Lesson 16 Lord Jesus, may you always be the

center of our lives. Amen.

The Liturgical Seasons and Celebrations

At the end of this lesson, I can:

Doctrine : recall that the Liturgical Calendar is divided into the mysteries of Christ
and celebrated in seasons of the Church year.
enumerate the different celebrations and devotions to Jesus Christ.
Morals : show reverence and honor to the celebration of Jesus Christ.
Respects others way of celebrating their devotion to Jesus Christ.
Worship : celebrate devotional prayers in the Church.

What do I see?

When is your birthday? Can you encircle the day of your birthday on this calendar?
Almost every day we look at the calendar to check out our schedules. One thing good
about having a calendar is that we can anticipate special occasions that matter in our lives.

List some special occasions that you celebrate and put a date beside it.
__________________________________________ _____________________
__________________________________________ _____________________
__________________________________________ _____________________
__________________________________________ _____________________
__________________________________________ _____________________

What do you do in one of these occasions? What do you prepare? How do you
celebrate it?

__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What do I hear?

The calendar that we commonly use is called the Gregorian

calendar which was established by Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585). Though
a pope established this calendar, our Church follows a different kind of
calendar which we call the Church Calendar or the Liturgical Calendar.
http://www.anglais.ac-aix-marseille.fr/april_fool.htm
According to the Vatican II document on the Sacred Liturgy, the
Church knows that she must celebrate the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ by devoutly
recalling it on certain days throughout the year. Every week, on the day which is the Lord's day,
she keeps the memory of the Lord's resurrection, which she also celebrates once in the year,
together with His blessed passion, in the most solemn festival of Easter.

Within the cycle of the year, the Church unfolds the whole mystery of Christ from the
incarnation and birth until the ascension, the day of Pentecost, and the expectation of blessed
hope and the coming of the Lord. (cf. SC 102)

Draw the same illustration

In this way, each year the Church relives the significant events in the life
of Jesus Christ. “Recalling thus the mysteries of redemption, the Church opens to
the faithful the riches of her Lord's powers and merits so that these are in some
way made present for all time, and the faithful are enabled to lay hold upon
them and become filled with saving grace.”(SC 102)
 Unlike the Gregorian Calendar that is divided into 12 months, our Liturgical calendar or
Liturgical Year is divided into five major seasons, namely:
 Advent
 Christmas
 Lent
 Easter
 Ordinary Time

Each season has theological emphases and modes of prayer that are signified by:
 various church decoration
 colors of vestments of the ministers of the Liturgy
 the scripture readings,
 themes of addresses, homilies, and salutations.

The Liturgical Seasons

Advent Season
Advent is the time to celebrate and prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ. It has a
twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is
remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's
Second Coming at the end of time. Thus, it is a time for devout and joyful expectation.

Bible says:

http://imaginemdei.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-joyful-mysteries-annunciation-part.html

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus.

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the
virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this
might be. Then the angel said to her,

http://www.jesus-story.net/painting_annunciation.htm
Mary said,
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your
word.” Then the angel departed from her.
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with
God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be
called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the
throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of
the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be
born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth,
your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is
the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will
be impossible for God.”

What do Catholics do?

The Sundays of this season are named the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Sundays of
Advent. It is in our tradition to assemble an Advent Wreath to mark the 4 Sundays of this
season.
The color of this season is purple because it symbolizes the royalty of the coming king
and the penitential tone of Advent.
When we reflect on the coming of Jesus, we renew in our hearts the longing for the
promised Messiah.
Christmas Season
Christmas is the time to celebrate the birth of our Lord. We celebrate the coming of
Jesus Christ in our lives and our human history.

Bible says:
The Birth of Jesus

http://www.padhokhelo.com/story-birth-jesus-christ-christmas/

…Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city
of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be
enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time
came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him
in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the
inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night
watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord
shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has
been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for
you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in
a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and
saying:
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his
favor rests.”

What’s in the word:

Advent - from the Greek word “adventus”
meaning “coming”
Jesus - “God saves”
Epiphany - “showing forth” or “Manifestation”
What do Catholics do?

