The Worship Committee meets periodically with the clergy to discuss, plan and prepare the liturgical events of our parish. We, at Saint Anne Parish take this responsibility very seriously. It is through Worship & Liturgy: what we pray, is what we believe, is how we live. Sunday, the ‘Lord’s Day’ is the principal day for the celebration of the Eucharist because it is the day of the Resurrection. It is the pre-eminent day of the liturgical assembly, the day of the Christian family, and the day of joy and rest from work. Sunday is ‘the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical year’ (SC 106).
Vestments add expression to the liturgical year
By Christina Lee Knauss (The Catholic Miscellany)
The beautiful, ornate vestments worn by priests are one of the most visual elements of the Mass. Different colors and decorations, often embroidered in rich, glimmering fabrics add to the mystery of the Eucharist, remind us of the season we are in, and enhance our experience of the celebration. Vestments signify the role the priest plays in the life of the Church. Bur how much do you know about those symbolic garments? All priests must wear three garments to celebrate Mass, according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM). What are the vestments called?
Alb – The alb is a white, long-sleeved garment that is cinched at the waist. It derives from the classic Roman tunic and its name comes from the Latin for white, albus, according to author Sarah Bailey in her book Sacred Vestments. This was one of the earliest garments adopted by Christians, primarily because of its similarity to much of the clothing that was worn in the first centuries of the church.
Stole – Evan writes that the stole, which is draped around the neck, has its origins in the Roman orarium, which was worn by people to designate their membership in certain organizations and rank within the group. Deacons in Eastern churches adopted the orarium as a vestment in the fourth century, and Western churches adopted in a little later. The term “stole” did not come into common use until the 12th century. By the 16th century, the stole was recognizable as a vestment worn by bishops, priests and deacons. Priests wear a stole around the neck and hanging in front of the chest.
Chasuble – This is a circular garment that reaches the hands and has an open neck. It is the most decorative item worn by the priest and is placed over the alb and stole. It evolved from long outer garments worn for travel during the later years of the Roman Empire, and started in a poncho-style known originally as a casula, or “little house” in Latin. The shape of the chasuble has evolved over the centuries.
The Worship Committee meets periodically with the clergy to discuss, plan and prepare the liturgical events of our parish. We, at Saint Anne Parish take this responsibility very seriously. It is through Worship & Liturgy: what we pray, is what we believe, is how we live. Sunday, the ‘Lord’s Day’ is the principal day for the celebration of the Eucharist because it is the day of the Resurrection. It is the pre-eminent day of the liturgical assembly, the day of the Christian family, and the day of joy and rest from work. Sunday is ‘the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical year’ (SC 106).
Vestments add expression to the liturgical year
By Christina Lee Knauss (The Catholic Miscellany)
The beautiful, ornate vestments worn by priests are one of the most visual elements of the Mass. Different colors and decorations, often embroidered in rich, glimmering fabrics add to the mystery of the Eucharist, remind us of the season we are in, and enhance our experience of the celebration. Vestments signify the role the priest plays in the life of the Church. Bur how much do you know about those symbolic garments? All priests must wear three garments to celebrate Mass, according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM). What are the vestments called?
Alb – The alb is a white, long-sleeved garment that is cinched at the waist. It derives from the classic Roman tunic and its name comes from the Latin for white, albus, according to author Sarah Bailey in her book Sacred Vestments. This was one of the earliest garments adopted by Christians, primarily because of its similarity to much of the clothing that was worn in the first centuries of the church.
Stole – Evan writes that the stole, which is draped around the neck, has its origins in the Roman orarium, which was worn by people to designate their membership in certain organizations and rank within the group. Deacons in Eastern churches adopted the orarium as a vestment in the fourth century, and Western churches adopted in a little later. The term “stole” did not come into common use until the 12th century. By the 16th century, the stole was recognizable as a vestment worn by bishops, priests and deacons. Priests wear a stole around the neck and hanging in front of the chest.
