Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church organizes its liturgical calendar into seasons, with each Sunday of the year tied to a range of dates, except during Lent and Easter. The Second Vatican Council emphasized Sunday as a unique liturgical category, referring to it as the Lord's day and the primordial holy day of obligation. The liturgical calendar includes celebrations, feast days, memorials, and other observances. For instance, the liturgical color for Ordinary Time, which falls outside Christmastide and Eastertide, is green.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Sundays | Between 18 and 23 per year |
| Liturgical Colour | Green |
| Celebration Start Time | The Evening Before |
| Celebration Duration | One Day |
| Observance | Universal Holy Day of Obligation |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic liturgical calendar
The liturgical calendar organises each liturgical year and is governed by the Church. The Second Vatican Council emphasised the importance of Sunday as a unique liturgical category, stating that it is "the Lord's day" and must be observed as the primordial holy day of obligation in the universal Church. Therefore, only a limited number of feasts of the Lord or the saints may replace the scheduled Sunday celebration. Saints and other celebrations are categorised as either Solemnities, Feasts, or Memorials, with Obligatory or Optional Memorials. Sundays and Solemnities are celebrated from the evening before, while Feasts and Memorials are celebrated over one day.
In addition to the liturgical calendar, there are other days of prayer and special observances throughout the year promoted by the Holy See or the USCCB. While these observances are not officially part of the Church's liturgical calendar, they guide the prayers of the Church towards the particular needs of humanity.
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Ordinary Time
The liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church starts on the first Sunday of Advent. Each Sunday is a holy day of obligation, with only a limited number of feasts of the Lord or the saints allowed to supersede the usual Sunday celebration. The liturgical calendar details each day's celebration, rank, liturgical colour, citations for the Lectionary for Mass, and Psalter cycle for the Liturgy of the Hours.
The liturgical year is governed by the Church and is integrated into the liturgical calendar. Sundays are considered unique in the liturgical calendar, with the Second Vatican Council emphasising that "the Lord's day is the original feast day" and that it "must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation".
During Ordinary Time, the liturgical colour is green, which symbolises hope and life. This period includes the Sundays and weeks between the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent. It also includes the Sundays and weeks between the Feast of Pentecost and the First Sunday of Advent, which marks the beginning of a new liturgical year.
The Ordinary Time period is divided into two sections. The first part occurs between the Christmas and Easter seasons, and the second part follows Pentecost Sunday. This period is a time for reflection and growth in our understanding of God's word and our commitment to following Jesus Christ. It is a time to focus on the teachings of Jesus and their relevance in our daily lives, as well as to celebrate the saints and their contributions to the Church.
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Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials
The Catholic Church celebrates various events important to the mystery of the salvation of its followers. This is done through the liturgical calendar, which includes solemnities, feasts, and memorials. These celebrations are distinguished in accordance with the importance assigned to each one.
Solemnities are the highest rank of celebration and are identified in the calendar with an "S". They are celebrated if they fall on a Sunday of ordinary time or Christmastide. However, if a solemnity falls on a Sunday of Advent, Lent, or Easter, or during Holy Week or the Easter octave, it is usually transferred to the following Monday. Examples of solemnities include Easter, Christmas, All Saints Day, the Ascension, Corpus Christi, and the celebration of events in the life of Jesus on earth, as well as certain saints' days. The Gloria and Creed are always said on such days. Solemnities are like Sundays, and most of them are not days of obligation. Sundays themselves are also considered solemnities and are always days of obligation.
Feasts are the second rank of celebration and are identified with an "F". They honour a mystery or title of the Lord, of Our Lady, or of saints of particular importance, such as the apostles and Evangelists, or historical figures like the deacon St. Lawrence. They usually have their own proper prayers and two readings, plus the Gloria. Feasts of the Lord, such as the Transfiguration and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, are celebrated when they fall on a Sunday and, on these occasions, have three readings, the Gloria, and the Creed. The Gloria is recited on feast days, but not the Creed.
