1. The Christian Liturgical Year
Primary Bibliography for Notes:
Bradshaw, Paul F. and Maxwell E. Johnson. The Origins of Feasts, Fasts and Seasons in Early Christianity. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2011.
Talley, Thomas J. The Origins of the Liturgical Year. Second Edition. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1986.
The Christian Liturgical Year
Marie Olson Purcell

2. Two Cycles: Temporale and Sanctorale
The Liturgical Year
Fixed Festivals
Dates are constant, may fall on any day of the week
Examples:
Ch ristmas – December 25
Epiphany – January 6
Festivals of Saints
Anniversaries
Moveable Feasts
Dates vary each year but always fall on the same day of the week
Examples:
Easter
Pentecost
Ash Wednesday
Two Cycles: Temporale and Sanctorale

3. Temporale Cycle
Proper of Time/Proper of Seasons

4. Advent Christmas Epiphany Lent Easter Ordinary Time

5. Origins of Easter Quartodecimans The extension of the Vigil
“Fourteeners”
The extension of the Vigil
Fasting to cockcrow, ~3:00 a.m. (on Sunday)
Shifting Calendars
Separation from Jewish synagogue
Culture which uses Julian solar calendar
14 Nisan = March 25, coincidently Julian Spring Equinox
Easter becomes linked with Full Moon after Spring Equinox
Development of Triduum
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil/Easter Morning
Quartodecimans – Most 20th century scholars agree that very early Christians tended to celebrate the Pascha on the 14th of Nisan the same date as the beginning of Passover; beginning with a fast at the time the Jesus would have been crucified. The celebration would have been focused on remembrance and mourning of his death. Only later did the tradition shift toward Sunday with an emphasis instead on his resurrection.
One challenge of the celebration being tied to the 14th of Nisan is that these new Christians were beholden to their Jewish neighbors to share with them the date.
The Quartodeciman celebrations decline with the supersession of “a celebration held in the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Day” happened.
Extension of Vigil:
Fasting to cockcrow not necessarily connected with Peter’s betrayal. Perhaps important to have Christian celebration extend past the Jewish celebration of Passover; something important about the hour before dawn (Talley, 6)
14 Nisan means an acceptance of The Gospel of John’s chronology – Where Jesus eats the Passover meal just prior to his crucifixion and he is crucified at the same time as the Passover lambs are being slaughtered
Transition Happened…
In Asia – around the first part of the 3rd Century
In Syriac-speaking regions lasted another century; Council of Nicea in 325 “legislated that all Christians should keep the feast on Sunday” (Bradshaw and Johnson, 47)
“Growing agreement from middle of the third century onwards that Easter should be celebrated on the Sunday following the Jewish Passover.” (57)
Shifting Calendar:
Still a calendrical problem of calculation; science of astronomy less exact resulting in various dates and tables
Earliest table, reported by Eusebius, done by 3rd century Bishop Hippolytus (shows computation understanding 14 Nisan to relate to March 25)
Tertullian seems to have made the same computation.
After Council of Nicaea, Emperor Constantine “directed that all churches were to keep the feast on the same day.” (59)
4th & 5th centuries; focus on March 25th but as date of resurrection instead of passion. Significance to spring equinox; “first day of creation and day of new creation represented by the resurrection” (Talley, 11)
Celebration of Pascha to Sunday…shift of focus from death to the resurrection. Friday & Saturday then are just preparatory fast days.

6. Maundy Thursday Triduum begins in evening of Thursday
Institution of Eucharist
Reenactment of Jesus’ washing the disciples' feet
A new commandment (John 13:34)
Mandatum novum
Maundy

7. Reenactment of Washing Disciples Feet

8. Stripping of the Altar – Psalm 22
Note the color of Red for this Episcopal Church; while purple has been used in continuation of the season of Lent through Holy Week, red is also appropriate for Holy Week to symbolize the blood of Christ

9. Good Friday
Began with veneration of remnant of the cross in Jerusalem; veneration of the cross symbolically
Many churches have services which focus on Jesus’ words on the cross
Many churches also have Tenebrae (“Darkness”) services; candles are extinguished one by one to recall Jesus’ sufferings

10. Stations of the Cross Via Dolorosa – The way of suffering
Egeria – 4th Century Pilgrim to the Holy Land, whose detailed records of her pilgrimage have been very informative to learning about early practices
Her records show an early attempt to pray in spots associated with Jesus’ last journey of suffering to death.
“Although this long stational vigil was obviously intended to commemorate significant points in the Passion narrative in the very places where they were believed to have happened, it is to be noted that no attempt was made to replicate every detail of the story. The procession through the city did not seek to imitate exactly the route taken by Jesus…” (Bradshaw and Johnson, )
More liturgical style, Kenneth Stevenson labelled as “rememorative” (Bradshaw and Johnson, )

11. Easter Vigil
Early 4th century evening worship practice of lighting an evening lamp; Easter Vigil in particular begins practice of lighting the Paschal Candle
Western traditions begin vigil with the light; Eastern traditions end with the dramatic climax of the light
Western:
Begins with a Fire, the new Paschal Candle is lit
The light symbolizing the life of Christ renewed.
Readings about the promises of God through the scriptures.
Some churches simply read, some attempt to have creative readings of the scriptures to enliven the long service.
Some churches serve champagne instead of wine for communion to symbolize the extreme high point & festivity of the church year.

