The Catholic Liturgical Year is cyclical, divided into seasons that reflect different aspects of Christ’s life and the mysteries of our faith. The year begins with Advent, followed by Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Easter, and then a return to Ordinary Time, which lasts until the following Advent. Each season is marked by specific colors, symbols, and celebrations (feasting & fasting) that teach us about Christ and help us grow closer to Him. As well as other special days and Saint feast days sprinkled into each season.
- Advent: This season marks the beginning of the liturgical year and is a time of preparation for Christ’s coming. It’s a time of hopeful waiting, and families may incorporate Advent wreaths, daily scripture reflections, or lighting candles to mark the four weeks before Christmas.
- Christmas: Celebrating the birth of Jesus, Christmas extends beyond a single day to the entire Christmas season, a joyful time of embracing God’s gift of Himself in the person of Jesus. Catholics may mark this season by keeping up a nativity scene and Christmas decorations, celebrating the Epiphany, and focusing on charity.
- Ordinary Time: This season follows both Christmas and Easter, focusing on the teachings and life of Jesus. We use this time to integrate the lessons of other seasons into daily life, deepening prayer practices, serving others, and growing in personal holiness.
- Lent: This is a season of repentance and preparation for Easter. Catholics are invited to focus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Families might create a Lenten calendar, set up a prayer corner, or incorporate acts of sacrifice and charity to mark this season of reflection and self-denial.
- Easter: Celebrating Christ’s Resurrection, Easter is the heart of the Christian faith and the liturgical year. Catholics celebrate the fifty days of Easter by emphasizing joy, and sharing the Good News. Alleluia, sung after a Lenten silence, expresses the triumph of resurrection, and the season’s focus on new life is celebrated.