Every year, the Catholic Church all over the world celebrate her seasons, solemnities and feasts by following the Liturgical Calendar. The Liturgical Calendar is a cycle of three years wherein the Church base the dates of the season and feasts depending upon the cycle in which that year is assigned. In the Liturgical Calendar, Seasons and some solemnities are movable which means the dates would vary depending on the year. For example the Solemnities and Feasts that are celebrated on Sundays like Palm Sunday, Easter, Pentecost etc have different dates every year depending on the cycle. There are also Feasts and Solemnities that are immovable and are designated on a particular date regardless of Liturgical year like for example Christmas Day (Dec. 25), Immaculate Conception (Dec 8  ) and Solemnity of Mary, Mother Of God (Jan. 1).

The Liturgical Calendar differs from the Roman Calendar in a sense that the Liturgical Year that we observe begins with the season and not on first month of the year. In the Roman Calendar, the current year begins on January 1st. But on the Liturgical Calendar, tte Catholic Church’s year begins on the First Sunday of Advent and ends on the Solemnity of Christ the King. The Church is following the Liturgical Calendar in observance of the Conception (Advent), Birth (Christmas), Life (Ordinary time), Passion (Lent) Death (Triduum), Resurrection (Easter to Pentecost) and Reign (Christ the King) of our Lord.

The Liturgical year is used by the Catholic Church in terms of Celebration of the Liturgy, both in the Divine office and in the Eucharistic Celebration. Hence, wherever you are in the world, rest assured that the Catholic church, regardless of diocese is celebrating one and the same season and feasts — A universal oneness with all the Catholics in the world. Each Dioceses, Religious Orders and Countries have variations in the Liturgical Calendar in some feasts and solemnities.

2011 LENTEN SEASON – LITURGICAL CALENDAR

The annual Lenten Season is a fitting time to climb the holy mountain of easter. The Lenten season has a double character, namely to prepare both catechumens and faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery. The Catechumens, with the rite of election and scrutinies and by catechesis, are prepared for the celebration of the Sacraments of Christian initiation; the faithful, ever more atentive to the word of God and prayer, prepare themselves by penance for the renewal of their baptiismal promises.

MARCH 2011

9 Wed Ash Wednesday violet
Jl 2:12-18/2 Cor 5:20-6:2/Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Prop Pss

• Ash Wednesday is aday of universal fast and abstinence in the Church. Fasting is required from ages 18 to 60, and abstinence is from age 14.

10 Thu Thursday after Ash Wednesday violet
Dt 30:15-20/Lk 9:22-25 Pss IV

11 Fri Friday after Ash Wednesday violet
Is 58:1-9a/Mt 9:14-15

12 Sat Saturday after Ash Wednesday violet
Is 58:9b-14/Lk 5:27-32

13 SUN FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT violet
Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7/Rom 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19/Mt 4:1-11 Pss I

14 Mon Lenten Weekday violet
Lv 19:1-2, 11-18/Mt 25:31-46

15 Tue Lenten Weekday violet
Is 55:10-11/Mt 6:7-15

16 Wed Lenten Weekday violet
Jon 3:1-10/Lk 11:29-32

17 Thu Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint Patrick, bishop]
Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25/Mt 7:7-12

18 Fri Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop and doctor of the Church]
Ez 18:21-28/Mt 5:20-26

19 Sat Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary white
solemnity
2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16/Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22/Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2:41-51a Prop Pss

20 SUN SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT violet
Gn 12:1-4a/2 Tm 1:8b-10/Mt 17:1-9 Pss II

21 Mon Lenten Weekday violet
Dn 9:4b-10/Lk 6:36-38

22 Tue Lenten Weekday violet
Is 1:10, 16-20/Mt 23:1-12

23 Wed Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo, bishop]
Jer 18:18-20/Mt 20:17-28

24 Thu Lenten Weekday violet
Jer 17:5-10/Lk 16:19-31

25 Fri The Annunciation of the Lord white
solemnity
Is 7:10-14; 8:10/Heb 10:4-10/Lk 1:26-38 Prop Pss

26 Sat Lenten Weekday violet
Mi 7:14-15, 18-20/Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

27 SUN THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT violet
Ex 17:3-7/Rom 5:1-2, 5-8/Jn 4:5-42 or 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42 Pss III

