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Advent
The focus of Advent is preparation for the coming of the Lord -- both in commemoration of His Nativity and His coming again at the end of time; it isn't the Christmas season, which liturgically does not begin until the first Mass at Christmas Eve, and doesn't end liturgically until the completion of the Octave of the Epiphany (the manifestation of Christ to the world in the persons of the Magi).
The mood of this season is one of somber spiritual preparation that increases in joy with each day, like waiting for a new mother to give birth -- joyous, yet restrained, hesitant, and humbled until the moment of the birth arrives. As Catholics, we strive to keep the Season of Advent holy and penitential, always remembering, as they say, that "He is the reason for the Season."
Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra, is undoubtedly one of the most popular saints honored in the Western world. In the United States, his memory has survived in the unique personality of Saint Claus - the jolly, round, white-bearded gentleman who captivates children with promises of gifts on Christmas Eve. Considered primarily as the patron saint of children, it was Nicholas' charity toward the poor that gained him legend, like secretly throwing three bags of gold through a window into a poor man's home to provide dowries for the man's threes daughters, less they be put on the streets.
Christmas time, celebrating the birth of Jesus, begins on December 24 with Vespers of the feast and ends on the feast of the Baptism of Christ.
The Feast of the Holy Family promotes the instillation into Christian families something of the faithful love and the devoted attachment that characterize the family of Nazareth, and presents the Holy Family as the model and exemplar of all Christian families.
The young Messiah is revealed as the Light of the nations encompassed in this solemnity with the adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi.
Candlemass celebrates the Lord's Presentation in the Temple by Mary and Joseph, in accordance with the cannons of Mosaic Law.
St. Blase, bishop and physician, since the eighth century he has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those afflicted with illnesses of the throat.
St. Valentine (Valentino) was a Roman priest who performed marriages in spite of Claudius II's law against such (Claudius believed that marriage was distracting to his soldiers, so outlawed it to them for a time). Fr. Valentine was martyred in A.D. 270; at the site of his martyrdom, Julius I built a popular basilica. Because of his Nuptial Masses, Fr. Valentine became the patron of lovers, the affianced, and married couples, and fortuitous to the priest's association with romance is the belief that halfway through the month of February, birds choose their mates, hence St. Valentine's association with birds, especially lovebirds and doves.
St. Patrick was the influential saint who, 1,500 years ago, brought Christianity to the little country of Ireland. He was born about 385 in the British Isles, was carried off while still very young during a raid on Roman Britain by the Irish and sold as a slave. At the end of six years he contrived to escape to Europe, became a monk and was ordained; he then returned to Ireland to preach the Gospel.
St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus, was part and parcel to discharging the important mission in God's plan of salvation as "to legally insert Jesus Christ into the line of David from whom, according to the prophets, the Messiah would be born, and to act as his father and guardian", according to the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
The Annunciation commemorates the most sublime moment in the history of time, the moment when the Second Divine Person of the most Holy Trinity assumed human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
Divine Mercy Sunday celebrates the promise of Jesus to Saint Faustina, the promise of the forgiveness of all sins and punishment for anyone that would go to Confession and then receive Him in Holy Communion on the second Sunday after Easter.
During the month of Mary (May), Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration.
The feast of the Visitation recalls to us the following great truths and events: The visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth shortly after the Annunciation; the cleansing of John the Baptist from original sin in the womb of his mother at the words of Our Lady's greeting; Elizabeth's proclaiming of Mary-under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost-as Mother of God and "blessed among women"; Mary's singing of the sublime hymn, Magnificat ("My soul doth magnify the Lord") which has become a part of the daily official prayer of the Church.
Pentecost commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.
The feast of the Blessed Trinity is understood and celebrated as a prolongation of the mysteries of Christ and as the solemn expression of the Catholic faith in the triune life of the Divine Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Ordinarily the Church observes the day of a saint's death as his/her feast, because that day marks his entrance into heaven. To this rule there are two notable exceptions, the birthdays of Blessed Mary and of St. John the Baptist.
Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) is the solemn commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist; it is the Church's official act of homage and gratitude to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave to the Church her greatest treasure.
Veneration of the two great Apostles, Peter and Paul, has its roots in the very foundations of the Church. They are the solid rock on which the Church is built. They are at the origin of her faith and will forever remain her protectors and her guides.
The Church celebrates the Heart of Jesus, the See and Throne of Divine Mercy, revealed to the world in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.
The Feast of the Transfiguration celebrates the foretelling of the glory of the Lord as God, and His Ascension into heaven, anticipating for Christians: the divine promise of eternal life, signifying the ultimate flowering and fruitfulness of all creation in God's Paradise.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem in 629.
