RE

• The Liturgical Calendar was promulgated by Pope St. Paul VI in 1969, after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council
• There are five major seasons in the Liturgical Calendar: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Easter
• Advent comes from the Latin word "Adventus," which means "coming" or the "First Coming of Christ"
• "Parousia" is the Greek word for the "Second Coming of Christ"
• There are Four Sundays of Advent, and one candle is lit every Sunday before Christmas day
• The Advent Wreath symbolizes God's unending mercy
• Three candles in the Advent Wreath are violet, while one is pink
• The Pink Candle is lit every 3rd Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, symbolizing joy
• Purple symbolizes the penitential character of Advent
• During Advent, Christians expect and prepare for the coming of Christ, Christmas
• "Cristes Maesse" comes from Old English and means Christ's mass, with 3 masses celebrated—midnight, dawn, and Christmas day
• Emmanuel means "God is with us," signifying the Incarnation of Christ
• December 25 is celebrated as Christmas, though the exact date of Christ's birth is unknown
• The Octave of Christmas includes the 8 days following Christmas day
• Significant days within the Octave of Christmas:

  • Dec. 26: St. Stephen's day
  • Dec. 27: Feast of St. John, the Apostle
  • Dec. 28: Holy Innocent Days
  • Dec. 29: Holy Family Day
  • Jan. 1: Solemnity of Mary as the Mother of God, a holy day of obligation for Catholics
• St. Nicholas is the real name of Santa Claus and symbolizes generosity
• Ordinary Time means "counted time" and is the longest season in the Liturgical Calendar
• Green is the liturgical color symbolizing hope, growth, and new life in Ordinary Time
• A candle symbolizes light to the world during Ordinary Time
• The Gospel of John is rarely read during Ordinary Time
• Ordinary Time is structured in Two Sections of 34 Weeks total:

  • First Section begins after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and continues until Ash Wednesday
  • Second Section begins the Monday after Pentecost and continues until the Solemnity of Christ the King