THE LITURGICAL COLORS

GREEN

Green is the symbol of Hope and living vegetation.

What Liturgical Season this color is used?It is used during Ordinary Time.

RED

Red is the symbol of blood.

When will this liturgical color be used?It is used-

1. On the Feasts of our Lord’s Cross and Passion;2. On the feasts of the Apostles and of all martyrs;3. On the feast of Pentecost and Masses of the Holy Spirit.

VIOLET

Violet is the symbol of penance and mourning.

When can this Liturgical Color be used?It is used during-

1. Advent Season2. Season of Lent3. Funeral Masses

WHITE

White is the symbol of penance and triumph.

When can this Liturgical color be used?1. Feasts of our Lord.2. Feasts Blessed Virgin Mary3. Feasts of Angels 4. Feasts of all Saints who were not martyrs.

SPECIAL COLORS

GOLD: The symbol of the kingship of Christ, it is permitted in special occasions in place of white, red and green vestments.

ROSE: The symbol of joy and moderation in penance, it replaces the violet on the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete) and on the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetere).

THE LITURGICAL YEAR

The Liturgical Year is the 12- months cycle of the celebrations of the whole mystery of Christ: it starts with the first week of Advent, and ends on the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is divided into six seasons: Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, Paschal Triduum, Easter Time, Ordinary Time

ADVENTAdvent is the season of preparation for the twofold coming of the Lord:First coming: refers to the nativity of the Lord in

Bethlehem;Second coming: refers to the return of Christ at the end of times.When will it start and ends? Advent starts four Sundays before

December 25, and ends at the Christmas Vigil Mass.

What is the liturgical color? The liturgical color during advent is violet , symbolizing

expectation and preparation.Violet is a color that was reserved for use by royalty, and

so it is used in Advent to symbolize the coming of Christ our King.

ADVENT SEASON

However, during the third Sunday the color of liturgical vestments bay be color rose to symbolize the hope for the coming of Jesus.

The third Sunday is also known as “Gaudete Sunday.” “Gaudete” is a Latin word for “rejoice”.

Why is Gloria omitted during Advent Season?It is omitted not as a sign of repentance but

to create a longing that will inspire people to sing it more joyfully on Christmas.

ADVENT WREATHCircle of the Wreath- recalls all the years the people waited for the Messiah.

Four candles on the wreath- remind us that there are four weeks in Advent. Each week one additional candle is lighted, so by the end of Advent all four are lit.

The candles- remind us that we are preparing for Jesus, the Light of the world.

Three of the candles are purple, the liturgical color for Advent. The candle lit for the third week of Advent is often rose-colored, to signify the hope for the coming of Jesus.

CHRISTMAS SEASON

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

What is the liturgical color?The liturgical color for this season is white or

gold to show our joy.

When will it start? When will it end?The Christmas Season begins at the Vigil Mass

on Christmas Eve and ends on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

CHRISTMAS SEASONHowever, because of the importance of Christmas, the

Church extends the celebration of this solemnity to cover a period of eight days.This period is known as an Octave, which comes from the Latin word octavus, meaning “eight.”

During the Octave we celebrate the following feasts:1. The Holy Family (Sunday after Christmas)2. St. Stephen, the First Martyr (December 26)3. St. John the Evangelist (December 27)4. The Holy Innocents (December 28)5. Mary Mother of God (January 1). This day also honors the

Holy Name of Jesus.6. The feast of the Epiphany, is celebrated on the Sunday

that falls between January 2 and January 8.

LENTEN SEASON

What is the liturgical color?Violet, which symbolizes the efforts for

penance and reflection. During the fourth Sunday of Lent, which

is called “laetare Sunday”, the vestments are rose and flowers may adorn the altar.

Lent is the time if preparation for Easter, the greatest feast of the Church.

When does it start? When does it end?The Lenten Season lasts for 40 days, beginning on

Ash Wednesday and ending at noon of Holy Thursday.