12. Miracle of the Holy Fire
Dramatic Climax to the Easter Vigil in Eastern Orthodox tradition
Greek Orthodox Patriarch, only one that can oversee the service

14. Easter Sunday Sunrise Services Flowers, especially Lilies
White and Gold
Empty Cross
Empty Tomb
Traditional Easter Greeting
“He is Risen!” “He is Risen Indeed!”
Lilies – plant that blooms out of a blub (a blub seems lifeless, dormant, and out of it comes new life)

15. Lent
40 days
Symbolic of Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the wilderness
Does not include Sundays
6 weeks – Sundays = 36 days
Therefore, Lent begins on a Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
40 days became basically universal after Nicaea, though varying ways of calculating; whether they included Sundays or not, whether they included Holy Week or were even prior, etc.
“However Lent came to be calculated…it is clear that this ‘40 days’ was understood eventually as a time for the final preparation of catechumens for Easter baptism, for the preparation of those undergoing public penance for reconciliation on or before Easter…and for the pre-paschal preparation of the whole Christian community in general.” (Bradshaw & Johnson, 110)
“Only in the late fifth century and beyond, when infant initiation comes to replace that of adult, thus effectively bringing about the extinction of the catechumenate, and when the system of public penance is replaced by the form of repeatable individual confession and absolution, do the 40 days then take on the sole character of preparation of the faithful for the events of Holy Week and the celebration of Easter.” (Bradshaw & Johnson, 111)

16. Easter Baptisms
Prior to Nicaea, preference for paschal baptism local custom
Catechumenate fasting practices
Preferable on Easter
Dying with Christ and being raised to new life
Joyous coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
Baptisms at other times permissible, should not be delayed
Tertullian of North Africa
Baptism on Easter preferable because:
*baptisms on Sunday
*two days fasting prior to baptism
*fasting on Saturday prohibited
*joyful period of Pentecost well suited to follow baptisms
Traditions: Baptism belonged to the seasons of Easter and Pentecost because of the celebration of being baptized into Christ’s death and raised to new life and the coming of the Holy Spirit. (Bradshaw & Johnson, 83)
“Augustine knew Easter and Pentecost as regular baptismal occasions, but also acknowledged the existence of baptismal celebrations at other times in the year.” (Bradshaw & Johnson, 83)
“Siricius admitted that infants and those in danger of dying were not to wait until one of the two occasions but should be baptized with all haste…” (83)
In Eastern traditions:
Gregory of Nazianzus…sermon in 381…”rejects excuses made by catechumens that they want to wait for Epiphany, Easter or Pentecost to be baptized on the grounds that it was better to be baptized close to the baptism of Christ…Gregory himself recommends them not to delay their baptism and thereby avoid the risk of dying unbaptized…reveals that not only was Epiphany an established occasion for baptism in Cappadocia…but there was no limitation on baptism at any time in the year.” (84)
“In conclusion…it seems very probable that prior to the middle of the fourth century preference for paschal baptism was merely a local custom of the Roman and North African churches…it looks as though baptism at Easter was never the normative practice in Christian antiquity that many have assumed.” (86)

17. Pentecost
Early on referred to 50 days of Pentecost which would have celebrated the resurrection rather than simply one day
Gift of the Spirit in Constantinople, Rome, Milan and Spain
Ascension celebrated on 50th day by some, gradually moves to the 40th day
Different ways to calculating; but 50 days after Passover would have been the Festival of Booths – possible that this is what gathered the Apostles together again.
Often a fitting time for baptisms, some churches celebrate confirmation on Pentecost. Confirmation (affirmation of Baptism)
Acts 2 – the coming of the Holy Spirit; tongues of fire; each begin to proclaim God’s glory in new languages
Customs: celebrating global Christianity; reminders…procession with flags, speaking parts of the liturgy in different languages, color is red

