1. History and Theology

2. Christmastide in Roman Rite 25 December [Christmas] = winter solstice festival / Feast of the Unconquered Sun –Vigil of Christmas = Matthew 1:1-25 –Christmas Midnight = Luke 2:1-4 [Mary Major] –Christmas Dawn = Luke 2:15-20 [St. Anastasia / Papal Chapel] –Christmas Day = John 1:1-18 [Lateran]

3. January 1 –Mary, Mother of God –Octave of Christmas –Circumcision of Jesus –Holy Name of Jesus –World Day of Prayer for Peace

4. January 6 = Epiphany –Manifestation to the Gentiles = Visit of the Magi (or transferred to Sunday) –Manifestation as Son of God = Baptism of the Lord (1 st Sunday of the Year, All Cycles) –Manifestation as Fulfillment of History = Wedding Feast at Cana (2 nd Sunday of the Year, Cycle A)

5. Sundays after Christmas –Feast of the Holy Family [20 th C CE] –Second Sunday after Christmas

6. December 8 = Preliminary Incarnational Feast = Immaculate Conception –8 th C CE = Feast of St. Anne’s Conception of Mary (East) –9 th C CE = beginning at Naples spreads to West (focus on God’s favor to St. Anne) –1854 = dogma –Patronal feast of the USA February 2 = Feast of the Purification of Mary / Presentation of the Lord / Hypapante –14 February = Jerusalem (4 th C CE) –2 February = Rome (Sergius 8 th C CE): stational feast [Hadrian  Mary Major –Spread through West as penitential [cf. St. Blaise]

7. Octave of Christmas –26 December: Stephen, Protomartyr –27 December: Holy Innocents –28 December: John the Evangelist –29 December: Brotherly love and light within us / Light enlightening the nations –30 December: Doing God’s will / Witness of Anna –31 December: Anointed in Christ with all knowledge / Word made flesh

8. Advent in Roman Rite History Roman Culture = Saturnalia Ember Days (W, F, SAT) in December –W = Isaiah 2:1-5; 7:10-15 –TH = Isaiah 11:1-5 –SAT = Isaiah 19:20-22; 35:1-7; 40:9-11; 42:1- 9; 45:1-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8

9. Würzburg Lectionary (c. 602 CE) –Epistles First Sunday = Romans 13:11-14 Second Sunday = Jeremiah 23:5-8 Third Sunday = Romans 15:4-13 Fourth Sunday = 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Fifth Sunday = Philippians 4:4-7 Sixth Sunday = Vacat

10. Würzburg Evangeliary –First Sunday = John 6:5-14 –Second Sunday = Matthew 21:1-9 –Third Sunday = Luke 21:25-33 –Fourth Sunday = Matthew 11:2-10 –Fifth Sunday = John 1:19-28

11. Murbach Lectionary –Five Sundays of Advent w/ Wednesday and Friday weekday readings added in 1 st – 3 rd weeks, Ember days in 4 th week

12. Missale Romanum 1570 Lectionary Four Sundays of Advent with Readings for Ember W, F, SAT in the third week

13. Advent Post-Vatican II Two Themes (N.B. Prefaces): –The Eschaton –The Birth of Christ Sunday Readings (Years A, B, C) –First Sunday: Vigilant Waiting for the Parousia –Second Sunday: John the Baptizer: Prepare the Way of the Lord –Third Sunday: Transitional Sunday (Gaudete) –Fourth Sunday: Mary: Awaiting the Incarnation

14. Weekday Readings –Pre-December 17: Proper Readings for each day / Shared Weekday formularies Post-December 17 –Dec 17: O Wisdom –Dec 18: O sacred Lord of ancient Israel –Dec 19: O Flower of Jesse’s stem –Dec 20: O Key of David –Dec 21: O Radiant Dawn –Dec 22: O King of all nations –Dec 23: O Emmanuel