Saint Michael the Archangel Parish

21 Manning St

Hudson, MA 01749

Liturgical Year 
of the Catholic Church

 In the Liturgical Year, the Church celebrates the whole mystery of Christ from the Incarnation until the day of Pentecost and the expectation of Christ's second coming.

What are the Liturgical Year and Seasons of the Church?


The calendar that guides the liturgies and prayers of the Church is called the Liturgical Year.   In the Liturgical Year, the Church celebrates the whole mystery of Christ from the Incarnation until the day of Pentecost and the expectation of Christ's second coming. 


The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum which is from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday.

The presence of the Risen Lord and his saving work permeates the entire Liturgical Year. 


The Liturgical Year includes:

When does each new Liturgical Year start?

The Liturgical Year commences on the First Sunday of Advent and ends with the celebration of Christ the King.

In the Catholic Church, the year is divided into liturgical seasons based on significant events in the life and earthly ministry of Jesus Christ as well as the great Mysteries of our Faith. The Church Year, as it is called, begins with Advent, which is celebrated as four weeks of preparation before Christmas.


Catholics are called to live liturgically by actually entering into the Church year. Such an approach to life and worship is not simply about re-enacting the great events of Salvation history - or what is called the "Paschal Mystery", the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Rather, it is an invitation to all the baptized, living their lives now in the Church which is the Body of Christ and thus to enter into the deeper meaning of our faith; to experience our Salvation as an ongoing process as we cooperate with grace and allow the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead, to change us from within, making us more like Him.


Beginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the Resurrection fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance.  Gradually on either side of this source, the year is transfigured by the liturgy. It really is a "year of the Lord's favor".(Luke 4:19)

-Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1168

  • ORDINARY TIME: WEEKS 8-34

    Ordinary Time is a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply in history until all things are finally caught up in Christ.

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