LENTEN SEASON

What should the faithful do during Lenten Season?1. During the Lent, we are asked to focus on

changing our lives through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

2. It is also the time when the catechumens, with the prayerful support of the parish community, complete their final preparation for the sacraments of initiation.

LENTEN SEASON

Holy Week, which extends from Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) until Holy Saturday, includes the last days of Lent and the first days of Easter Triduum.

The week begins with Palm Sunday, which recalls the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.

At the Chrism mass, on the morning of Holy Thursday, the bishop of each diocese, concelebrating with his priests, blesses the sacred oils that will be used for the celebration of the sacraments during the coming year.

PASCHAL TRIDUUMThe Easter Triduum is the celebration of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord.

When will it begin and end?It begins on Holy Thursday with the evening

Mass of the Lord’s Supper, continues through Good Friday with the celebration of the Passion of the Lord, reaches its highest point on Saturday night in the Easter Vigil, and concludes with the Easter Mass on Sunday.

PASCHAL TRIDUUMHOLY THURSDAY- we commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and that of the Ordained Priesthood.

Following the example of Jesus, the priest washes the feet of 12 members of the congregation.

During the singing of the Gloria, the church bells are rung and then remain silent until the Easter Vigil.

Because Holy Thursday is a feast day of the Blessed Sacrament, there is a procession of the Eucharist after the Mass to the altar of Reposition.

What is the liturgical color?White, to signify joy for the gift of the Eucharist and of

the priesthood.

PASCHAL TRIDUUM

GOOD FRIDAY- we remember the death of Jesus.

Mass is not celebrated on this day till the Easter Vigil. The celebration of the Lord’s passion and death takes place in the afternoon.

What is the liturgical color?Red to signify the passion and death of

Jesus.

PASCHAL TRIDUUMHOLY SATURDAY night we celebrate the Easter Vigil

The vigil starts, with the Liturgy of Light, when all the lights in the church are turned off ad a fire is prepared outside the church. Then the fire is blessed and the Paschal Candle is lighted.

The Paschal Candle, sign of Christ as the light of the world, will remain beside the altar till Pentecost

After the liturgy of the Word, where the whole story of salvation is being recalled, there is the liturgy of baptism, where the catechumens are baptized.

What is the liturgical color?White (Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday) signifying the joy of

Christ's resurrection. Gold may also be used since this is the most important and joyous celebration of the liturgical year.

EASTER SEASONThe Easter Season is the celebration of the resurrection and ascension of the Lord, as well as the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church.

Liturgical color: White, signifying the joy of Christ’s resurrection. However on Pentecost Sunday the color is red, representing the fire of the Holy Spirit.The season lasts for 50 days, from Easter Sunday till Pentecost.

This season is a time of rejoicing, when Alleluia and Gloria should be sung with heartfelt emotion.

The celebration of the Lord’s resurrection is continued for eight days after Easter [Octave Easter].

EASTER SEASONThe Solemnity of the Ascension is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter, which is Thursday. In those dioceses where this is not a holy day ob obligation, the solemnity is transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

Pentecost Sunday, the last day of the Easter season, celebrates the coming of the holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church.

ORDINARY TIME

The Ordinary Time is the part of the Liturgical Year that lies outside the seasons of Lent- Easter and Advent- Christmas.

The Ordinary Time begins with the baptism of the Lord and ends with the feast of Christ the King, which is also the end of the liturgical year.

It is composed of 34 weeks divided into two sections: the first between Christmas Season and Lent; the second, between the Easter Season and Advent.

ORDINARY TIMELiturgical color: Green, a sign of hope which every Christian should posses in order to grow in faith.

The Ordinary Time celebrates the basic truths of our faith. The Sunday readings are organized into three-year system:

“Year A” is centered on the gospel of St. Matthew. “Year B” is centered in the gospel of St. Mark “Year C” on the gospel of St. Luke

The weekday readings are organized into a two-year system: Year 1- when the number is odd [i.e., 2013]. Year 2- when the number of the year is even [i.e.,

2014]