18. Origins of Christmas on December 25
Two Theories
Earliest evidence for December 25, Chronograph of 354
History of Religions hypothesis
Re-appropriate pagan holiday or alternative
Julian calendar observed winter solstice on same date
Computation hypothesis
If death on March 25, Conception also on March 25, 9 months later his birth must be on December 25
Chronograph of 354:
A collection of civil and religious chronologies; lists of consuls of the city of Rome, Roman bishops in order of the dates they died, anniversaries of martyrs.
“The list of martyrs begins with the notation of the birth of Christ on December 25.” (Bradshaw & Johnson, 123)
So as early as the 4th century Christ’s birth was being celebrated on December 25 in Rome.
Why that date?
History of Religions hypothesis:
Christians re-appropriated a pagan holiday; or they wanted to offer an alternative
Some argue that the pagan feast INFLUENCED the choice of the date but not that Christians adopted it
Problem? There also existed a feast on January 6
Computation hypothesis:
Christ died on March 25; assumed that he lived a whole number of years; Annunciation/conception also on March 25
Early widespread celebrations seemed to have happened on January 6. Over time the date moved to celebrate the birth on December 25.
John 1 – The word in the beginning, deeply rooted in December 25 celebration just as the Lukan account

19. Christmas Customs Most popular Christian celebration
Stresses the importance of the Incarnation
Focus on the Lukan Narrative
Christmas Tree
Chrismons
Greenery
Poinsettias
Advent Wreath
Chrismons – Greek letters; signs of symbols of Christ
Greenery – cedar associated with royalty; pine and fir associated with ever-living; poinsettias red for passion
Advent Wreath:
4 candles for each week of preparation
White Candle for Christmas Day
Some traditions use a Rose/Pink candle for the third week to represent joy
Purple pictured here; some liturgical reforms have shifted this color to Blue for Advent

20. Epiphany Eastern January 6 Commemorates Jesus’ baptism/birth Western
Sunday between January 2 and 8
Associated with visit from Magi
12 Days of Christmas between Christmas Day and Epiphany
Baptism of our Lord is celebrated in the West on the Sunday AFTER the Epiphany.
Again…two Theories:
History of Religions hypothesis
replacement feast or Christianization of pagan festivals
Likely…those near January 6 in Egypt – Egyptian celebration of the birth of the god Aion
Calculation Hypothesis
Christians in Asia Minor did the same computation for Pascha …ended up on a different date
Therefore, instead of 14th Nisan being on March 25, they got April 6
Therefore, the same computation based on whole number of years and 9 months from conception to birth computes to January 6 instead of December 25
Emphasis of Celebration:
January 6: Epiphany – Birth of Christ and Baptism of Christ, perhaps understanding baptism to BE about new birth
Additionally…could be based more on the Gospel of Mark rather than having that Lukan account
Early – “Jesus’ ‘birth’ and baptism in Egypt were seen together…as essentially one event” (Bradshaw & Johnson, 141)
Eastern:
Eventually accept December 25 as birth (perhaps in part because of the Arian controversy and wanting to downgrade an adoptionist view…needing to emphasize instead the incarnation)
Epiphany in the East then centers on the Baptism of Jesus
Western:
Baptism of Jesus doesn’t get the centerpiece on Epiphany but instead the Visit of the Magi; in part a stress on the reach out to Gentiles
Baptism of Jesus still celebrated but usually on the following Sunday
Gregorian Calendar shift instituted at Council of Trent – about an 11 day difference between Julian and Gregorian
Eastern Orthodox did not convert to Gregorian Calendar for Religion
Therefore, Eastern Orthodox Christmas may appear to fall on a different date
But, even Eastern Orthodox still recognized the fixed date of December 25
So, even if different date than Western Calendar, according to their calendar Christmas still falls on the 25th day of the 12th month
Two Theories:
History of Religions Hypothesis
Computation Hypothesis

21. Sanctoral Cycle

22. United States Conference of Bishops: On the harmony between the two cycles
“The mystery of Christ, unfolded through the cycle of the year, calls us to live his mystery in our own lives. This call is best illustrated in the lives of Mary and the saints, celebrated by the Church throughout the year. There is no tension between the mystery of Christ and the celebration of the saints, but rather a marvelous harmony. The Blessed Virgin Mary is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son, and the feasts of all the saints proclaim the wonderful works of Christ in his servants and offer the faithful fitting examples for their imitation. In the feasts of Mary and of the saints, the Paschal Mystery of Christ is proclaimed and renewed.”

23. Early Beginnings of Sanctoral Cycle
History of Early church better understood through the development of ‘popular’ practices and beliefs associated with the cult of martyrs and saints
Chronograph 354
Practices
Local gathering at martyr’s tomb on anniversary of death
Eucharist, with the dead
Picture taken from Bradshaw and Johnson page 176.

24. Saints Coming up: October 31: All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween)
November 1: All Saints Day
November 2: All Souls Day
Dia de los Muertos
(Oct. 31-Nov. 2)