The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-16
LITURGICAL YEAR.
interesting Information for Members
of the Catholic Faith.

Of the Catholic Faith.
The Julian calendar was given the
world by julius Caesar in the year Is
B. c. Its calculations. however, we're
not accurate, and In 1882 it was re-
formed by Pope Gregory MIL, says the
Rev. j. C. Carr, in "The Victorian"
The Gregorian calendar was intro
duced into England and her colonies
in 1852, and now with some notable
exceptions. PRUSSIA and the Greek
church,, is adopted throughout the
world. But together with this calen-
dar the Church from time inmemorial
used q. Liturgical calendar whose di-
visions or seasons are dedicated in a
very special way to the honor and
glory Of God.
There are three seasons in tho Litur-
gical year--a season dedicated to the
goodness or special gift OF each Of the
three persons In the Holy Trinity. The
first season begins with the first Sun
day of Advent, and ends with the Sat-
urday before Septuagesima Sunday.
The second season opens on Septua-
gesima Sunday and ends with Assem-
sion Thursday.
The third season begins on the eve
or Ascension Thursday and ends on
tho Saturday before the first Sunday
Of Advent.
These seasons as celebrated in tho
Church have the same character
istics Bach begins with ~ time of ex-
pectation and preparation, each is
crowned by q feast commemora ting "a
special divine blessing; each ends with
q time when the Church invites her
children to live in the fruition Of the
particular gift.
Thus the first season begins with the
time OF Advent. The four weeks Of
this time commemorate the four thou
sand years Approximately during
which the world waited for the fulfill
ment of God tho Fathers promise of
the seed" which would crush the
head Of the serpent (Gen. iii: $50. The
Church during this time uses purple
vestments--the symbol OF penance--.
and in her Sunday gospels and Iitur-
gies is like the voice Of one CRYING in
the desert: prepare we the way Of the
Lord. make straight His paths" Luc.
iii: 81; and urges all to bring forth
fruit worthy Of penance" (Mat. III: 81.
Tho season is crowned by tho feast Of
Christmas when in spirit men see once
more the Gift of the Father 90. iii:
16) reposing meek and beautiful in
the arms of the Virgin Mother. The
Church on this day clothes herself in
garments of gIadness and joins with
the angelic choirs singing. GLORY to
God in the highest and on earth peace
to men Of good will" huc. II: 14). For
some time she invites us to live with
the newborn Saviour. The feasts o.:
the tire are---thc Circumcision, Jan.
1: the visit Of the three Kings, Jan. 6:
the presentation Of the Divine Child
in the Temple, Feb. 2.
The second season begins with Sep
tuagesinln Sunday or seventy days
before Easter. The seventy days are
in memory of the seventy years Of. the
Babylonian captivity. Some of the
early Christians began the lenten fasts
on septuagesima Sunday, but the
Church at present begins the Ienten
fast on Ash Wednesday, forty days
(sundays excluded) before Easter, in
honor Of the forty days Christ tasted
before He began His public mission.
After the sadness and gloom Of Good
Friday breaks the dawn of Easter, an
ticipated even on Holy Saturday by
the chanting Of the "Exultet." the
blessing Of the Paschal Candle, and
the baptizins Of the neophytes. On
Easter Sunday morning the Church