28 Mon Lenten Weekday violet
2 Kgs 5:1-15b/Lk 4:24-30

29 Tue Lenten Weekday violet
Dn 3:25, 34-43/Mt 18:21-35

30 Wed Lenten Weekday violet
Dt 4:1, 5-9/Mt 5:17-19

31 Thu Lenten Weekday violet
Jer 7:23-28/Lk 11:14-23

APRIL 2011

1 Fri Lenten Weekday violet
Hos 14:2-10/Mk 12:28-34

2 Sat Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint Francis of Paola, hermit]
[Blessed Pedro Calungsod, Martyr]
Hos 6:1-6/Lk 18:9-14

3 SUN FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT violet/rose
1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a/Eph 5:8-14/Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38 (31) Pss IV

4 Mon Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint Isidore, bishop and doctor of the Church]
Is 65:17-21/Jn 4:43-54

5 Tue Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint Vincent Ferrer, priest]
Ez 47:1-9, 12/Jn 5:1-16

6 Wed Lenten Weekday violet
Is 49:8-15/Jn 5:17-30

7 Thu Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint John Baptist de la Salle, priest]
Ex 32:7-14/Jn 5:31-47

8 Fri Lenten Weekday violet
Wis 2:1a, 12-22/Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

9 Sat Lenten Weekday violet
Jer 11:18-20/Jn 7:40-53

10 SUN FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT violet
Ez 37:12-14/Rom 8:8-11/Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45 Pss I

11 Mon Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint Stanislaus, bishop and martyr]
Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62/Jn 8:1-11

12 Tue Lenten Weekday violet
Nm 21:4-9/Jn 8:21-30

13 Wed Lenten Weekday violet
[Saint Martin I, pope and martyr]
Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95/Jn 8:31-42

14 Thu Lenten Weekday violet
Gn 17:3-9/Jn 8:51-59

15 Fri Lenten Weekday violet
Jer 20:10-13/Jn 10:31-42

16 Sat Lenten Weekday violet
Ez 37:21-28/Jn 11:45-56

BEGINNING OF HOLY WEEK – In Holy Week the Church celebrates the mysteries of salvation accomplished by Christ in the last days of his earthly life, from his messianic eantry into Jerusalem, until his blessed Passion and Glorious Resurrection. Lent continues until Maundy Thursday. With evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday begins the Easter Triduum, which includes Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion and Holy Saturday, centeres upon the Easter Vigil and concludes with vespers on Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection. The Weekdays of this week are dedicated to the celebration of penance, abstaining from celebration of the sacraments of baptism (except in emergency) and confirmation, since these have their natural place in the easter vigil.

17 SUN PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION red
Mt 21:1-11 (37)/Is 50:4-7/Phil 2:6-11/Mt 26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54 Pss II

• Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, a day on which the Church enters upon the mystery of Death, Burial and Resurrection of her Lord, brings together the triumphant procession of Christ as King and the proclamation of his Passion.

18 Mon Monday of Holy Week violet
Is 42:1-7/Jn 12:1-11

19 Tue Tuesday of Holy Week violet
Is 49:1-6/Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

20 Wed Wednesday of Holy Week violet
Is 50:4-9a/Mt 26:14-25

EASTER TRIDUUM – Christ redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through his paschal mystery: dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life. Therefore, the Easter Triduum of the passion, burial and resurrection of Christ is the Culmination of the entire liturgical year. Thus the solemnity of Easter has the same kind of preeminence in the liturgical year that Sunday has in the week. The Easter Triduum begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with the evening prayer on Easter Sunday.

21 Thu Maundy Thursday violet/Mass:white
Chrism Mass: Is 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9/Rv 1:5-8/Lk 4:16-21
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14/1 Cor 11:23-26/Jn 13:1-15

22 Fri Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion red
Is 52:13-53:12/Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9/Jn 18:1-19:42 Prop Pss

23 Sat Black Saturday violet/Vigil:white
Vigil: Gn 1:1-2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a/Gn 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18/Ex 14:15-15:1/Is 54:5-14/Is 55:1-11/Bar 3:9-15, 32-4:4/Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28/Rom 6:3-11/Mt 28:1-10 Prop Pss

—END OF LENTEN SEASON