SEASONS AND COLORS
The Gospel Reflections are arranged sequentially, following the order of the church year, which is different from our calendar year. Each season of the church year is symbolized by a color; so the background color of each title page tells you what season that Sunday is in.
THE SEASON OF ADVENT: WINTERY BLUE or PURPLE
The church year begins on the first Sunday of Advent (the fourth Sunday before Christmas) and continues until the vigil (eve) of Christmas Day; i.e., the evening of 24 December. The color used is a wintery blue or purple. “Advent” means “coming,” so the themes of the Advent season are the three comings of Jesus: (1) commemorating his birth long ago; (2) anticipating his final coming at the end of time; and (3) most importantly, being vigilant for the ways he is present to us every day.
THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS: WHITE
Advent is followed by the Christmas season, which includes the major feasts of Christmas (25 December); the Holy Family (the Sunday after Christmas); Mary, the Mother of God (1 January); the Epiphany (6 January); and the Baptism of Christ (the first Sunday after the Epiphany). The color of the season is white, signifying joy. The themes show how Jesus gradually appears to an ever-widening world; i.e., he did not come for just some select group.
Now we must jump ahead to explain something: The Feast of Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon, after the Vernal (Spring) Equinox (usually 21 or 22 March). Because of that variability, Easter can fall as early as 22 March, and as late as 25 April. So, there is some variability in the church calendar too.
THE SEASON OF ORDINARY TIME: GREEN
After the conclusion of the Christmas season, there are some weeks (perhaps as many as eight) of Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is not just “filler” between the “major seasons” (Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter). Use nature as an analogy: just as the growth of trees, plants, and all of nature is typically slow and incremental, so spiritual growth is also typically slow and incremental – perhaps barely noticeable, until you stop and reflect on what has taken place, when you may see the growth. The color for the season is green, both in nature and in the church calendar, signifying growth. The themes are numerous, drawing from the portions of the Gospel that are not parts of the major seasons. There are 34 weeks of Ordinary Time, a few following the Christmas season, and the rest following the Feast of Pentecost.
THE SEASON OF LENT: PURPLE
At the end of this first interval of Ordinary Time, Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, which continues for six weeks. “Lent” means “Spring,” and “Lento” means “slowly” – a time of new life, but (usually) slow growth. The themes of the season are our ongoing conversion, reconciliation with God and one another, forgiveness, and penance (which is how we acknowledge our failures in following Christ and what we may do to change our ways). These all take time – thus, “Lento.” The color of the season is purple, which is a reminder of the penitential nature of the season – except on the last Sunday before Easter (known as Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, which is the beginning of Holy Week). On that day, the Gospel is the story of Jesus’ Passion and Death, and the color is red – symbolizing Christ’s blood shed for us.
PALM SUNDAY: RED
The last Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday. On that day, the Gospel is the story of Jesus’ passion and death, and the color is red – symbolizing Christ’s blood shed for us.
HOLY WEEK: WHITE, RED, AND WHITE
Towards the end of Holy Week come the most sacred days of the year: the Triduum (a word that means “three days,” signifying the Jewish way of measuring days – from sundown to sundown, not from midnight to midnight). These days are Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday). The themes are the Passion Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. The colors are white (Holy Thursday), red (Good Friday), and white (Easter). There is no liturgy on Holy Saturday (acknowledging that Jesus is in the tomb) until the evening, after sundown, which (measuring by Jewish practice) is the beginning of Easter Sunday.
THE SEASON OF EASTER: WHITE
Easter Sunday begins the Easter season, which continues for fifty days. In addition to the Feast of the Resurrection (Easter), this season also includes the Feast of Christ’s Ascension to heaven. The themes are two: (1) joyful celebration of our salvation, because of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection, and (2) learning what it means to live as a baptized person, one who follows Jesus. The color for the season is white, reflecting that joy.
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST: RED
Fifty days after Easter we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost (a name meaning “fiftieth day”). It commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the beginning of the church. The color of the day is red, signifying fire (one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit is fire, as told in the readings of the day).
THE SEASON OF ORDINARY TIME: GREEN
On the Monday after Pentecost, we return to Ordinary Time. Keeping in mind that there may have been as many as eight weeks of Ordinary Time between the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, the remainder of the week that began with Pentecost may be the sixth or seventh or eighth week of Ordinary Time. This season continues through the Summer and into the Fall – 34 weeks in all. Each Sunday’s Gospel establishes the theme for that Sunday – typically some aspect of what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus – and the Gospel selections are taken from those portions of the Gospel that are not used in the Advent, Christmas, Lenten or Easter seasons. The color, once again, is green, symbolizing growth in our lives as followers of Jesus.
With the conclusion of Ordinary Time, in late November or early December, we start over again with the season of Advent. This is known as the “liturgical year,” from the word “liturgy,” which means “the work of the people.” In this case, the “work” is prayer and worship, done by all the people, not just the presider.
When a major feast falls on a Sunday, it will take the place of the usual Sunday liturgy. On those days, the liturgical color is white.
REFLECTIONS
Each Reflection is designated “A” or “B” or “C.” That refers to the three-year cycle of the readings used every Sunday, changing to the next year on every First Sunday of Advent. Last November, at the beginning of Advent, we started reading from the Gospel according to Luke. Next Advent, we will return to the Gospel according to Matthew, and so on.
Listen to This Week’s Reflection Here.
Find All Reflections Here.