Come and See

Learning Focus 1: The Liturgical Year.

Look at the diagram of the Liturgical Year.  The year of the Church family is marked by special events and seasons.  It is called the Liturgical Year.  It begins with the first Sunday of Advent and ends with the feast of Christ the King.  The word liturgical means the Church family’s celebration and remembrance of the journey of Jesus when he lived on earth, his death and Resurrection.  It is a calendar of Sundays, feast days and special seasons which are celebrated during one year.  A feast day is a day set aside by the Church family to celebrate an event in the life of Jesus, Mary his mother or a saint.

Liturgy is the actions and words of the prayer and worship the Church family offers to God.

The Liturgical Year helps Christians to be close to the work of the Trinity, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, throughout the seasons of the year.  It brings the Church family together as everyone shares in the celebrations.  Following the celebrations Christians are sent out to love and serve God in the world.

Answers these questions and complete the activity in your home learning book

1. How is the Church’s year marked?
2. When does it begin and end?  Why do you think it happens like this?
3. What do you notice about the colour used at different times?

Activity

Design a Liturgical calendar that accurately represents the Church’s year using signs, symbols and colours to denote the different seasons and feasts.

Learning focus 2: The seasons of the Church’s year.

The first Sunday of the Liturgical Year is the first Sunday of Advent.  The last Sunday of the Liturgical Year celebrates the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.  The Church family journeys with Jesus through the major events of his life, death and Resurrection.

Here is an outline of special seasons in the Liturgical Year.

Advent – Christmas

• The Season of Advent is the four Sundays before the 25^th December; the colour the Church uses is purple.
• The Season of Christmas time: from the Nativity of the Lord, (Christmas Day) to the Baptism of the Lord.  The colour the Church uses is white or gold.

Major feasts during Christmas time:

• The feast of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
• The feast of Mary the Mother of God (1st January).
• The feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (6^th January).
• The Baptism of the Lord.

Lent – Easter

• The Season of Lent: forty days from Ash Wednesday (five Sundays).  The colour the Church uses is purple.
• Holy Week: begins with the Sixth Sunday of Lent: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord (sometimes called Palm Sunday).
• The Sacred Easter Triduum: begins with the evening celebration of Holy Thursday and includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
• The Season of Easter time: begins with the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday and for seven Sundays to Pentecost.  The colour the Church uses is white or gold.  On Pentecost Sunday the Church uses the colour red.

Answers these questions and complete the activity in your home learning book

1. What times of Jesus’ life are being celebrated in these seasons?
2. Which of the seasons or feasts is your favourite and why?
3. What do think the colours tell us about these seasons?

• In groups choose one of the Church’s special seasons e.g. Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter.  Give reasons why and how Catholics celebrate this season of the Church’s year and the use of a particular colour.  Research some symbols used at this time and record them in your home learning book.