Topic: Divine Office
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine
Office or the Work of God (Opus Dei), is the daily prayer
of the Church, marking the hours of each day and
sanctifying the day with prayer.
The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of
Christ, using scripture and prayer.
At times the dialogue is between the Church or
individual soul; and at times it is even between the
Church and God; at times it is a dialogue among the
members of the world.
The two most important or hinge Hours are Morning
and Evening Prayer.
The Gospel canticle acts as a kind of meditative
extension of the scriptural proclamation in light of the
Christ event.
The five hours of the Divine Office
• Office Reading
• Morning Prayer
• Daytime Prayer
• Evening Prayer
• Night Prayer
OFFICE READINGS
 The office of readings seeks to provide God's
people, and in particular those consecrated to
God in a special way, with a wider selection of
passages from sacred Scripture for meditation,
together with the finest excerpts from spiritual
writers.
MORNING PRAYER
 It is said in the morning so that the first stirrings
of our mind and will may be consecrated to God
and that we may take nothing in hand until we
have been gladdened by the thought of God
DAYTIME PRAYER
 Following a very ancient tradition Christians
have made a practice of praying out of private
devotion at various times of the day, even in
the course of their work, in imitation of the
Church in apostolic times.
EVENING PRAYER
 When evening approaches and the day is
already far spent, evening prayer is celebrated
in order that we may give thanks for what has
been given us, or what we have done well,
during the day.
NIGHT PRAYER
 Night prayer is the last prayer of the day, said
before retiring, even if that is after midnight.
"Ordinary of the Liturgy of the Hours" - the overall
structure of the various periods of prayer, from the
Introductory Dialogue to the Concluding Prayer and
Blessing, with various sequences of Hymns, Psalms,
Canticles, Antiphons, Readings, Responses, and Prayers
in between.
"Four-Week Psalter" - the arrangement of the biblical
Psalms and Canticles this is used on most days and
weeks throughout the Liturgical Year.
"Proper of Seasons" - texts that are used in the various
"seasons" of the liturgical year, from Advent and
Christmas, to Lent and Easter.
"Proper of Saints" - special texts used only on the more
important feast days of the Lord Jesus, the Blessed
Virgin Mary, or other Saints.
"Commons" - additional texts that could be used,
mostly on an optional basis, on the feasts and
memorials of lesser-known saints.
Topic: LITURGICAL YEAR
The Liturgical Calendar begins every year during the
month of November on the First Sunday of Advent and
runs through to the Solemnity of Christ the King.
The liturgical year is the temporal structure within
which the Church celebrates the holy mysteries of
Christ: "From the Incarnation and the Nativity to the
Ascension, to Pentecost and to the wait in joyful hope
for the Lord's coming".
"During the liturgical year, 'the celebration of the
Paschal Mystery [...] is the most privileged moment in
the daily, weekly and annual celebration of Christian
worship'.
The Liturgical Calendar is a tool that kindles the hearts
of Catholics so that they will remember God’s
marvelous plan of salvation that was accomplished
through the birth, life, death and rising of Christ
LITURGICAL CYCLE
The Liturgical Calendar follows a three year cycle, each
year being represented by the letters, A, B and C.
During the year A cycle, the Gospel of Matthew is the
primary Gospel that is used for the readings. In year B,
Mark is the primary Gospel. In year C Luke is the
primary Gospel. The Gospel of John is proclaimed on
particular Sundays in each of the years.
On weekdays in Ordinary Time, there is a 2 year cycle
numbered I and II. Year I is read in odd number years
such as 2005, 2007, 2009. Year II is read in even years After the celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of the
such as 2006, 2008, 2010. Lord, Ordinary Time begins.

Ordinary does not mean plain. The name comes from

ADVENT
Advent begins the Sunday closest to the feast of St.
Andrew, which is November 30th.
Four weeks of preparation before the celebration of
Jesus' birth
The liturgical colors of Advent are Purple and Rose, with
Rose being used only on the third Sunday of Advent.
“ordinalis” meaning "showing order, denoting an order
of succession.”
Ordinary Time after the Baptism focuses on the early
life and childhood of Christ, and then on His public
ministry
The liturgical color of Ordinary Time is green; however,
as in all seasons, other appropriate colors are worn on
particular feast days.

Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from,

"ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season
encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading
up to the celebration of Christmas.
The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs
our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the
end of time
LENT
The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and
lasts until the final Saturday before Easter, Holy
Saturday.
Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which
means "spring.“

The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the

CHRISTMAS
wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and
The Christmas season begins with the celebration of the preparing to begin his ministry.
birth of Jesus, Christmas day, or as a vigil on Christmas
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for
Eve.
the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and
The Feast of Christmas lasts 12 days, until Epiphany. reflection.
However, the time from Epiphany until the Baptism of
In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new
the Lord is also included in the Christmas season.
converts for baptism.
It is recalling the Nativity of Jesus Christ and his
Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God,
manifestation to the peoples of the world.
often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and
It is the feast of the incarnation, the feast of God give of themselves for others.
becoming flesh (the Latin "in carne" means
PASCHAL TRIDUUM
"enfleshment").
the holiest "Three Days" of the Church's year, where the
It is a uniquely Christian teaching, the Divine choosing
Christian people recall the suffering, death, and
to become one of us. Because of this belief,God is not
resurrection of Jesus.
only Transcendent, but also wholly Immanent,
Emmanuel (God-with-us). LENT

The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum

—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of
ORDINARY TIME
Easter Sunday.
Divided into two sections (one span of 4-8 weeks after
The single celebration of the Triduum marks the end of
Christmas Time and another lasting about six months
the Lenten season, and leads to the Mass of the
after Easter Time), wherein the faithful consider the
Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil.
fullness of Jesus' teachings and works among his
people. The liturgical services that take place during the
Triduum are:
The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time take us
through the life of Christ. This is the time of conversion. • Mass of the Lord's Supper
This is living the life of Christ.
• Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a
• Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord
time in which the mystery of Christ is called to
penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things
are finally caught up in Christ.
EASTER

50 days of joyful celebration of the Lord's resurrection

from the dead and his sending forth of the Holy Spirit

The Easter Vigil is the "Mother of All Vigils. "Easter

Sunday, then, is the greatest of all Sundays, and Easter
Time is the most important of all liturgical times.

Easter is the celebration of the Lord's resurrection from

the dead, culminating in his Ascension to the Father and
sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.

There are 50 days of Easter from the first Sunday to

Pentecost.

The word "Easter" comes from Old English, meaning

simply the "East." The sun which rises in the East,
bringing light, warmth and hope, is a symbol for the
Christian of the rising Christ, who is the true Light of the
world.

The Paschal Candle is a central symbol of this divine

light, which is Christ. It is kept near the ambo
throughout Easter Time, and lit for all liturgical
celebrations.