Memorials are the lowest rank of celebration and are usually of saints, although they may also celebrate some aspect of the Lord or of Mary. They are classified as either obligatory or optional. Obligatory memorials must be observed, whereas optional memorials do not have to be. Obligatory memorials include the Immaculate Heart of Mary, while the memorial of St. Blase is optional. Only the memorials of saints of "'universal significance' are observed by the whole Church and marked in the general liturgical calendar. Particular churches, countries, or religious communities may also celebrate the memorials of other saints of "special significance". For example, the memorial in honour of the patron saint of a diocese is raised to a "feast".
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Saints and celebrations
The Catholic Church organizes its liturgical year into a liturgical calendar. This calendar outlines the celebrations and commemorations of saints and significant religious events. Each Sunday is a holy day of obligation, with certain Sundays designated as Solemnities, which are the most important celebrations. These Solemnities include the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The celebrations of these solemnities span two days, starting on the evening before the designated day.
In addition to Sundays, the Catholic Church also observes certain feast days and memorials throughout the year. Feast days are significant celebrations that last for one day and commemorate important events or saints. Memorials, on the other hand, can be either obligatory or optional and are also celebrated over one day. These memorials honour specific saints or religious figures.
The liturgical calendar also takes into account the seasons of Lent and Easter, which are considered distinct from Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time refers to the part of the liturgical year that falls outside Christmastide and Eastertide, as well as their preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent. It is during Ordinary Time that the weeks are counted and numbered, with the ordinal numerals giving rise to the term "Ordinary Time".
The Catholic Church in the United States publishes a liturgical calendar specific to the dioceses in the country. This calendar provides details for each day, including the celebration, its rank, the liturgical colour associated with it, and citations for the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours. This calendar serves as a resource for liturgical planning and fostering the celebration of the liturgy nationwide.
Saints play a pivotal role in the Catholic liturgical calendar, with their feast days and memorials scattered throughout the year. For example, St. Louis IX, King of France, is remembered for his devout faith and exemplary conduct as a king. He was known for his peacemaking efforts and his devotion to both temporal and spiritual affairs. Another saint with a significant memorial is St. Joseph Calasanz, the founder of the Poor Clerks Regular (Piarists), who dedicated his life to educating youth. His memorial reflects his commitment to caring for children and imparting religious teachings.
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Holy Days of Obligation
Sunday is the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church, as it is the day Jesus rose from the dead and therefore signifies our "new creation" in him. Sundays and Solemnities begin their celebration on the evening before. Each Sunday is tied to a range of dates, except during the Seasons of Lent and Easter.
In addition to Sundays, there are a number of other Holy Days of Obligation. In the United States, there are six holy days of obligation outside of Sundays, three of which are observed regardless of which day of the week they fall on. These are:
- January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
- May 29 (Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter), the Solemnity of the Ascension
- August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
- December 25, the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas)
The obligation to attend Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation can be abrogated for a just cause, such as physical illness or being the only caregiver for someone who is homebound.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic calendar, or the liturgical calendar, is used by the Catholic Church to govern the organisation of each liturgical year. It dictates the celebrations and colours of each day.
Ordinary Time is the part of the liturgical calendar that falls outside of the major seasons of Christmastide and Eastertide, and their preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent. Ordinary Time includes the days between Christmastide and Lent, and Eastertide and Advent.
Due to the calendar year, Ordinary Time can have 33 or 34 weeks. This depends on the date of the First Sunday of Advent. If it falls in November, there will be 33 weeks. If it falls on December 2nd or 3rd, there will be 34 weeks. If it falls on December 1st, there will be 34 weeks only during a leap year.
Sundays are considered a unique liturgical category and are a holy day of obligation. Sundays and Solemnities begin their celebration on the evening before. Only a limited number of feasts may replace the usual Sunday celebration.
A Solemnity is a feast day of the Lord or the saints. There are six Solemnities observed as feasts of precept in the United States.