We celebrate the birth of Jesus with much joy and gladness on December 25.
Within this season, we celebrate other important feasts;
 Holy Innocents - They are the children whom King Herod ordered to be killed.
We celebrate this feast on December 28.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years
old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Mt 2:16

 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - During the Christmas season, we celebrate

a special feast to honor Mary, the Mother of God on January 1. We pray to Mary
and remember that she is our mother too.

 Holy Family - We remember Jesus, Mary, and

Joseph living together as a family in Nazareth. We
celebrate this feast on a Sunday following the birth of
Jesus Christ. During this feast, we pray to Jesus, Mary,
and Joseph for our families, that we live according to the
will of God and work for His kingdom.

 Epiphany - On this feast, we celebrate the manifestation and the

revelation of Jesus as the light of the world. To let the whole world know that
the Son of God is born. So we come and adore him.

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star* at its rising and have
come to do him homage.” Mt 2:2

White and gold are the colors of the vestments and mantles which signify this joyous
season. We put up the Nativity set to remind us of the story of the incarnation of God.

Season of Lent

Lent is the time when we prepare to celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus. We have forty
days before Easter. During Lent, we remember the passion and death of Jesus.
The Bible says:

The Crucifixion of Jesus

So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went

out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew,
Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two
others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate
also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It
read,
“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”
Jn 19:17-19
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/43.98.5/

What do Catholics do?

The Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the evening of Holy Thursday.
On Ash Wednesday, the priest makes the sign of the cross on our forehead using ashes and
says: “Turn away from your sins and believe in the Gospel” (cf. Mk 1:15) or “Remember that
you are dust, and dust you shall return” (cf. Gen 3:19). Ash Wednesday is a symbolic invitation
to do penance and turn away from sin. We celebrate this season through alms-giving, fasting
and prayer.
Lent leads us to the Paschal Triduum or the Easter Triduum.

Easter Triduum

The Easter Triduum is the three-day commemoration of Jesus passion and death. Holy
Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. This is the most important time of the Church
calendar.

 Holy Thursday (white) - The first part of the

Triduum begins on the evening of Maundy Thursday (also
called Holy Thursday). We commemorate the night when
Jesus celebrated the “Last Supper” with his apostles.
 Good Friday (Red) - the second day of the Triduum, is the
solemn remembrance of Jesus' death on the cross. Clipart of Holy
Week
 Holy Saturday - On this day we remember when our
Lord’s body rested in the tomb. Meanwhile, Christ descended
to the dead to free the souls of the just who were waiting for
him.
It is also the third and final day of the Triduum, known from
antiquity as the Great Vigil - “Easter Vigil”.
 The liturgy of the Great Vigil is made up of four separate but connected liturgies.
 Service of Light
 Service of Readings:
 The Service of Baptism
 Service of Holy Communion

Easter Season
Easter is the season when we celebrate the triumph of Jesus Christ over death in his
resurrection and our sharing in his new life through Baptism. Jesus was risen from the dead to
a new life by the Father. This happened on Easter Sunday.

The Bible says:

They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to
them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he
has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that
the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the
third day.” Luke 24: 5-7

What do Catholics do?

The color of Easter is white and gold. We light the

Sample picture only
Paschal candle which symbolizes Christ is the “Light of the
world.”
Within this season, we celebrate the feast of the
Divine Mercy of Jesus and the Solemnity of the Ascension of
the Lord. Easter season ends on Pentecost Sunday, with the A traditional Filipino devotion
called “Salubong” or “Sugat”
color red which symbolizes the Holy Spirit. is being done to re-enact
Mary’s encounter with her
son, Jesus, on the day He rose
from the dead.

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time in which

the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into
history until all things are finally caught up in Christ. The goal,
Clipart of ordinary toward which all of history is directed, is represented by the final
time Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
King of the Universe.
(USCCB - http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/ordinary-
time.cfm)
 There are two periods in Ordinary time. The first period is celebrated after Christmas
season and before the Season of Lent. The second period is celebrated after Easter season and
ends on the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, the King. This period is longer than the first one. We
celebrate the Ordinary time with color green which symbolizes life and growth.

