ORDINARY TIME

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time begins with the Monday that immediately follows the Baptism of the Lord. It ends on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. During this part of the Liturgical Calendar, all the Sundays are numbered consecutively. During this time frame, the Liturgy of the Word is devoted to the mysteries surrounding the life of Christ. Ordinary Time is the liturgical period outside of the other liturgical seasons, and runs 33 or 34 weeks.

Presentation of the Lord (February 2nd)

The Presentation of the Lord Jesus at the Temple falls on February 2nd and celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. The feast celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th day after His birth.

Annunciation of the Lord (March 25th)

The Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. The Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord is celebrated on March 25th, nine full months before Christmas, the ceremonial birthday of Jesus.

Corpus Christi Sunday

The Feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ), also known as Corpus Domini, celebrates the tradition and belief in the body and blood of Jesus Christ and his Real Presence in the Eucharist.

Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus celebrates Jesus Christ's physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus goes back at least to the 11th century making it one of the most widely practiced and well-known Roman Catholic devotions.

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29th)

The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul is a liturgical feast day in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and is observed on June 29th. According to tradition, the date selected is believed to be either the anniversary of their death or of the translation of their relics.

Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6th)

The Transfiguration of the Lord is a feast that commemorates the transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, when He appeared in His divine glory before the Apostles Peter, James, and John.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15th)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated every year on August 15th and commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven. Because it signifies the Blessed Virgin's passing into eternal life, it is the most important of all Marian feasts and a Holy Day of Obligation.

Triumph of the Cross (September 14th)

One symbol most often identified with Jesus Christ is the cross. The Triumph of the Cross is celebrated every year on September 14th and celebrates three historical events: the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena; the dedication of churches built by Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary; and the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by the emperor Heraclius II. The feast also celebrates the Holy Cross as the instrument of our salvation.

Feast of St. Jude and St. Simon (October 28th)

The Church celebrates the feast of St. Jude and St. Simon on October 28th. St. Jude and St. Simon names’ occur together in the Canon of the Mass. They both preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia where it is said they had both been sent, but we know nothing for certain about them beyond their roles as Apostles in the New Testament. St. Jude is the author of a short Epistle which forms part of the New Testament.

All Saints' Day (November 1st)

All Saints' Day is a solemnity celebrated on November 1st in honor of all the saints, known and unknown. The liturgical celebration begins at Vespers on the evening of October 31st and ends at the close of November 1st. All Saints' Day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. The liturgical color is white on All Saints' Day.

All Souls' Day (November 2nd)

All Souls' Day is a day of prayer for the dead, particularly one's relatives. The celebration is associated with the doctrine that the souls of the faithful who at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to venial sins and from attachment to mortal sins cannot immediately attain the beatific vision in heaven, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the Mass. The official name of the celebration in the Roman Rite liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church is "The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed." Another popular name is Feast of All Souls'. In some other languages the celebration is known as Day of the Dead.

Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica (November 9th)

The feast celebrates the Dedication of the St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome, the oldest and highest ranking of the four major basilicas in Rome. The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome. The Basilica is also called the Church of Holy Savior or the Church of St. John Baptist. In ancient Rome this was the church where everyone was baptized. It is the oldest church in the West, built in the time of Constantine and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324.

Christ the King

Christ the King Sunday celebrates the all-embracing authority of Christ as King and Lord of the cosmos. Officially called the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, it is celebrated on the final Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Sunday before Advent. The Feast of Christ the King is a relatively recent addition to the western liturgical calendar, having been instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI.

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (December 8th)

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception celebrates Mary's conception without sin. It is a uniquely Catholic celebration. It is universally celebrated on December 8th, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary, which is celebrated on September 8th. It is one of the most important Marian feasts celebrated in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Holy Family

The Feast of the Holy Family celebrates the human family unit, as well as the ultimate family unit: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The feast, not a solemnity, is usually celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas. If Christmas is a Sunday, then the feast is celebrated on December 30th. The Feast honors Jesus of Nazareth, his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his foster father, Saint Joseph, as a family. The primary purpose of this feast is to present the Holy Family as a model for Christian families.

St. Joseph (May 1st)

The Feast of St. Joseph honors the foster-father of Jesus. He is the patron saint of fathers, families, workers, and the Church. His main celebration falls on March 19th. St. Joseph the Worker is celebrated on May 1st.

St. Anthony of Padua (June 13th)

Saint Anthony of Padua was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195, into a noble and religious family. Saint Anthony was a profound theologian. Many miracles have been attributed to Saint Anthony, most of them taking place in Padua. Saint Anthony of Padua is venerated today as one of the greatest Franciscan Saints. He is typically depicted with a book and the Infant Child Jesus, to whom He miraculously appeared, and is commonly referred to today as the "finder of lost articles."