Religion and Ethics

SPECIFIC UNITS FOR CATHOLICS

Key Unit Competence:

The learner will be able to discuss the major periods of the Catholic Liturgical year and appraise their importance.

Learning objectives:

• Differentiate the major periods of the Catholic Liturgical year.

• State the importance of the major periods of the Catholic Liturgical year.

• Outline different feasts in each Liturgical season

• Establish the relationship between the major periods of the Catholic Liturgical year.

• Describe the importance of the major periods of the Catholic Liturgical year.

• Explain the obligations based on the major periods of the Catholic Liturgical year

• Appreciate the importance of the major periods of the Catholic Liturgical year.

• Celebrate the Christian festivals in Catholic Liturgical year and also help others to celebrate.

Introductory activity 5

Some countries have a cycle of seasons: autumn, winter, spring and summer. In Rwanda we have a year with two main seasons: wet and dry seasons. What makes a difference between the two seasons? Farmers should pay attention when the wet or dry season is near. In the same way, the Catholic Church has a liturgical year whose seasons must be carefully observed. Can you tell those seasons? What is the expected behaviour during each season?

5.1 Major periods of the Catholic Liturgical year Learning

Activity 5.1: Provide answers to these questions.

1. during Mass we see different cloths of different colours. Priests also change the liturgical garments? Why do you think so? Identify colours that are worn and the time in which these colours are used.

The catholic Liturgical Year is defined as cycle-seasons including the ordinary times and the high times/ strong times. During the high time seasons, the Catholic Church celebratesthe high feasts and the great memories of the Saints. The Catholic Liturgical Year starts with the first week of the Advent in November. It ends in the next November at the feast of Christ the King. Remember the highest feast of the Liturgical Year is Easter (the celebration of Mystery of our Salvation through Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ). In the Liturgical Year, there are specific colours used according to the seasons. The illustration below shows the cycle of Catholic Liturgical Year with the high times and the Ordinary times.

Application activity 5.1:

1. If you enter in catholic chapel, how will you know the period of liturgical year?

2. Why are some periods of liturgical year called high times?

3. What lesson do you learn from the life of martyrs that can help you in your Christian life?

5.2 The importance of High and ordinary times

Learning Activity 5.2:Provide answers to these questions

Suppose your birthday is about and you want to invite your friends and neigh-bours. Write down your preparatory activities and why you celebrate your birthday? How do we prepare for the high times and why is it important to celebrate the events below:

a) Easter

b) Christmas-Day.

High Times and their Importance:

• Advent

The word “advent” means waiting or preparation. Advent is a season of four weeks. The Advent starts with the Sunday following the feast of “Christ the King” and ends on evening of Christmas Eve (24th December). The last eight days of Advent lead to the joy of Christmas Day. They are called Christmas Octave. The Advent is an important period for Christians because they get opportunity to prepare for the purification of hearts. The required Christian activities are then: praying, helping, repentance and fasting.Example of Saints Days during the Advent period

• 25 November: Saint Catherine of Alexandria: Optiomal Memorial

• 30 November: Saint Andrew the Apostle : Feast

• Last Sunday in Ordinary Time (last Sunday before 27 November): Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe : Solemnity

December

• December: Saint Francis Xavier, priest : Memorial

• December: Saint John Damascene, priest and doctor : Optional Memorial

• 6 December: Saint Nicholas, bishop :Optional Memorial

• 7 December: Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor : Memorial

• 8 December: Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary : Solemnity

• 9 December: Saint Juan Diego : Optional Memorial

• 11 December: Saint Damasus I, pope: Optional Memorial

• 12 December: Our Lady of Guadalupe : Optional Memorial

• 13 December: Saint Lucy of Syracuse, virgin and martyr: Memorial

• 14 December: Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor: Memorial

• 21 December: Saint Peter Canisius, priest and doctor: Optional Memorial

• 23 December: Saint John of Kanty, priest: Optional Memorial

• Christmas time

The period of Christmas or Christmas Time starts with the evening of Christmas-Eve and it ends with the feast of Baptism of our Lord. The Christmas season immediately follows Advent. The birth of Christ is celebrated on Christmas Day. The hearts of believers are full of joy because the Saviour is born. In Liturgical season of the Christmas, the white colour is used.

There are three feasts that follow the Christmas Day:

• Holy Family of Nazareth (first Sunday after Christmas);

• Feast of Epiphany

• The baptism of the Lord. The Christmas season is important period because Christians deeply understand the process of their Salvation through the incarnation of the Word (Jesus Christ). It is a period from Christmas Eve (evening of 24 December) to the Sunday after Epiphany or after 6 January.

