Hebrew Catholic Liturgical Year

Hebrew Catholic Liturgical Year
Let us begin with the sign of the Cross in Hebrew:
B'shem haAv In the name of the Father v'haBen and of the Son v'Ruach haKodesh and of the Holy Spirit Elohim echod. Amen one God, Amen.
May the Holy Spirit, Ruach haKodesh, direct you as you dip into the rich well of tradition which we have as Hebrew Catholics.

Unlike pagan religions which see time as an endless cycle, Christians see time as being linear. It has a beginning and will have an end. Within Christianity's linear, "big picture sense of time, the passing of hours is experienced as cycles of meditations on holy things Think of a spiral of a circle of time moving ever forward toward His Coming.

God, in His Wisdom, provided very tangible and memorable ways for the children of Israel to pass on their faith to their children, to ensure the continuation of the Jewish people as a nation, and to teach them and others His ways. The feasts and holidays which punctuate the Hebrew year provide opportunities to celebrate communally, to hear and proclaim God's Word, to relive lessons in Jewish history, and to echo messages of hope and consolation through the generations.

Leviticus 23 lists seven feasts, the main holidays of the Jewish calendar. In addition, there are two other holidays commemorating victories over enemies of the Jews. The Queen of all feasts, the Sabbath, is the culmination and high point of every week in the Jewish household. For each of these holy days there are distinctive prayers, songs, foods and activities - a multisensory experience - involving all members of the family.

As Hebrew Catholics, we can recognize this same teaching technique in the parables of Jesus and the Sacraments which He initiated. Bread and wine, water and oil, incense and candles, prayers and songs are all rich and integral parts of Catholic liturgy and tradition. By celebrating the Hebrew feasts in light of Catholic truth, we can pass on to our children the great heritage of Faith, the wonder of God's actions in the history of His people, and the enduring promise of salvation through Yeshua haMashiach.

This study is a means of incorporating Jewish traditions into our families cycle of celebrations. We find that some of the holidays are more popular than others. Sometimes we are too busy to do more than mention the holidays in our prayer times. But over the years our sense of Jewishness will grow, as well as our appreciation for the Jewish roots of Catholicism. This brief summary of feasts and traditions offers an opportunity to inspire us to develop our own family expressions of our Hebrew Catholic faith.

Rosh haShonah October 4 & 5, 2005 During the Jewish New Year, the greeting, "L'shanah tovah tikosevu" (May you be inscribed for a good year), is often seen on greeting cards. On Rosh Hasho-nah (the Head of the Year), also known as the "Feast of Trumpets", it is believed that God judges each one and decides his fate for the coming year. It opens with the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn) at the synagogue. Two days of prayers and synagogue services begin the festivities. At home, eating apples dipped in honey is supposed to ensure a sweet year.

Rosh haShonah For the Hebrew Catholic, Rosh Hashonah is an opportunity to send New Year's cards to Jewish friends and relatives as a sign of our continued loyalty to and prayers for our Jewish brethren. We invite guests to dinner to share in our prayers for the nation of Israel and all the children of Abraham.

Yom Kippur October 13, 2005
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the day when God's judgment is believed to be sealed for the coming year. The ten days between Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur are called the Days of Penitence. It is a time to repent of and to correct those things we have done wrong, especially to our neighbor, and to ask God's forgiveness. For everyone thirteen years and older, Yom Kippur is a day of fasting. Fasting encourages humility and repentance, disciplines the body and clarifies the mind as we examine our conduct and thoughts. In the synagogue, the ancient Kol Nidre (Absolution of All Vows) is chanted and confession of sins as commanded in Leviticus 26:40 is made. At home, memorial candles are lit for members of the family who have died. The Mourner's Kaddish and final blowing of the Shofar conclude the day.

