both interior and exterior, instruction, and works of penance and mercy.[7] In the Liturgical Year every season or feast day has its own unique symbols and colour which help us to explore and be involved in the mystery of the incarnation, birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The liturgical seasons provide us with a way of looking at the same mystery from different aspects in order to learn something new each time we experience them. Year after year it invites us to deepen our relationship with Jesus. The Scriptures take us through the Liturgical Year on a three year cycle. The Church designates readings to be used for each day on a three year cycle. We have Liturgical Years A, B and C. We look at Jesus and our own lives through the Gospel of Matthew (Cycle A), Mark (Cycle B) and Luke (Cycle C). The Gospel of John is included at particular times in all three cycles. The liturgical year is one way that we can interpret the Scriptures, enabling us to integrate our life experience with the life of Jesus. It is how we express our identity as Christians.[8]

Each season in the Liturgical calendar has a particular theme. Each season has a particular liturgical color. Each season concentrates on different parts of the Bible. Each season has different religious practices, and symbols. There is a spirituality attached to each season of the church as organized in the liturgical calendar. This spirituality of each season according to the liturgical year is thus: Advent:  The Experience of Desire, Christmas:  The Experience of Discovery, Lent:   The Experience of Rescue, Easter:  The Experience of Transformation, Ordinary Time: The Experience of Journey.

HISTORY OF FORMULATION

We regard the first Sunday of advent as the beginning of the liturgical year. This is not always the case; the Christian countries in the middle ages were not in agreement even on the beginning of the civil year. The very concept of the liturgical year took time to appear. However, as the custom grew of placing the text of the first Sunday of advent at the beginning of the liturgical books (tenth-eleventh century), the idea gradually took hold that the annual cycle of liturgical feasts began with the first Sunday of advent. The mystery of the weekly Passover celebrated even during the apostolic times permeated the entire annual cycle. An annual Passover soon followed and gradually developed into the Easter cycle with its period of preparation. The annual commemoration of the birth of Christ also developed into a cycle of feasts with its period of preparation. Thus these two cycles became the pillar of the liturgical year. Then the intervening thirty-three or thirty-four weeks are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects and became known as the ordinary time.[9]

DIFFERENT SEASONS

The Holy mother Church is conscious that she must celebrate the saving work of her divine spouse by devoutly recalling it.[10] To this effect, the church has divided the year into seasons. When we think of a year or a calendar, we think of it in the light of the different seasons, and each season have its particular feel, its custom and activities that are associated to it. We associate colours to these different seasons.[11] The notion of time helps us celebrate life by marking and recalling the important dates and events in our lives. Time has an important place in our spiritual life: it helps us reconnect with God. The Liturgical year or Church calendar helps us too to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This is called the paschal mystery. The Paschal mystery is celebrated through specific seasons. There are five specific seasons in the Church’s calendar: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent/Triduum and Easter. Thus the Liturgical year is a cycle of seasons repeating itself at the end of each cycle. The Church year or cycle begins with Advent and ends with ordinary time. The liturgical year beginning in advent must be for week prior to the solemnity of the nativity of Jesus Christ on the 25th of December. In dividing the year into seasons, and punctuating them with liturgical feasts, the liturgical aspects of the seasons are expressed through the texts, music, structures of various public worship services.

These liturgical seasons determine what turn the celebration of the paschal mystery is to take, determining what rites to follow and which rituals to carry out. The liturgical year within each season provides what readings that are going to be used in the liturgical services of the Eucharistic celebration. The organization of the liturgical year articulates the solemnities, feasts and commemorations celebrated during each season. The liturgical calendar determines the colour of vestments to be used during liturgical celebrations. To this effect the colour designation for each of the seasons are: purple for Advent and Lent season, white for Christmas and Easter, and green for the Ordinary time of the season.

ADVENT: like the Easter cycle, the Christmas season is preceded by a period of preparation. The season of advent is the beginning of the liturgical year. This is a time of anticipation, preparation, joy and hope. Within this season, we strengthen our understanding of the mystery and joy we celebrate at Christmas. It prepares us for the celebration of the memorial event of God coming to live among us in the flesh; the incarnation. However, this preparation is not geared only towards the immediate end which is Christmas, but it is also a preparation for the coming of the Lord at the end of time.[12]

The word advent is from a Latin word ‘adventus’ which means ‘coming’. At first this meant the annual coming of the gods into their temple or the coming of a ruler or king to a part of his kingdom. Such an appearance of the gods or rulers was considered to be a time of grace and of largesse. However, in the contest f the church, advent refers to the four week season beginning with the ‘evening prayer one’ of the Sunday that is falls on or is closest to 30th of November and ending with the ‘evening prayer one’ of Christmas. [13] Considering what is celebrated in this season, what happens at this season plays an important role in the life of Christians.