Example of Saints Day during the Christmas time

• The saints Days 25 December: Nativity of the Lord (Solemnity)

• 26 December: Saint Stephen, the first martyr (Feast)

• 27 December: Saint John the Apostle and evangelist (Feast)

• 28 December: Holy Innocents, martyrs (Feast)

• 29 December: Saint Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 31 December: Saint Sylvester I, pope (Optional Memorial)

• 1 January: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Solemnity)

• January: Saints Basil the Great andGregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors (Memorial)

• January: The Most Holy Name of Jesus (Optional Memorial)

• 6 January: Epiphany (celebrated on the first Sunday after 1 January (Solemnity)

• 1st Sunday after Christmas-Day: Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph (Feast).

• Lent

The Lent period is a period of forty days before Easter. We find the number forty many times in the Bible: forty years of exodus, forty days Moses passed on the top of Sinai Mount; Jesus was tempted for forty days and nights, etc. The number forty can symbolize the period of training, of repentance or of receiving a mission. The Lent period starts with the day of Ash Wednesday and it ends on Palm Sunday. The liturgical colour during the Lent is purple. Lent is a major season for penitence and preparation for Easter. The main Christian activities during the Lent period are praying, helping, repentance and fasting. The week before Easter is called Holy Week. It starts with the Palm Sunday and it ends at Vigil Easter. The last three days in this week are called Easter Triduum:

• Holy Thursday: we remember the institution of the Eucharist and Jesus self-sacrifice.

• Good Friday: we remember and meditate on the implementation of our Salvation (suffering and death of Jesus).

• Holy Saturday:It reminds us that after Jesus was dead, He removed power from Satan while in the tomb.

During the Lent period, the liturgical readings introduce Christians with Jesus in order to rise with Him. Christians are called to feel their sinful condition and to die from sin.

Example of Saints Days during the Lent period

• 4 March: Saint Casimir (Optional Memorial)

• 7 March: Saints Perpetua and Felicity martyrs (Memorial)

• 8 March: Saint John of God, religious (Optional Memorial)

• 9 March: Saint Frances of Rome, religious (Optional Memorial)

• 17 March: Saint Patrick, bishop (Optional Memorial)

• 18 March: Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop and doctor (Optional Memorial)

• 19 March: Saint Joseph Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity)

• 23 March: Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, bishop (Optional Memorial)

• 25 March: Annunciation of the Lord (Solemnity)

• Easter time

The Easter period starts in evening of Holy Saturday and it ends on the Pentecost. The Easter Time is a season in the liturgical year of Christianity that focuses on celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (the Liturgical colour used is white). During these fifty days, the Church celebrates Jesus’ victory over death, sin, suffering and Satan. This is the Season to rejoice in the new life obtained through the resurrection of the Saviour. The Church also commemorates various events that happened after the resurrection of Christ such as the apparition of Jesus to Apostles and ascension of Jesus.

Example of some Saints Days during the Easter time

• 13 April: Saint Martin I, pope and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 21 April: Saint Anselm of Canterbury, bishop and doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)

• 23 April: Saint George, martyr, or Saint Adalbert, bishop and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 24 April: Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 25 April: Saint Mark the Evangelist (Feast)

• 28 April: Saint Peter Chanel, priest and martyr; or Saint Louis Grignon de Montfort, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 29 April: Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church (Memorial)

• 30 April: Saint Pius V, pope (Optional Memorial)

May

• 1 May: Saint Joseph the Worker (Optional Memorial)

• May: Saint Athanasius, bishop and doctor (Memorial)

• May: Saints Philip and James, Apostles (Feast)

• 12 May: Saints Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs or Saint Pancras, martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 13 May: Our Lady of Fatima (Optional Memorial)

• 14 May: Saint Matthias the Apostle (Feast)

• 18 May: Saint John I, pope and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 20 May: Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest (Optional Memorial)

The ordinary times and their importance

The term Ordinary means what is not special. Ordinary Time refers to two periods that fall outside the major liturgical seasons. The first short ordinary time starts with the Baptism of the Lord up to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The second Long Ordinary time starts with Monday of Pentecost up to the Feast of Christ the King.The Ordinary time is a period in which we live our Christian lives without feasting like in Christmas and Easter season. However, it is the time for vigilance and the preparation for the second coming of Jesus. Thus, during the Ordinary time Christians believe that the Lamb of God walks among them and transforms their lives.