Feast of St. Francis of Assisi commemorates the Patron Saint of animals and founder of the Franciscan Order.
The feast of Christ the King proclaims the titles for Christ's royalty over men: 1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things; "All things were created by Him"; 2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession; 3) Christ is Head of the Church, "holding in all things the primacy"; 4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as his special possession and dominion.
On Thanksgiving, US Catholics count blessings.
Jump to:
Advent Saint Nicholas Christmas Time The Holy Family Epiphany
Candlemass Saint Blase Valentine's Day Saint Patrick Saint Joseph
The Annunciation Divine Mercy Sunday Month of Mary The Visitation
Pentecost Sunday Trinity Sunday John the Baptist Corpus Christi
Saint Peter and Saint Paul Sacred Heart Transfiguration Holy Cross
Saint Francis of Assisi Christ the King Thanksgiving
See also:Candlemass Saint Blase Valentine's Day Saint Patrick Saint Joseph
The Annunciation Divine Mercy Sunday Month of Mary The Visitation
Pentecost Sunday Trinity Sunday John the Baptist Corpus Christi
Saint Peter and Saint Paul Sacred Heart Transfiguration Holy Cross
Saint Francis of Assisi Christ the King Thanksgiving
Advent
The focus of Advent is preparation for the coming of the Lord -- both in commemoration of His Nativity and His coming again at the end of time; it isn't the Christmas season, which liturgically does not begin until the first Mass at Christmas Eve, and doesn't end liturgically until the completion of the Octave of the Epiphany (the manifestation of Christ to the world in the persons of the Magi).
The mood of this season is one of somber spiritual preparation that increases in joy with each day, like waiting for a new mother to give birth -- joyous, yet restrained, hesitant, and humbled until the moment of the birth arrives. As Catholics, we strive to keep the Season of Advent holy and penitential, always remembering, as they say, that "He is the reason for the Season."
- Symbols and Traditions: Advent wreath and candles; Advent Calendar; empty crib.
Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra, is undoubtedly one of the most popular saints honored in the Western world. In the United States, his memory has survived in the unique personality of Saint Claus - the jolly, round, white-bearded gentleman who captivates children with promises of gifts on Christmas Eve. Considered primarily as the patron saint of children, it was Nicholas' charity toward the poor that gained him legend, like secretly throwing three bags of gold through a window into a poor man's home to provide dowries for the man's threes daughters, less they be put on the streets.
- Symbols and Traditions: 3 golden balls; acts of kindness; teaching children the difference between St. Nicholas and Santa Claus.
Christmas time, celebrating the birth of Jesus, begins on December 24 with Vespers of the feast and ends on the feast of the Baptism of Christ.
- Symbols and Traditions: Yule logs; candles in windows; exchange of greetings and good wishes among friends; Christmas trees; Singing carols (all of which are rooted in Christianity); the Nativity scene; Midnight Mass.
The Feast of the Holy Family promotes the instillation into Christian families something of the faithful love and the devoted attachment that characterize the family of Nazareth, and presents the Holy Family as the model and exemplar of all Christian families.
- Symbols and Traditions: Praying for families; special nucleus family dinner.
The young Messiah is revealed as the Light of the nations encompassed in this solemnity with the adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi.
- Symbols and Traditions: Replace the images of the shepherds at the crib with the three Magi and their gifts; the blessing of homes.
Candlemass celebrates the Lord's Presentation in the Temple by Mary and Joseph, in accordance with the cannons of Mosaic Law.
- Symbols and Traditions: Blessing and procession of candles at Mass
St. Blase, bishop and physician, since the eighth century he has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those afflicted with illnesses of the throat.
- Symbols and Traditions: Blessing of the throat.
St. Valentine (Valentino) was a Roman priest who performed marriages in spite of Claudius II's law against such (Claudius believed that marriage was distracting to his soldiers, so outlawed it to them for a time). Fr. Valentine was martyred in A.D. 270; at the site of his martyrdom, Julius I built a popular basilica. Because of his Nuptial Masses, Fr. Valentine became the patron of lovers, the affianced, and married couples, and fortuitous to the priest's association with romance is the belief that halfway through the month of February, birds choose their mates, hence St. Valentine's association with birds, especially lovebirds and doves.
- Symbols and Traditions: Praying to St. Valentine for an increase of true, sacrificial love within marriages; exchanging Valentines.