Chasuble – This is a circular garment that reaches the hands and has an open neck. It is the most decorative item worn by the priest and is placed over the alb and stole. It evolved from long outer garments worn for travel during the later years of the Roman Empire, and started in a poncho-style known originally as a casula, or “little house” in Latin. The shape of the chasuble has evolved over the centuries.
Vestments Colors
An immediately recognizable element in divine worship is the use of differing colors. From vestments to altar cloths, the Liturgy uses color to reflect God’s glory and our own human dispositions. The very first thing God created was light. The light spectrum able to be seen consists of seven basic colors further divisible into thousands of shades. In a way, each color reflects the almighty’s power to create and sustain the multi-faceted universe in seven intervals. After Noah’s flood, the rainbow was revealed as a reminder that clouds would never again destroy all mortal beings. Both Ezekiel and St. John see rainbows surrounding God’s throne in their visions of heaven. The melding of rich colors, not easily obtained in the biblical milieu, showed the power of the almighty God. In fact, empirical science now says there are more colors in a single rainbow than there are stars in the sky! All 100 million discernible rainbow colors are variants of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet, although Isaac Newton added orange and indigo as bridges between red-yellow and blue-violet. Each of these colors have meaning in the Scriptures.
Red is associated with life-blood in Genesis and Jesus’ New Covenant in Matthew while yellow, or gold symbolizes what is most precious and strong. From Genesis to Luke, green means life and eternity whereas blue stipulates wealth and Heaven itself. Violet was extracted from a rare shellfish and so it became a symbol of royalty in the Book of Judges. White, as a combination of all colors in the light spectrum, was equated with purity, joy and glory. It is thought that for the first centuries white and gold were the only liturgical colors used. What better colors to make present the purity and glory of the precious King of Kings! Yet, since the rainbow multiplicity of colors was associated with God’s might and dwelling place, other hues were inserted into Christian worship as believers celebrate God’s favor in Christ and His power to bring life from death actualized in bread and wine. Liturgically, red took the meaning of Christ’s burning charity and the generosity of the martyrs who died like Him. Green reflected eternal life in Christ. Violet showed Christ as Universal King and the disciple’s imitation of His self-denial at specific times. Black was used for funerals because of its Biblical association with mourning and blue was used in some places for Mary and/or Advent, by whom and when the wealth of heaven came to earth. Rose became employable at the mid-point of Advent and Lent. It showed how the heavenly light of the Nativity and the resurrection begins to dawn in the midst of self-denial. All of these colors, even black, may still be used in the Liturgy today. Culturally, colored ribbons and bracelets are used to raise awareness for troops, those suffering from illnesses and even political causes. Liturgically, colors are used to elicit awareness of the almighty God, who continues to favor creation with His saving power.
According to the General Instruction (#345), different colors are worn “to give more effective expression . . . whether to the specific character of the mysteries of the faith to be celebrated or to a sense of Christian life’s passage through the liturgical year.”
WHITE – White, as a combination of all colors in the light spectrum, is equated with purity, joy and glory. It is used during Christmas, Easter, the feast of the Holy Trinity, and celebrations of Mary and saints who were not martyrs. White can also be worn on All Saints, Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and feasts of St. John the Evangelist, Chair of St. Peter and Conversion of St. Paul. It is sometimes worn at funerals.
RED – On Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost, celebrations of the Passion, and for saints who were martyrs.
GREEN – During Ordinary Time.
VIOLET or PURPLE – Violet was extracted from a rare shellfish and so it became a symbol of royalty in the Book of Judges. It is used during Advent or Lent seasons.
ROSE – The 3rd Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, and the 4th Sunday of Lent, or Laetare Sunday.
GOLD or SILVER – In United States dioceses, these can be worn on solemn occasions.
BLUE – Blue vestments are not generally approved. On Marian feast days or at Masses dedicated to Mary, priest may wear white vestments with blue trim or ornamentation.
