Liturgical Year and Catechesis

The Liturgical Year Helps Catechists

"The Church's arrangement of the Sundays, seasons, and feasts is known as the liturgical year. Throughout the days and weeks of the year, God calls us to give praise by prayer and works of love. Centred on the weekly celebration of the Lord's Day, the Church's year of praise celebrates the Paschal Mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus." ¹

The liturgical year is a series of celebrations of the great work of redemption in Christ Jesus. The entire mystery of Christ, from his incarnation and birth, through his ministry, cross and resurrection... plus his sending of the Spirit to the church on Pentecost is recalled by the Church during the course of a year. The primary periods are:

• Advent - Christmas
• Lent - Easter
• Ordinary Time.

The richness and celebrations of the church year are an important part of all catechesis. In liturgy, the mysteries are made present, and we enter in to them through the Word, preaching, prayer, song and gesture.

Because it orders the Church's life, the liturgical year is a vital part of our Canadian-produced resource material. The resources for all years are based on the liturgical year. Throughout the material, the resources suggest ways to make the liturgical year come alive for the children, especially in the ages that they are in kindergarten through to Grade 6. In the material for the age groups in Grades 7-10, the actual liturgical cycle itself is reviewed.

The liturgical year is the Church's way of celebrating and commemorating the great events of our salvation. Throughout the liturgical year, the Church "makes present the saving deeds of Jesus Christ ... in such a way that each Christian can enter into the mystery that is being celebrated." ²

Use colours!
Each liturgical season has its colour. You, as a catechist, are encouraged to use these colours, too.

• The liturgical colour of Advent is purple, sometimes a more bluish hue than the purple used for Lent. The season of Advent begins four Sundays before the feast of Christmas.
• The liturgical colour of the Christmas season is white. The Christmas season extends until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January.
• The liturgical colour of Lent is purple.
• The liturgical colour of the Easter season is white. The Easter Season extends for 50 days from the Easter Vigil until the feast of Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church).
• The liturgical colour of Pentecost is red, as are all feast days of martyrs.
• The liturgical colour for Trinity Sunday, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) and other major feasts is white.
• The liturgical colour for Ordinary Time is green. Ordinary time is that time between the Christmas Season and Lent; and between the Easter Season and Advent.

¹ Liturgical Calendar with Guidelines for Pastoral Liturgy (Ordo 2009 - 2010), National Calendar for Canada confirmed by the Apostolic See. Publications Service, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Concacan Inc., Note 2, p. 10.

² Believe in Me, revised Yr. 7 resource, p. 393