Yom Kippur Hebrew Catholics may continue to keep Yom Kippur as a day of fasting and repentance, not for themselves but for the Jewish people, especially those who have turned away from God. We may light candles and have Masses offered for departed relatives. It is the only holiday that makes itself known by the absence of food and festivities. We offer our prayers as we conclude the fast at the evening meal.

Succoth October 18-23, 2005 The Feast of Booths, two weeks after Rosh Hashonah, commemorates the wandering of the Jews in the wilderness for forty years before entering the Promised Land. Families build simple, temporary shelters decorated with fruits of the autumn harvest. Meals are often served in these "booths" for the six days of the festival. In the days of Temple worship, there was the pouring of water from the Pool of Siloam, symbolizing the prayers for winter rains. At this time, in John 7:37-38, Jesus declared, "...If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink."

Succoth We celebrate the feast as one of harvest and thanksgiving. A large bowl or basket with various produce from the garden is our centerpiece. Candles are lit and prayers of thanksgiving are offered during the six days of the feast.

Purim March 25,2005 The Feast of Lots, also called the Feast of Esther, occurs in late winter and celebrates the liberation of the Jews of Persia from destruction at the hands of the proud and wicked Haman, Prime Minister under King Xerxes. It is a wonderful tale of intrigue, loyalty and royal trappings that children and adults enjoy acting out. Costumes can range from draped sheets and towel turbans to actual robes and harem veils. As the story, or Megilla, is read and dramatized, the audience is supplied with a variety of noisemakers which are used to drown out the name and words of Haman. Traditional foods such as hamantashen (pastry in the shape of Haman's hat) are eaten and alms or gifts for the poor are distributed.

Purim We can try to gather enough people together to act out or read aloud the story of Esther, Mordecai, Haman and the King. The children prepare costumes and noisemakers in the preceding days. (a string of metal nuts or washers in a tin can is a loud one) The performance is followed by serving refreshments, including hamantashen.

Passover April 24 May 1, 2005
The most well-known and elaborate of the Jewish feasts, Pesach commemorates the miraculous exodus of the Jewish people from the land of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. It is also a springtime celebration, provoking a flurry of cleaning in the traditional Jewish home as the mother removes all trace of leaven and prepares for the Seder, the ritual Passover meal. Passover includes the weeklong Feast of Unleavened Bread when particular foods are prohibited while other symbolic foods are eaten. The Hagaddah, a collection of scripture readings, prayers, rabbinical commentaries, songs and poetry is the guide for the Seder and sets the tone for the entire eight days. The Feast of First Fruits, which occurs during Passover, was a feast of thanksgiving in biblical times for the first grain of the season.

Passover
With its direct association with Easter, Passover is a very special holiday in the Hebrew Catholic family. It is also a time of spring cleaning, a culmination of our Lenten purifications. We can invite guests to our seders so they can see for themselves the origins of the Mass. Our family prefers to use a traditional Jewish Hagaddah for the Seder, commenting frequently on the significance of many of the prayers and Messianic symbols and prophecies. We enjoy preparing the special foods: charoseth, bitter herbs, roasted eggs, etc. We made our own Matzoh Tash with three compartments for the three matzohs used during the Seder, a clear symbol of the Trinity. And we have plenty of matzoh, matzoh brei (fried matzoh), knoedlech (matzoh balls) and sponge cake (with matzoh flour). Recipes are available in any Jewish cookbook.

Shavuoth June 13-14, 2005 The Feast of Weeks, occurring fifty days after Passover, commemorates two things: thanksgiving for the grain harvest and for the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. Coming seven weeks from the second day of Pesach (First Fruits), Shavuoth is a time for reading the Book of Ruth, for eating dairy foods and fresh bread. In the Old Testament, the priests offered two loaves made from the newly harvested grain.

Shavuoth It was on Shavuoth that the Holy Spirit fell on the Apostles and the Church was born, the Christian feast of Pentecost. For Catholics this is a glorious time to celebrate the establishment of the Church and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. A meal of potato or cheese blintzes, lighting candles and singing songs such as "Come, Holy Ghost" are appropriate and joyful ways to mark this feast.