Liturgical Calendar
Each year, the Secretariat of Divine Worship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops publishes the Liturgical Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America. This calendar is used by authors of ordines and other liturgical aids published to foster the celebration of the liturgy in our country.
The calendar is based upon the General Roman Calendar, promulgated by Pope Paul VI on February 14, 1969, subsequently amended by Pope John Paul II, and the Proper Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America, approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and confirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Prot. n. 578/10/L, July 24, 2010).
The USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship has prepared 2017 edition of the Liturgical Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America. The calendar lists each day’s celebration, rank, liturgical color, Lectionary citations, and Psalter cycle (for the Liturgy of the Hours).
Liturgical Seasons
Advent
Human beings cannot live without hope. Unlike the animals, we are blessed – or cursed – with the ability to think about the future and to fear our actions to shaping it. So essential is this to human life, that human beings cannot live without hope, without something to live for, without something to look forward to. To be without hope, to have nothing to live for, is to surrender to death in despair. But we can find all sorts of things to live for and we we can hope for almost anything: for some measure of success or security or for the realization of some more or less modest ambition, for our children, that they might be saved from our mistakes and sufferings and find a better life than we have known; for a better world, throwing ourselves into politics or medicine or technology so that future generations might be better off. Not all these forms of hope are selfish; indeed, they have given dignity and purpose to the lives of countless generations.
But one of the reasons why we read the Old Testament during Advent is to learn what to hope for. The people of the Old Testament had the courage to hope for big things; that the desert would be turned into fertile land; that their scattered and divided people would eventually be gathered again; that the blind would see, the deaf hear, the lame walk; that only their own people, but all the peoples of the earth, would be united in the blessings of everlasting peace. Clearly, their hopes were no different from ours or from any human being’s lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, and end to suffering, pain and misery.
Thus we hope for the same things as the Old Testament peoples, for their hopes are not yet realized. But we differ from them in two ways. First, the coming of Jesus in history, as a partial fulfillment of God’s promises, immeasurably confirms and strengthens our hope. Secondly, we differ from the Old Testament people because Jesus has revealed to us that God is not afar off, but is already in our midst. Hence the importance in the Advent liturgy of John the Baptist and of Mary: because they recognized the new situation, they serve as models for the Church in discerning the presence of our Savior in the world.
Taken from “The Spirit of Advent,” Mark Searle, in Assembly, Volume 7:1, Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, Notre Dame, IN
Advent Season
The Advent season is the beginning of the liturgical year. It is four weeks of preparing our hearts for the coming of the Savior who will bring healing, hope for peace on earth, and joy to the world. Although we may begin to feel the expectation of Christmas, we start by pausing to contemplate in silence and prayer what we hope for and what is to come – the birth of a King who leads us to salvation. We long for the coming of the Messiah, the Prince of Peace.
What does the word “Advent” means?
“Advent” refers to “the coming of Christ into the world” or to “the liturgical period preceding Christmas.” It may also refer to the “Second Coming” of Christ, the “Advent of the Lord.” The word is derived from the Latin adventus (“arrival, approach”), made up of the preposition ad- (“to, towards”), the verbal root ven- (from venire, “to come”), and the suffix -tus (indicating verbal action).
What is an Advent Wreath?
The Advent Wreath represents the long time when people lived in spiritual darkness, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the world. Each year in Advent people wait once again in darkness for the coming of the Lord, His historical coming in the mystery of Bethlehem, His final coming at the end of time, and His special coming in every moment of grace. It is traditionally made of some type or mixture of evergreens, symbolizing the continuation of life in the middle of the cold and dark winter (in the northerly latitudes, at least). Advent wreaths traditionally include three purple/violet candles and on pink/rose-colored candle, which are arranged evenly around the wreath.
Christmas
The Christmas Season extends from Christmas Eve through the Baptism of the Lord. It is a season of joy and celebration involving many symbols and traditions.
