The document summarizes the principal liturgical seasons and feasts that make up the Catholic liturgical year. It describes the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter Triduum, and Ordinary Time. It explains that the colors of priestly vestments change during the year to correspond with the different seasons. Readings and hymns also vary throughout the year to help the faithful recognize the season being celebrated and journey with God.

1. LIVING THE
LITURGICAL
YEAR

2. THE COLORS CHANGE
THOUGHOUT THE LITURGICAL
YEAR
• As we gather for Eucharist each Sunday we notice the
color of the priest’s and deacon’s vestment change
throughout the liturgical year.
• We may see green,
• white ,
• purple (or violet)
• or red.
• Hymns and readings also change.
• All of these changing elements help us to recognize the
feast or season of the liturgical year we are celebrating.

3. LITURGICAL SEASONS ARE OUR JOURNEY TO
GOD AND TRANSFORMATION OF OUR LIVES
• THE LITURGICAL YEAR is the cycle of season and great feasts
that make up the Church’s year of worship.
• The main seasons of the Church year are
• Advent, Christmas,
• Lent, Easter Triduum,
• and Ordinary Time.
• All of the liturgical seasons are about
a) our journey to God
b) and the transformation of our lives.
• THE LITURGICAL YEAR provides us with an opportunity to
embrace sacred time.

5. ADVENT
SEASON

6. ADVENT SEASON
• THE ADVENT begins on the eve of 4th
Sunday, before Christmas until Christmas
Eve.
• During ADVENT, the church celebrates
God’s coming among us.
• It is a time for preparation and time of waiting;
we prepared our hearts to receive Jesus.
• We get ready to remember Jesus’ birth on
Christmas Day.
• We remember Jesus’ promise to come again.

7. CHRISTMAS
SEASON
JESUS COMES &
LIVES AMONG US

8. CHRISTMAS
SEASON
CHRISTMAS SEASON begins on Christmas Eve,
• and continues until the feast of Baptism of the
Lord.
• We remember and celebrate that the Son of God,
Jesus the Savior, came and lives among us.

9. CHRISTMAS EVE THROUGH THE FEAST OF
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
• CHRISTMAS SEASON runs
a) From Christmas Eve Evening,
b) through the day before the
feast of the Baptism of the
Lord,
c) which after the EPIPHANY.
• The Baptism of the Lord: This
feast day moves, but it’s never
before the Epiphany.

10. ORDINARY
TIME
(PART 1)
LISTEN
CHRIST
LIVING AS
HIS
FOLLOWERS

11. ORDINARY
TIME
• The Roman Catholic church returns to
green vestments (Ordinary time), the day
after the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
• We move back to Ordinary time after the
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which
moves,
Ordinary Time
(Part 2)
Ordinary Time
(Part 1)

12. ORDINARY
TIME (PART 1)
• ORDINARY TIME (Part I)
• begins the days after the feast of the
Baptism of the Lord
• and continues until the day before
Ash Wednesday.
• We listen to what Jesus said and
did and learn way to live as his
followers.

13. LENT
SEASON

15. LENT SEASON
• LENT begins on Ash Wednesday until
sundown On Holy Thursday.
• With the help of the Holy Spirit we strive
to grow in our life in Christ.
• We support those preparing to be
baptized at EASTER.
• We prepare to renew our baptismal
promises.

17. HOLY WEEK
• HOLY WEEK: The week preceding Easter
Sunday, beginning with Palm Sunday,.
• It marks the Church’s annual
celebration of the events of Christ’s
passion, death, and resurrection,
culminating in the Pascal Mystery
• PALM SUNDAY
• (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Triduum)
• TRIDUUM:
1. Holy Thursday,
2. Good Friday,
3. Pascal Mystery / Easter Eve

18. TRIDUUM
• PASCHAL OR EASTER
TRIDUUM begins at
sundown on Holy Thursday
and continues until sundown
on Easter Sunday.
• These three-day celebration
is at the heart and center of
the liturgical year.
• Holy Thursday
• Good Friday
• Pascal Mystery/Easter Eve

19. EASTER
SEASON

20. EASTER
SEASON
• EASTER SEASON
begins on Easter Sunday,
and continues until
Pentecost.
• For 50 days we joyfully
reflect on the Resurrection,
• and our new life in Christ.
50 Days

21. 50 DAYS FROM EASTER TO
PENTECOST
• For 50 days we joyfully
reflect on
• the Resurrection,
• and our new life in
Christ.
• On the fiftieth day of the
celebration,..
• we celebrate the feast of
the Pentecost