St. Patrick was the influential saint who, 1,500 years ago, brought Christianity to the little country of Ireland. He was born about 385 in the British Isles, was carried off while still very young during a raid on Roman Britain by the Irish and sold as a slave. At the end of six years he contrived to escape to Europe, became a monk and was ordained; he then returned to Ireland to preach the Gospel.
- Symbols and Traditions: Shamrocks (used by St. Patrick to explain the Trinity); traditional Irish fare and fellowship with friends.
St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus, was part and parcel to discharging the important mission in God's plan of salvation as "to legally insert Jesus Christ into the line of David from whom, according to the prophets, the Messiah would be born, and to act as his father and guardian", according to the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
- Symbols and Traditions: Carpenter tools; a table overflowing with good Italian food (dating back to the Middle Ages when Sicilians began the custom of a feast and festival honoring St. Giuseppe for his intercession on their behalf).
The Annunciation commemorates the most sublime moment in the history of time, the moment when the Second Divine Person of the most Holy Trinity assumed human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
- Symbols and Traditions: Activism on behalf of unborn children; eating waffles (stemming from customs in Sweden in celebration of "Ladies Day" (the Annunciation).
Divine Mercy Sunday celebrates the promise of Jesus to Saint Faustina, the promise of the forgiveness of all sins and punishment for anyone that would go to Confession and then receive Him in Holy Communion on the second Sunday after Easter.
- Symbols and Traditions: Responding to the Promise, i.e. Confession and Holy Communion; return of fallen away Catholics to the Church; acts of charity celebrating the example and mercy of Christ.
During the month of Mary (May), Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration.
- Symbols and Traditions: Procession and crowning of Mary with a headband of flowers; saying the Rosary; Parish's consecration and entrustment to Mary.
The feast of the Visitation recalls to us the following great truths and events: The visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth shortly after the Annunciation; the cleansing of John the Baptist from original sin in the womb of his mother at the words of Our Lady's greeting; Elizabeth's proclaiming of Mary-under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost-as Mother of God and "blessed among women"; Mary's singing of the sublime hymn, Magnificat ("My soul doth magnify the Lord") which has become a part of the daily official prayer of the Church.
- Symbols and Traditions: Assisting mothers (pregnant or otherwise).
Pentecost commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.
- Symbols and Traditions: Dove, fire; constructing a Cenacle; renewing confirmation.
The feast of the Blessed Trinity is understood and celebrated as a prolongation of the mysteries of Christ and as the solemn expression of the Catholic faith in the triune life of the Divine Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Symbols and Traditions: Equilateral triange; Circle of Eternity; three interwoven circles; baking clover leaf rolls.
Ordinarily the Church observes the day of a saint's death as his/her feast, because that day marks his entrance into heaven. To this rule there are two notable exceptions, the birthdays of Blessed Mary and of St. John the Baptist.
- Symbols and Traditions: the lamb; the banner of victory; having a bonfire and a party (custom of Brazil celebrating Diário de Sáo Joáo).
Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) is the solemn commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist; it is the Church's official act of homage and gratitude to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave to the Church her greatest treasure.
- Symbols and Traditions: A chalice with a host rising out of it; Eucharistic procession; baking fresh bread.
Veneration of the two great Apostles, Peter and Paul, has its roots in the very foundations of the Church. They are the solid rock on which the Church is built. They are at the origin of her faith and will forever remain her protectors and her guides.
- Symbols and Traditions: Book and sword.
The Church celebrates the Heart of Jesus, the See and Throne of Divine Mercy, revealed to the world in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.
- Symbols and Traditions: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; baking and sharing heart shaped cookies.
The Feast of the Transfiguration celebrates the foretelling of the glory of the Lord as God, and His Ascension into heaven, anticipating for Christians: the divine promise of eternal life, signifying the ultimate flowering and fruitfulness of all creation in God's Paradise.
- Symbols and Traditions: Blessing of fruit; sharing fruit baskets with shut-ins.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem in 629.
- Symbols and Traditions: Cross and orb; baking hot Cross buns; making a home-made Cross.
Feast of St. Francis of Assisi commemorates the Patron Saint of animals and founder of the Franciscan Order.
- Symbols and Traditions: Blessing of animals.
The feast of Christ the King proclaims the titles for Christ's royalty over men: 1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things; "All things were created by Him"; 2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession; 3) Christ is Head of the Church, "holding in all things the primacy"; 4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as his special possession and dominion.
- Symbols and Traditions: Procession for Christ the king: adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
On Thanksgiving, US Catholics count blessings.
- Symbols and Traditions: Attending Mass in thanksgiving; prayers of thanksgiving before dinner; giving to and helping the poor.
(Source for above: CatholicCulture.org)
