22 The Liturgical Year Holy Church celebrates the saving work of Christ on prescribed days in the course of the year with sacred remembrance. Each week, on the day called the Lord’s Day, she commemorates the Resurrection of the Lord, which she also celebrates once a year in the great Paschal Solemnity, together with his blessed Passion. In fact, throughout the course of the year the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and observes the birthdays of the Saints. Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 1 LITURGICAL DAYS 1. Each day is made holy through the celebration of the Liturgy by the People of God. 2. This happens especially through the Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Divine Office. 3. The observance of Sunday and Solemnities begins with the evening of the preceding day. 4. All other liturgical days run from midnight to midnight. 5. Sunday is ranked the first holy day of all, the primordial feast day. 6. Solemnities are principal days in the calendar. Each begins with Evening Prayer I on the preceding day. Some have their own vigil Mass for use on the preceding evening: • The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), 25 December; • The Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday between January 2 and 8 (USA); • The Ascension of the Lord, moved to Sunday in the Province of Chicago; • Nativity of St. John the Baptist, 24 June; • Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, 29 June; • Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 15 August; • and Pentecost Sunday, Extended form and Simple form. • The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night follows its own rules. 7. Feasts are next in rank. 8. Memorials are either obligatory or optional. 9. Weekdays are celebrated in different ways. 10. See the Table of Liturgical Days According to Their Order of Precedence [UNLYC, nos. 59-61 and Ceremonial of Bishops, appendix II following no. 1210] to determine the ranking of days. ___________________________________________________________________________________ © 1999, 2011 by Eliot Kapitan, following the work of Kathleen Cour, OP and using the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar. The Liturgical Year, page 2 THE YEARLY CYCLE Over the course of the year the Church celebrates the whole mystery of Christ, from the Incarnation to Pentecost Day and the days of waiting for the Advent of the Lord. Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 17 PASCHAL TRIDUUM. Since Christ accomplished his work of human redemption and of the perfect glorification of God principally through his Paschal Mystery, in which by dying he destroyed our death, and by rising restored our life, the sacred Paschal Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord shines forth as the high point of the entire liturgical year. Therefore the preeminence that Sunday has in the week, the Solemnity of Easter has in the liturgical year. Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 18 EASTER TIME. The fifty days from the Sunday of Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one “great Sunday.” Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 22 LENT. Lent is ordered to preparing for the celebration of Easter, since the Lenten liturgy prepares for celebration of the Paschal Mystery both catechumens, by the various stages of Christian Initiation, and the faithful, who recall their own Baptism and do penance. Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 27 CHRISTMAS TIME. After the annual celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the Church has no more ancient custom than celebrating the memorial of the Nativity of the Lord and of his first manifestations, and this takes place in Christmas Time. Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 32 ADVENT. Advent has a twofold character, for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, Advent is a period for devout and expectant delight. Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 39 ORDINARY TIME. Apart from those seasons having their own distinctive character, thirty- three or thirty-four weeks remain in the yearly cycle that do not celebrate a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ. Rather, especially on the Sundays, they are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects. This period is known as Ordinary Time. Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 43 ROGATION AND EMBER DAYS. On Rogation and Ember Days the Church is accustomed to entreat the Lord for the various needs of humanity, especially for the fruits of the earth and for human labor, and to give thanks to him publicly. Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC], no. 45 Excerpts from the English translation of the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar [UNLYC] excerpt from The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. .