22. ORDINARY
TIME
(PART II)
LISTEN
CHRIST
LIVING AS
HIS
FOLLOWERS

23. ORDINARY TIME
(PART II)
• ORDINARY TIME (Part II)
A. begins the day after Pentecost
B. and continues until the day before
Advent begins.
• We listen to what Jesus said,
• and learn ways to live our lives as
his followers.
Ordinary Time
(Part 2)
Ordinary Time
(Part 1)

25. •
• PURPLE/VIOLET:
• FOR ADVENT
•
•
• SIMILARLY IN LENT
•
•
LITURGICAL COLORS

26. LITURGICAL COLORS
WHITE & GOLD
• WHITE OR GOLD:
•
•
•
•

27. LITURGICAL COLOR
RED
• RED:
A.
B.
•
C.
PENTECOST,
•

28. THE LITURGICAL COLORS
GREEN & ROSE
• GREEN
• IS THE UNIVERSAL
SYMBOL OF LIFE AND GROWTH.
• ROSE:
1)
2)
•

30. THE PRINCIPAL FEASTS AND LITURGICAL
SEASONS
1. Advent
2. Annunciation
3. Ascension
4. Assumption
5. Christmas
6. Easter
7. Epiphany
8. Feast days
9. Holy days of Obligations
10. Holy Week
11. Immaculate Conception
12. Pentecost
• Following is an alphabetical list of the principal and liturgical
seasons from the Catechism

31. LECTIONARY READINGS
• Vatican II expanded the cycle of Sunday readings
from one year to three (Years A, B, and C)
• The 3 synoptic Gospels—Mathew, Mark, and Luke—
were assigned for each year.
• In general Matthew, Mark and Luke provide a
sequential narrative of the life and ministry of Jesus.
• The Gospel of John, which is very different in
character and purpose from the synoptic gospels,
fills in at certain times during Years A, B, and C and
is primary reserved for the Easter season I all three
cycles.

32. • ADVENT: the liturgical season of four week devoted to
preparation for the coming of Christ in Christmas. (524)
• ANNUCIATION: The visitation of the angel Gabriel to the
virgin Mary to inform her that she was to be the mother of
the Savior.
• After giving her consent to God’s word, Mary became the
mother of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (484, 494)
• ANCENSION: The entry of Jesus’ humanity into divine glory
in God’s heavenly domain, 40 days after His Resurrection
(659,665)
• ASSUMPTION: the dogma that recognizes the Blessed
Virgin Mary’s singular participation in her Son’s
Resurrection by which she was taken up body and soul
into heavenly glory, when the course of her earthly life
was finished (2124-5)
• CHRISTMAS: The feast of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus
(1171)

33. • EASTER: The greatest and oldest Christian feast, which
celebrates Christ’s Resurrection from the death. Easter is the
“feast of feasts”, the solemnity of solemnities, the “Great
Sunday”. Christians prepare for it during LENT and HOLY
WEEK, and catechumens usually receive the Sacraments of
Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) at the
Easter Vigil (1169; cf. 647)
• EPIPHANY: The feast that celebrates the manifestation to the
world of the newborn Christ the Messiah, Son of God, and
Savior of the world. The feast of EPIPHANY celebrates the
adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the east,
together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast
of Cana in Galilee (528; cf. 535).
• FEAST DAYS: The annual cycle of liturgical celebrations
commemorating the saving mysteries of Christ’s life, as a
participation in the Paschal Mystery, which is celebrated
annually at Easter, the “feast of feast.”
• Feast Days commemorating Mary, the Mother of God, and the
saints are also celebrated, providing the faithful with examples
of those who have been glorified with Christ. (1169, 1173).

34. • HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION: Principal feast days on which, in
addition to Sunday, Catholics are obligated by Church law to
participated in the Eucharist; a precept on the Church (2043,
2180).
• HOLY WEEK: The week preceding Easter, beginning with Palm
Sunday, called the “Great Week” in the liturgies of the Easter
Churches. It marks the Church’s annual celebration of the events
of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, culminating in the
Pascal Mystery (1169).
• IMMACULATE CONPCEPTION: The dogma proclaimed in Christian
Tradition and defined in 1854, that from the first moment of her
conception, Mary— by the singular grace of God and by virtue of
the merits of Jesus Christ— was preserved immune from original
sin (421).
• PENTECOST: The 50th day a the end of the seven week following
Passover (Easter in the Christian dispensation). At first Pentecost
after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was
manifested, given and communicated as a divine Person to the
Church, fulfilling the paschal mystery of Christ according to His
Promise (726, 731; cf. 1287).
• Annually the Church celebrates the memory of the Pentecost
event as the beginning of the new “age of the Church”, when
Christ lives and acts in and with His Church (1076)