The Episcopal Church observes the seasonal telling of our foundational narrative of God working through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. These seasons and their meanings are an important rhythm of our spiritual life and are one of the many reasons that a complete representation of the Faith requires regular attendance all year around. The church year is anchored in time on the days of Christmas and of Easter each year, and begins with Advent.
Advent is a season of hopeful anticipation of God’s breaking into our world and our time. It is composed of four Sundays prior to Christmas Day, beginning around the first of December. Liturgical colors are used for vestments and altar decoration (frontals) to mark the seasons and to symbolize the themes. The color used for Advent is either purple or blue. The liturgies of Advent are characterized by a sense of the majesty of the God for whom we wait. We often use an Advent Wreath of five candles, lighting one more each week, to mark the time of waiting.
Christmas is the season when we proclaim the unique nature of our God-that God does not stand aloof from us, but fully enters into our lives. The first liturgy of Christmas is the Eve of (prior to) that day; other liturgies are offered earlier that afternoon and on Christmas morning. The season of Christmas lasts for 12 days, beginning on Dec. 25 and ending on the 12th night, or January 5. The color used in Christmas liturgies is white, symbolizing purity, joy and hope.
The third season of the church year is Epiphany. The word means making God manifest. It is the church’s response to God’s Christmas. The primary theme is baptism, beginning with the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. This season begins on the Day of the Epiphany and lasts until Ash Wednesday at the beginning of Lent. The number of weeks depends on the date of Easter Day, which is a function of the date of the spring equinox. The liturgical color used on vestments is generally green, representing the green things of God’s earth and referring to growth of the spirit of God within us.
Our seasonal observance of Christ’s sacrifice is Lent. It begins with the ashes of Ash Wednesday at the dark end of winter. (The word Lent means, literally, springtime.) Lent is 40 days long (not counting Sundays, which are always feast days) reflecting the 40 days of rain for Noah, the 40 years of schooling of the people, Israel, in the Exodus, and the 40 days of testing of Jesus in the wilderness after his baptism in the Jordan River. Liturgies during Lent are subdued, introspective, and penitential in nature, often beginning in silence and with the general confession of the people. The color used is deep purple, signifying penitence and the mood of Lent.
At the end of Lent is Holy Week. It begins on Palm Sunday and ends at the first Alleluia of Easter in the midst of the Great Vigil on Saturday night. The queen of all the liturgies of the church is the Great Vigil and first Eucharist of Easter. Easter begins with that first Alleluia at the Great Vigil, continues through the festive Eucharists of the Day of Resurrection, and ends 50 days later on the Day of Pentecost. During this season, the liturgical color is white and liturgies are uplifting and joyful. The General Confession is not used during the first weeks. God has turned us full circle: from the ash heap of our lives of Ash Wednesday into the fullness of life and joy. God does, indeed, have the final word.
The season called the Season after Pentecost ( or Ordinary Time) is that time in the church year when we react to the story of salvation proclaimed in the preceding cycle of seasons. The color used is green, symbolizing growth – growth of the grass and trees, growth of crops, growth of the church, growth of Christians together in the fellowship of faith.
The last Sunday of the Season after Pentecost is often called the Christ the King Sunday. It is a day of triumph of God. After that we begin the cycle all over again with Advent, once again waiting for God to work His miracles in our hearts.
-Parts of the above are reprinted with permission of Saint James Episcopal Church, Monkton, Maryland
