Church's Year

The Church’s Year

The Church’s Liturgical year is divided up into times and seasons and each
 has a particular focus. These different times celebrate different aspects
 of the life of Jesus.

The Season of Advent
Advent Sunday is either the last Sunday in November or the first in
December therefore the season of Advent can vary in length from year
to year. It covers the four Sundays before Christmas Day and all the
 weekdays between the first Sunday of Advent and Christmas Day. It is
during this period that the Church prepares for the celebration of the
Lord's birth at Christmas.

The First Sunday of Advent
The Second Sunday of Advent
The Third Sunday of Advent
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Christmas Eve

The Christmas Season
This period is the celebration of the Birthday or First Coming of Jesus
 when he was born in Bethlehem, and the Son of God became man.

Christmas Day
The First Sunday of Christmas
The Second Sunday of Christmas
 

Epiphany
This commemorates the revealing or ‘showing forth’ of the Divine
Nature first to the Wise Men from the East. It is observed on January 6^th.
The Sunday after Epiphany celebrates the Baptism of Jesus. There are two
 to six Sundays after Epiphany and so this season again varies in length from
year to year.

The Epiphany (6th January)
The Baptism of Christ - The First Sunday of Epiphany
The Second Sunday of Epiphany
The Third Sunday of Epiphany
The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas - 2nd February)

Ordinary Time
This begins on the day following the Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Candlemas –  celebrated on 2^nd February and continues until the Sunday
next before Lent.

The Fifth Sunday before Lent
The Fourth Sunday before Lent
The Third Sunday before Lent
The Second Sunday before Lent
The Sunday Next before Lent

The Season of Lent
This is a solemn period of discipline, repentance and growth and lasts
approximately forty days (not including Sundays). The period commemorates
Jesus’ special preparation in the wilderness at the opening of his ministry.
The season begins with Ash Wednesday, so called because on this day ashes
 are blessed and distributed in remembrance of the Old Testament custom
of casting aside expensive garments and putting on sackcloth and ashes to
symbolise atonement from sin.
The fourth Sunday in Lent is often kept as Mothering Sunday. The fifth
 Sunday is called Passion Sunday. Next comes Palm Sunday, when Jesus
 entered into Jerusalem for the final week of teaching in the Temple
and this week is known as Holy Week.

Ash Wednesday
o   O   o
The First Sunday of Lent
The Second Sunday of Lent
The Third Sunday of Lent
The Fourth Sunday of Lent
The Fifth Sunday of Lent
o   O   o
Palm Sunday
Monday of Holy Week
Tuesday of Holy Week
Wednesday of Holy Week

The Easter Triduum
A period of three days from the end of Lent on Wednesday of
 Holy Week until the Easter Vigil
Holy Thursday (or Maundy Thursday)
This is the day when Christ instituted the celebration of the Last Supper
immediately before he went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here he
was betrayed, and taken away for trial before Caiaphas, the Jewish
High Priest, in the early morning of Good Friday and afterwards
condemned to death by the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate.
Good Friday
Jesus was crucified and after death his body was removed from the cross
 and placed in a tomb by Joseph of Aramathea.
Holy Saturday
During this day there are no celebrations of the Eucharist and Holy Communion
 is not given in Church. Near to midnight the Easter Vigil takes place which
 celebrates the fact that Christ has risen and destroyed the power of sin and death.

The Easter Season
This begins with the celebration of the Easter Vigil and continues until
Pentecost some fifty days later.
Easter Sunday
Jesus rose from the grave on the first day of the week (Sunday) and
Christians celebrate this great event on a weekly basis. There follows the
 great Forty Days, when Christ appeared to the disciples, and others, teaching
and preparing them for the time when he would no longer be with them.

Monday of Easter Week
Tuesday of Easter Week
Wednesday of Easter Week
Thursday of Easter Week
Friday of Easter Week
Saturday of Easter Week
o   O   o
The Second Sunday of Easter
The Third Sunday of Easter
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
The Sixth Sunday of Easter

Ascension Day
This is the fortieth day after Easter and always falls on a Thursday and
commemorates the day when Christ ascended to the Father.

Pentecost
Whitsunday commemorates the disciples receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit
 after a period of ten days of waiting and prayer in the Upper Room in
Jerusalem. Whitsunday is also called Pentecost and is often known as the
birthday of the Church. It was a favourite day for Baptism.

Ordinary Time
This is resumed on the Monday following the Day of Pentecost and
continues until 'Christ the King' – The Sunday next before Advent.
Trinity Sunday
This follows one week after Pentecost. Here the Church acknowledges
the glory of the Eternal Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
For the remaining twenty five Sundays of the year the Church considers
the great teachings and lessons of the faith.
Corpus Christi
The Feast of the Body of Christ
This feast is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday to
solemnly commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist

The First Sunday after Trinity
The Second Sunday after Trinity
The Third Sunday after Trinity
The Fourth Sunday after Trinity
The Fifth Sunday after Trinity
The Sixth Sunday after Trinity
The Seventh Sunday after Trinity
The Eighth Sunday after Trinity
The Ninth Sunday after Trinity
The Tenth Sunday after Trinity
The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity
The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity
The Last Sunday after Trinity
o   O   o
All Saints' Day - 1st November
The Fourth Sunday before Advent or All Saints' Sunday
The Third Sunday before Advent
The Second Sunday before Advent
Christ the King - The Sunday next before Advent

Saints Days
These are when the Church honours its heroes. The Apostles are each
commemorated and also some of the greatest of the Saints, and all are
remembered on All Saints' Day (1^st November). The Blessed Virgin
Mary is honoured on two days, the Purification or Candlemas
(February 2^nd), and the Annunciation or Lady Day (March 25^th).
On the feast day of Michael & All Angels - Michaelmas
(September 29^th) the Church reverences those higher ranks
of God’s creation, the Holy Angels.

Saints days and dates can be found on the 'Holy Days' pages
 

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