Hanukkah December 26 January 2, 2005 The Feast of Lights or the Feast of Dedication marks the victory of Judah of Maccabee over the Syrian and Greek armies of 167 B.C. The story of the profanation of the Temple and its subsequent cleansing and rededication is retold, with particular emphasis on the miracle of the oil. In restoring the Temple, Judah needed pure olive oil for the "eternal light" which burned continuously. He was unable to find enough oil for more than one day's burning; however, the lamp continued to burn for eight days until more oil could be obtained.

Hanukkah In Jewish homes, candles set in a special menorah are lit for the eight days of Hanukkah: one on the first night, two on the second and so on until eight lights are glowing on the last night. Celebrations include singing songs, spinning tops called dreidels, and playing games. Foods fried in oil, commonly potato pancakes for Jews of European descent, are traditionally served.

Hanukkah Hanukkah is one of our favorite celebrations. We send homemade cards and gifts to Jewish friends and relatives. We light the Hanukkah candles - each child taking turns during the eight nights - and sing: On this night, Let us light, One (or two or three...) little candle fire. 'Tis a sight, Oh so bright, One little candle fire. We invite friends for potato pancakes and retell the exciting story of Judah Maccabee's victory. The boys especially like dressing up as warriors.

Sabbath If anything has distinguished the Jew from the gentile for centuries it has been his dedication to the Sabbath as commanded by God in Exodus 20 (one of the Ten Commandments).
In various cultures and times, the ways of keeping the Sabbath varied in detail but not in essence. It is a day of resting from labor and honoring God. All housecleaning and meal preparation are done before sundown of Sabbath eve (Friday night) at which time the woman of the home chants the centuries old Sabbath prayers before flickering candles. The meal begins with blessings over wine and bread (challah, a rich egg dough) and continues as a feast to conclude the ordinary work week.
The Sabbath is the soul of the Jew for it is a foretaste of the Eternal Sabbath each child of God longs to spend with the Creator. The Sabbath is called the Queen who helps prepare the Jews for their King and His heavenly Kingdom.

Sabbath As Hebrew Catholics we observe the Sabbath on the Lord's Day, Sunday.
On Saturday evening, I light the Sabbath candles as I remember my mother doing. My head covered and my hands over my eyes, I recite the blessing, adding a prayer of thanksgiving for Yeshua, the Light who has come into the world. A prayer over the wine is invoked. The one cup is held by a guest at the table who gives thanks for a particular blessing received that week. After sipping from the cup, he passes it to the next guest and the ritual is repeated around the table. A prayer over the bread is next. The bread is broken, passed around and eaten.
The Sabbath celebration is a simple yet effective way to bridge the Old Testament with the New Testament. Our children can clearly see, week after week, that Christianity is rooted in Judaism and it is the same God who commands, forgives and blesses.
The Catholic Liturgical Year The Catholic "liturgical year" is made special by celebrations commemorating the lives of Jesus and His mother, the angels, and the legion of Saints who lived their faith.
Below are 25 Feasts and times, in chronological order, that demonstrate how the liturgical year is a reliving of the life of Christ:
Advent He is coming Nativity He comes Circumcision He follows Old Testament Law Epiphany He reveals Himself as God Holy Family He grows up in a human family Candlemas Simeon's prophecy Septuagesima We are in exile without Christ Ash Wed. Without Christ, we are dust Lent Christ is in the Desert Passion Sun. Jews make plans to kill Jesus 7 Sorrows Mary's suffers at what is to come Palm Sun. He triumphantly enters Jerusalem Spy Wed. Jesus is betrayed by Judas Maundy Thu. He offers the first Holy Mass Good Friday He is put to death and fulfills Old Testament Law Holy Sa. Easter Ascension Pentecost Trinity Sun. He is in the tomb He is risen He ascends into Heaven He sends the Holy Ghost The Most Holy Trinity has been fully revealed Assumption Mary is assumed into Heaven & crowned Queen Christ the King We recognize Christ's Kingship now and forever All Saints We will triumph as have our heroic Saints All Souls We pray for those who are awaiting their triumph Last Sun. in Time Apocalypse. He will come after Pentecost to judge the world.
Every single year, aware Catholics "re-live" the Gospel, from Christ's Incarnation and Birth to His Ascension and Heavenly reign.
In Spring He enters the world by coming to rest in Mary's immaculate womb Nine months later, in Winter, He is born, circumcized, and given a Name. He is raised in the Holy Family, and meets His cousin, John. He goes into the Desert and we go with Him during our Lenten Season. Then follow His Passion and Agony, which are soon vanquished by His Resurrection, His Ascension, and the Pentecost. Now He reigns forever, and we await His Second Coming as we prepare to celebrate again His First Coming.
The cycle begins again, like a wheel that's been spinning for two millenia.
The Catholic who is aware of this wheel is necessarily aware of Christ