Example of Saints Day in Short Ordinary time:

• 20 January: Saint Fabian, pope and martyr; or Saint Sebastian, martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 21 January: Saint Agnes, virgin and martyr (Memorial)

• 22 January: Saint Vincent, deacon and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 24 January: Saint Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor (Memorial)

• 25 January: The Conversion of Saint Paul, apostle (Feast)

• 26 January: Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops (Memorial)

• 27 January: Saint Angela Merici, virgin (Optional Memorial)

• 28 January: Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor (Memorial)

• 31 January: Saint John Bosco, priest (Memorial)

• Sunday after Epiphany (or, if Epiphany is celebrated on 7 or 8 January, the following Monday): Baptism of the Lord (Feast)

February

• 2 February: Presentation of the Lord (Feast)

• 3 February: Saint Blase, bishop and martyr, or Saint Ansgar, bishop (Optional Memorial)

• 5 February: Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr (Memorial)

• 6 February: Saints Paul Miki and companions, martyrs (Memorial)

• 8 February: Saint Jerome Emiliani, priest, or Saint Josephine Bakhita, virgin (Optional Memorial)

• 10 February: Saint Scholastica, virgin (Memorial)

• 11 February: Our Lady of Lourdes (Optional Memorial)

• 14 February: Saints Cyril, monk, and Methodius, bishop (Memorial)

• 17 February: Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Optional Memorial)

• 21 February: Saint Peter Damian, bishop and doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)

• 22 February: Chair of Saint Peter, apostle (Feast)

• 23 February: Saint Polycarp, bishop and martyr (Memorial)

Example of Saints Day in Long ordinary Time

• 3 July: Saint Thomas the Apostle (Feast)

• 4 July: Saint Elizabeth of Portugal (Optional Memorial)

• 5 July: Saint Anthony Zaccaria, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 6 July: Saint Maria Goretti, virgin and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 9 July: Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and companions, martyrs (Optional Memorial)

• 11 July: Saint Benedict, abbot (Memorial)

• 13 July: Saint Henry (Optional Memorial)

• 14 July: Saint Camillus de Lellis, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 15 July: Saint Bonaventure, bishop and doctor (Memorial)

• 16 July: Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Optional Memorial)

• 20 July: Saint Apollinaris, bishop and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 21 July: Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and doctor (Optional Memorial)

• 22 July: Saint Mary Magdalene (Feast)

• 23 July: Saint Birgitta, religious (Optional Memorial)

• 24 July: Saint Sharbel Makhluf, hermit (Optional Memorial)

• 25 July: Saint James, apostle (Feast)

• 26 July: Saints Joachim and Anne (Memorial)

• 29 July: Saint Martha (Memorial)

• 30 July: Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor (Optional Memorial)

• 31 July: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest (Memorial)

August

• 1 August: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church (Memorial)

• 2 August: Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop, or Saint Peter Julian Eymard, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 4 August: Saint Jean Vianney (the Curé of Ars), priest (Memorial)

• 5 August: Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Optional Memorial)

• 6 August: Transfiguration of the Lord (Feast)

• 7 August: Saint Sixtus II, pope, and companions, martyrs, or Saint Cajetan, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 8 August: Saint Dominic, priest (Memorial)

• 9 August: Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), virgin and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 10 August: Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr (Feast)

• 11 August: Saint Clare, virgin (Memorial)

• 12 August: Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, religious (Optional Memorial)

• 13 August: Saints Pontian, pope, and Hippolytus, priest, martyrs (Optional Memorial)

• 14 August: Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest and martyr (Memorial)

• 15 August: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity)

• 16 August: Saint Stephen of Hungary (Optional Memorial)

• 19 August: Saint John Eudes, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 20 August: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, abbot and doctor of the Church (Memorial)

• 21 August: Saint Pius X, pope (Memorial)

• 22 August: Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)

• 23 August: Saint Rose of Lima, virgin (Optional Memorial)

• 24 August: Saint Bartholomew the Apostle (Feast)

• 25 August: Saint Louis or Saint Joseph of Calasanz, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 27 August: Saint Monica (Memorial)

• 28 August: Saint Augustine of Hippo, bishop and doctor of the Church (Me-morial)

• 29 August: The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, martyr (Memorial)

September

• 3 September: Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor (Memorial)

• 8 September: Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast)

• 9 September: Saint Peter Claver, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 12 September: Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Optional Memorial)

• 13 September: Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor (Memorial)

• 14 September: Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Feast)

• 15 September: Our Lady of Sorrows (Memorial)

• 16 September: Saints Cornelius, pope, and Cyprian, bishop, martyrs (Memorial)

• 17 September: Saint Robert Bellarmine, bishop and doctor (Optional Memorial)

• 19 September: Saint Januarius, bishop and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 20 September: Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, priest, and Paul Chong Hasang and companions, martyrs (Memorial)

• 21 September: Saint Matthew the Evangelist, Apostle, Evangelist (Feast)