The observance of advent dates back to 490. During this period the bishop of tours, perpetuus encouraged his faithful to fast three times from November 11th to the feast of nativity. The colour of Advent is violet or a shade of purple. A widespread practice during Advent is the use of an Advent Wreath. A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays of Advent. However, it is important to note that the candle lit on the third Sunday of Advent is rose or pink symbolising joy. The candle lit on Christmas day is white. The lit candles are to remind the Christian that Christ is the Light of the world. The advent wreath contains three purple candles and one rose or pink candle. Advent calendars are often used to focus on how we prepare for Christmas.[14]

CHRISTMAS: During the Christmas season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; the first movement in the theological understanding of Christ’s redemptive action. Christmas is the season in the liturgical year that remembers and celebrates God with us: Emmanuel. It includes the Feast of the Holy Family, The Feast of the Mother of God and concludes with the Epiphany. It is the season where we focus our lives on reaching out to others in peace and goodwill. The Church chooses white for the Feast of Christmas.  White is the colour of purity and new life.  White is appropriate for a new born infant. The Christmas season runs from evening prayer I of Christmas until the Sunday after Epiphany or after 6 January, inclusive. On Christmas itself, following an ancient tradition of Rome, three Masses may be celebrated: namely, the Mass at Midnight, the Mass at Dawn, and the Mass during the Day.[15]

The celebration of this season in the scriptures is found in the infancy narrative as given by the gospel writers. Hence these narratives become the basis of the sequence of the feasts of the Christmas season. The origin of this season is based on two hypothesis, the first being the calculations and speculations of some Jewish and early Christian traditions which thought the 25th of March as the first day of creation and considered it as the date of Christ’s conception. The second is based on the history of religion. The Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December because on the same date, the Romans celebrate the feast of the invincible sun or unconquered sun. The Christians gradually Christianized this feast.[16] This feast dates back to the year 336. However,

No one knows the exact day of Jesus’ birth, but the Church picked December 25 (close to the winter solstice and after the shortest day of the year) to celebrate the birth of Jesus by using a calendar date that coincides with the increase of daylight. The birthday of St. John the Baptist is celebrated on June 24, shortly after the summer solstice and after the longest day of the year, when daylight begins to decrease.[17]

The Christmas season invites us to reconciliation, acts of kindness and peacemaking.

LENT: The historical development of this season started with the tw0-days fast of mourning on good Friday and holy Saturday which was extended in the 3rd century to the whole of the holy week.[18] This season was instituted by the church for the preparation of the most important feast of Christianity; Easter. This is a time period of forty days. The season of Lent is a period of fasting, penitence, and self-denial traditionally observed by Christians in preparation for Easter.[19] This is a season within which the community of the faithful prepares and chastises themselves in anticipation for the preparation of the paschal feast. This season begins with the Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Ash Wednesday is a day the faithful as signed with ashes on their forehead as a sign of mourning for sins and a reminder of the nothingness of man. From history of religions we can affirm that ashes were accepted as a sign and symbol of penance and of mourning. This practice is equally found in the Old Testament. The season of Lent contain important period that is known as the Holy week, within which is the Holy triduum. The holy triduum is the heart of the Paschal feast, this period in particular presents to us an experience of our Lord who suffered, died and resurrected. The triduum consist of the Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

The varied aspect of Lent as we know it took shape in various centers of early Christianity, because very early we recognized our human need for a season to put ourselves in touch with these everyday realities. During the fourth century in the west, several practices came together to form lent.[20] Christians are asked in this season to do modest mortifications and acts of penance during Lent for the purification of the body and soul. Lent is a time of confession, fasting, abstinence, more prayer, more Bible and spiritual reading, and more spiritual and corporal works of mercy. This is the season in which the Church celebrates the passion and death of Christ. Thus in this season the Church calls on us for repentance, conversion and penance. In this season too, we are encouraged as Christians to engage ourselves in prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

EASTER: this is the most important season in the life of the church. In this season the church celebrates the triumph of Christ over death. The story of Christ’s death and resurrection is told, with minor variations, in each of the four Gospels. The events are said to have occurred nearly 2,000 years ago during the eight-day period now commemorated by Holy Week and Easter Sunday. According to the Gospels, Christ was crucified on the evening of Passover and on the third day rose from the dead. This season starts on the eve of the Holy Saturday and ends with the feast of the Pentecost. Within the Easter season are two very important feasts which are the feast of the Ascension of the Lord and the feast of the Pentecost. The Pentecost is the crowning of the work of redemption, fifty days after the resurrection of Christ. This is a feast that commemorates the decent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles; the birthday of the church. It marks the beginning of the spread of the good news beyond the boundaries of Galilee. The fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost are celebrated in joyful exultation as one feast day, or better as one great Sunday.[21] The perception of these feasts as elements of the Easter celebration goes back to about the fourth century. This is the season the Church celebrate the resurrection of the Lord; his triumph over the power of death. In this season we are invited to a new life and witnessing to the resurrection of Christ, and sharing the faith, the good news of the resurrection with others.