Other Feasts and Solemnities

 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
 The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
 Feast of the Transfiguration
 Feasts of Mary
Picture the
 Feasts of the Saints and Martyrs statue of Mary

In celebrating this annual cycle of Christ's mysteries, holy

Church honors with special love the Blessed Mary, Mother of
God, who is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work
of her Son. (cf. SC 103)

The Church has also included in the annual

cycle days devoted to the memory of the
Picture of the martyrs and the other saints. Raised up to
statues of saints perfection by the manifold grace of God,
and martyrs and already in possession of eternal salvation, they sing God's
perfect praise in heaven and offer prayers for us. (cf. SC 104)

Finally, in the various seasons of the year and according to

her traditional discipline, the Church completes the formation
of the faithful by means of pious practices for soul and body,
by instruction, prayer, and works of penance and of mercy.
(cf. SC 105)

What can I say and do?

Every time we commemorate the events in the life of Jesus,

our faith is deepened and strengthened. The life of Jesus focuses on
different aspects of life. It guides us to what God intends us to be
which is to live to the fullest. As we live each day, we know that God Clipart of Jesus life
is with us. Jesus showed us the path to righteousness. His whole life
is pointing to the kingdom of God, where he reigns forever, where
there is peace, love, unity, joy, and justice as Mary, the saints and
martyrs can give witness.
 During Liturgical celebrations, we bring ourselves to God to worship Him and offer
ourselves to Him. These celebrations should bring us closer to God. With this in our hearts, it
able us to see everyone as brothers and sisters whom God loves It should make us become like
Christ, who always seeks the will of God and fulfills his mission here on earth.

Closing Activities:

Reflection:
Clipart of a child
How do you celebrate the solemnities of the Lord? reflecting
How does going to church make you a better person?
How do you make Jesus present in your life?

Journal Writing:
How is Jesus calling me to celebrate the feast and solemnities?

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your goodness.
We thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to mend our
brokenness and bring us back to You.
Through Him, our brother and mediator, we beg You to
continually bestow on us Your mercy and love.
Strengthen us sinners, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
that we may walk in Your truth and be more like Jesus, the Son
in whom You are well pleased. Amen.
(The Word Exposed - August 24, 2014 - Bishop Tagle)

Enrichment Activities
I. Make a Liturgical Calendar. Label and color it correctly.

Sample clipart only

II. Match the season in column A with its facts in column B.
A B
_____ 1. Easter a. Time to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
b. This is the time when we put up the Nativity set to remind
_____ 2. Lent us of the story of the incarnation of God.
c. It is the time when we prepare to celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus. During this season, we remember
_____ 3. Ordinary Time
the passion and death of Jesus.
d. Lent is the time when we prepare to celebrate Easter, the
_____ 4. Advent resurrection of Jesus. We have forty days before Easter.
During Lent, we remember the passion and death of
_____ 5. Christmas Jesus.
e. This season is a time for growth and maturation, a time in
which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever
more deeply into history until all things are finally caught
up in Christ.

III. Draw and color an Advent Wreath. Find out the dates of the following Sundays of Advent.
Write them below each candle.

Each Sunday of Advent has a theme: Peace, Hope, Joy and Love. Write a short prayer for each.

Sample clipart only

IV. Easter egg decoration: Decorate the Easter Eggs and write a message about Easter.

You may want to do this on a real egg and give them to your friends.

V. A. Choose a devotional prayer that you can connect with your life.
Write the title below.
______________________________________________________________________________

Why did you choose this prayer? ___________________________________________________

B. Go to the nearest chapel or church to pray the devotional prayer that you have chosen.

Sentence completion: Share your answer to your friend.

I went to _______________________________________________________ to

pray my devotional prayer ______________________________________

I experienced_____________________________________________ while I was

praying.

Clipart of two kids