• 23 September: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), priest (Memorial)

• 26 September: Saints Cosmas and Damian, martyrs (Optional Memorial)

• 27 September: Saint Vincent de Paul, priest (Memorial)

• 28 September: Saint Wenceslaus, martyr or Saints Lawrence Ruiz and companions, martyrs (Optional Memorial)

• 29 September: Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels (Feast)

• 30 September: Saint Jerome, priest and doctor (Memorial)

October

• 1 October: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor (Memorial)

• 2 October: Guardian Angels (Memorial)

• 4 October: Saint Francis of Assisi (Memorial)

• 6 October: Saint Bruno, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 7 October: Our Lady of the Rosary (Memorial)

• 9 October: Saint Denis and companions, martyrs or Saint John Leonardi, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 11 October: Saint John XXIII, pope (Optional Memorial)

• 14 October: Saint Callistus I, pope and martyr (Optional Memorial)

• 15 October: Saint Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor (Memorial)

• 16 October: Saint Hedwig, religious or Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin (Optional Memorial)

• 17 October: Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr (Memorial)

• 18 October: Saint Luke the Evangelist (Feast)

• 19 October: Saints Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs; and their companions, martyrs or Saint Paul of the Cross, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 22 October: Saint John Paul II, pope (Optional Memorial)

• 23 October: Saint John of Capistrano, priest (Optional Memorial)

• 24 October: Saint Anthony Mary Claret, bishop (Optional Memorial)

• 28 October: Saint Simon and Saint Jude, apostles (Feast)

November

• 1 November: All Saints (Solemnity)

• 2 November: All Souls (ranked with solemnities)

• 3 November: Saint Martin de Porres, religious (Optional Memorial)

• 4 November: Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop (Memorial)

• 9 November: Dedication of the Lateran basilica (Feast)

• 10 November: Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor (Memorial)

• 11 November: Saint Martin of Tours, bishop (Memorial)

• 12 November: Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr (Memorial)

• 15 November: Saint Albert the Great, bishop and doctor (Optional Memorial)

• 16 November: Saint Margaret of Scotland or Saint Gertrude the Great, virgin (Optional Memorial)

• 17 November: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious (Memorial)

• 18 November: Dedication of the basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (Optional Memorial)

Application Activity 5.2

1. Draw a table/diagram to classify the liturgical year periods in high and ordinary periods.

2. What are the Liturgical colours used during the following Liturgical periods:

a) Christmas time

b) ordinary time

c) Pentecost

d) Advent

3. What is the greatest feast in the liturgical year? Explain why.

5.3 Saints’ Days

Learning Activity 5.3

Can you mention categories in which the Rwandan heroes are classified? What values do you get from Rwandan heroes? The Church calls the Christian heroes “the saints”, those who have been loyal to Christ until their death. If your school has been dedicated to any Saint, who is he/she? What were his/her values?

The earliest feast days of saints were those of martyrs, venerated as having shown for Christ the greatest form of love. Saint Martin of Tours is said to be the first or at least one of the first non-martyrs to be venerated as a saint. The title “confessor” was used for such saints, who had confessed their faith in Christ by their lives rather than by their deaths. Martyrs are regarded as dying in the service of the Lord, and confessors are people who died natural deaths.

In the current ordinary form of the Roman Rite, feast days are ranked (in descending order of importance) as solemnities, feasts or memorials (obligatory or optional).The 1962 version, whose use is authorized by a decree of Pope John XXIII in 1960. The feasts are different according to their hierarchy of importance. A solemnity is a feast day of the highest rank in the liturgical calendar, celebrating a mystery of faith. It is an obligation and non-postponed feast for example the one of Mary Mother of God, Ascension, Assumption, All Saints, Immaculate Conception and the Trinity etc. They are only the memorials that have universal significance and must be observed by the whole Church and marked in the general liturgical calendar. The optional feasts are the elective feasts. They are voluntary celebrated.

The feast days of saints celebrated in one country are not necessarily celebrated everywhere. Likewise, a particular religious institute may celebrate its founder or members of the institute, even if that saint is not listed on the universal calendar.

Application Activity 5.3

1. By decreasing order of importance, arrange these categories of the Saints: obligatory memorials, solemnities and optional memories.

2. What virtues do learn from the Saints?

5.4 End Unit Assessment

End unit assessment 5: Questions

1. Describe each season of the Liturgical year and indicate the colour that is used.

2. Compare the Advent with the Lent period.

3. Mention any four solemnities feast in the Liturgical year.

4. Indicate the Saint days for: The Assumption, the Immaculate Conception, and Mary Mother of God.