When we begin a new calendar year we start a cycle that recalls different parts of our life throughout that calendar year. Think of birthdays and anniversaries as examples of this. We also begin a new cycle of celebrating events that are important to us as a people of a community. Think of Independence Day or Memorial Day as examples of this type of celebration. These days are not forgotten because they are important to us either as an individual or as part of a larger community.
Today is the first day of a new year in the Catholic Church. It is the beginning of the new liturgical year. The cycle of recalling the events of God interacting with his people will begin anew. The Church will also use the liturgical year as an opportunity to help us reach our desire of eternal salvation. One of the first things you will notice in the new liturgical year is a change in the Sunday Gospel reading. The Church is now in Cycle B. The Gospel readings for the Sunday Masses of the new liturgical year will be from the Gospel of Saint Mark and chapter 6 of the Gospel of John. The Gospel cycle gives us the opportunity to hear all four Gospels over three years. This spacing allows us to grow in our understanding of the Gospel message as we grow spiritually and intellectually in our own life. The liturgical calendar is different from a calendar year in that it is more than just a way to mark the passing of time. It also helps us to better understand and live our faith.
A calendar year can mark the passing of time by season; winter, summer, fall and spring. The Church liturgical calendar also marks the passing of time through seasons. The seasons of the Liturgical calendar are Lent, Sacred P aschal Triduum, Easter, Ordinary Time, Christmas and the season we are beginning today, Advent. Each season points us to a very special event that happens in the life of the Church. Just as the changing cycle of the Gospel readings help us grow in our faith, so too does the liturgical season help us prepare, appreciate and understand the events that take place in the Church.
The liturgical year always begins with the season of Advent. It is a time of preparation. The Advent season focuses on the both the birth of Christ and his second coming. In the first reading of today’s Mass we hear the Israelites calling out to God. They are in exile and are praying for God to reveal himself to them. The Israelites are asking God to come to their aid. In the Advent season we too are awaiting the coming of Jesus. Open yourself up to the beauty of the Advent season. Participate in all the events the Cathedral is offering. Expand your prayer life. Remove yourself from that what separates you from God. Become what the Israelites pray; “clay in the Father’s hand.”