Feasts and memorials are celebrated during the Christmas Season, some closely related to the biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth and some martyrs. Some of these are celebrated on fixed dates on the calendar, others are always on Sundays, and thus have movable dates.
December 26 – The Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr
December 27 – The Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
December 28 – The Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
December 29 – St. Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr
December 31 – St. Sylvester I, pope
Sunday after December 25 – The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph (transferred to Dec. 30 if the Sunday is Jan. 1)
January 1 – The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God (always on New Year’s Day, the Octave Day of Christmas, which takes precedence over the Feast of the Holy Family)
January 2 – Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church
January 3 – Holy Name of Jesus
January 4 – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
January 5 – St. John Neumann, bishop;
January 6 or the Sunday after January 1 – The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (traditionally Jan. 6; but in some countries, such as the USA, it is now transferred to the first Sunday after New Year’s Day)
January 7 – St. Raymond of Peñafort, priest
Ordinary Time
Ordinary Time is the liturgical period that does not fall within the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter, and runs 34 weeks. The Catholic Church celebrates two periods of the year as Ordinary Time. The first period runs from the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord until the Tuesday evening before Ash Wednesday. The Second period of Ordinary Time runs from the Monday after Pentecost until the night before Advent begins. This includes Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday of Ordinary Time.
In Latin, Ordinary Time is called Tempus Per Annum, which means “time throughout the year”. Many sources, online and in print, suggest that Ordinary Time is derived from the word ordinal, meaning “numbered,” since the Sundays of Ordinary Time are ordered numerically.
With the vestments, usually green, the color of hope and growth, the Church counts the thirty-four Sundays of Ordinary Time, inviting all of us to meditate upon the whole mystery of Christ – his life, miracles and teachings – in the light of his Resurrection. During Ordinary Time the faithful must descend the peaks of Easter and Christmas in order to mature in the spiritual life and increase in faith.
Lent
Lent Season and Holy Triduum
Stations of the Cross
Fridays during Lent at 3:00pm in the church.
Fish Fry Fridays
Fridays during Lent from 5:00pm – 7:00 pm in the Cafeteria.
Reconciliation
Saturdays, 4:30pm – 5:15pm.
Check the Bulletin for all day long Confession Day.
Current Church Regulations on Fasting and Abstinence
- Fasting is required of all Catholics age 18-59 only two days each year: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
- On these days only one full meal is allowed, with two smaller meals as needed.
- Eating solid food between meals is not allowed.
- Abstinence from meat is required of all Catholics over age 14 on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
- In the United States, the bishops have asked Catholics over the age of 14 to abstain from meat on all Fridays of Lent, as well.
- These regulations are considered to be a serious obligation for all Catholics. However, those who are ill, pregnant, on medication or special diets for health concerns, or those who must work at extremely physical jobs may be exempt from these regulations.
Lent Resources
Pope Francis’ Lenten Message
Fast and Abstinence
Lenten Prayer
Stations of the Cross
Parish Penance/Reconciliation
Reconciliation opportunity all day long from 7:30am to 8:30pm. There will be two priest during morning and afternoon. Other priests will be available after 6:00pm.
Palm Sunday of The Lord’s Passion
5:30pm (Vigil), 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am, 12:30pm (Spanish)
The Sacred Paschal Triduum
Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord’s Supper – 7:00pm
There is no 7:00am daily Mass
Good Friday
Divine Mercy Stations of the Cross followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet in the church –3:00pm
Living Stations of the Cross out side of the church – 5:00pm. Parishioners are invited to take part in this prayerful celebration beginning in the parking lot and ending up in the soccer field.
The Passion of the Lord Celebration – 7:00pm
Holy Saturday
Preparation Rites for Catechumens at 10am followed by Easter Food Basket blessing in the Gathering Space at 11am
The Easter Vigil – 8pm