ORDINARY TIME: This is the season in which we commemorate the public ministry of Christ. The spirituality of this season is thus the discipleship; following Jesus’ teaching in the routine of our everyday life. This season comprises of 33 or 34 weeks which falls into two consecutively numbered sections: the first runs from the Monday after the feast of the baptism of the Lord to Ash Wednesday, and the second from the Monday after Pentecost to advent.

CONCLUSION

When we think about a year we often think of it in terms of its seasons. Each season has its particular feel, its own customs and activities that we associate with it. We adapt or change according to the season. Thus the unfolding of the memorial event of the celebration of the paschal mystery is ordered by the church systematically and the result of this ordering gave birth to the liturgical year of the church. The liturgical year is the official calendar for the Church





BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.                  THOMAS J. TALLEY, The Origins of the Liturgical Year,liturgical press, Collegeville (MN), 1986.

2.                  MICROSOFT® ENCARTA® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

3.                  ADOLF ADAM, Foundations of Liturgy: An Introduction to its History and practice, liturgical    press, Collegeville (MN) 1992.

4.                  RICHARD MCBRIEN Ed., Encyclopedia of Catholicism, Harper Collins, San Francisco 1995.

5.                  MICHAEL DOWNEY ED., The Disctionary of catholic Spirituality, theological Publications, Bangalore 1995.

6.                  Sourcebook for Sundays and seasons: An Almanac of Parish Liturgy, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago (IL) 1994.

7.                  ORLANDO O. ESPIN Ed., An Introduction Dictionary of theology and Religious Studies, Liturgical Press, Collegeville Minnesota, 2007



[2]  A. ADAM, Foundations of Liturgy: An Introduction to its History and practice, liturgical press, Collegeville (MN) 1992, 276.
[3] R. MCBRIEN Ed., Encyclopedia of Catholicism, Harper Collins, San Francisco 1995, 786.
[4] M. DOWNEY Ed., The Dictionary of catholic Spirituality, theological Publications, Bangalore 1995, 607.
[5] A. ADAM, Foundations of Liturgy: An Introduction to its History and practice, liturgical press, Collegeville (MN) 1992, 276-277.
[6] M. DOWNEY Ed., The Dictionary of catholic Spirituality, theological Publications, Bangalore 1995, 607.
[7]  Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, art. 102-105.
[8] Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Teaching and celebrating the liturgical year, www.cyberfaith.com/liturgical_year .cfm , 4, retrieved 8/6/2019.
[9] A. ADAM, Foundations of Liturgy: An Introduction to its History and practice, liturgical press, Collegeville (MN) 1992, 282.
[10] M. DOWNEY Ed., The Dictionary of catholic Spirituality, theological Publications, Bangalore 1995, 606.
[11]  Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Teaching and celebrating the liturgical year, www.cyberfaith.com/liturgical_year .cfm , 3, retrieved 8/6/2019.
[12] T. DENSLEY, Advent and peace. Echoing the word, 2002, 1.
[13] O. ESPIN Ed., An Introduction Dictionary of theology and Religious Studies, Liturgical Press, Collegeville Minnesota, 2007, 15.
[14] John GALLEN SJ, Advent: The Experience of Desire, catching fire website, 2010. www.catchingfire.bcehosting.qld.edu.au/Home
[15] https://www.archbalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/GeneralNormsLiturgicalYear.pdf
[16] I. Anthony, the liturgical seasons in the church: unpublished lecture (Ibadan 2017)
[17] https://www.dummies.com/religion/christianity/catholicism/spiritual-seasons-of-the-catholic-church-calendar/
[18]  Adolf Adam, Foundations of Liturgy: An Introduction to its History and practice, liturgical press, Collegeville (MN) 1992, 295.
[19] "Lent." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.
[20]  Sourcebook for Sundays and seasons: An Almanac of Parish Liturgy, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago (IL) 1994, 80.
[21] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar, number 22.

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