The Catholic who also celebrates the Feasts well and practices the traditions of the Church lives intimately with Him.
All of the Church's Feasts fall into one of the 2 main "liturgical cycles" made of 7 "liturgical seasons." Each of the Seasons has an associated mood, its own "feeling in the air," its own scents and ornaments.
There is even for each Season an associated color which will be reflected in the priests' vestments and liturgical art, church decoration, and so on (though on certain Holy Days within a particular season, that Day's color will take precedence over the season's color).
There is a definite rhythm to Catholic life

A rhythm expressed well in this poem by Robert Herrick (1591-1674):
Ceremonies for Candlemas Eve
Down with the rosemary and bays, Down with the misletoe; Instead of holly, now up-raise The greener box (for show). The holly hitherto did sway; Let box now domineer Until the dancing Easter day, Or Easter's eve appear.
Then youthful box which now hath grace Your houses to renew; Grown old, surrender must his place Unto the crisped yew.
When yew is out, then birch comes in, And many flowers beside; Both of a fresh and fragrant kin To honor Whitsuntide. Green rushes, then, and sweetest bents, With cooler oaken boughs, Come in for comely ornaments To re-adorn the house. Thus times do shift; each thing his turn does hold; New things succeed, as former things grow old.
Here's an overview of the two liturgical cycles and their seven seasons -- those times that "do shift". Cycle I: The Christmas Cycle Season 1: Advent
The liturgical year begins with this season, which lasts from the first Sunday of Advent ("Advent Sunday") to sundown on 24 December. The word "Advent" comes from the Latin "advenire" which means "arrival" and is our awaiting the arrival of Christ's birth at Christ's Mass (Christmas) and His Second Coming. Its mood is one of somber, penitential expectation. Its color is violet. (22 - 28 calendar days)
Cycle I: The Christmas Cycle Season 2: Christmastide

This season lasts from sundown on 24 December to 13 January. It's the celebration of Christ's Incarnation, the mood is of humble, grateful, joyous celebration. Its color is white 19 days).
Season 3: Time After Epiphany

This season lasts from 14 January to the vigil of Septuagesima Sunday (the ninth Sunday before Easter, which is the same as 3 Sundays before Ash Wednesday). Its season's focus is Jesus' manifestation of Himself as God during His public ministry. Its color is green (4 - 38 calendar days).
Cycle 2: The Easter Cycle Season 4: Septuagesima

This Season lasts from Septuagesima Sunday to Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday). Its name means "Seventy," and recalls the Babylonian Exile. It is a time of preparation for Lent (16 calendar days).
This season, also called "Quadraegesima," meaning "Forty," is a somber, penitential Season lasting from Ash Wednesday to the Thursday before Easter. (46 calendar days)
Cycle 2: The Easter Cycle Season 5: Lent (Quadragesima)
It recalls Christ's 40 days in the desert, and the Israelites' wandering in the desert for 40 years. "Passiontide" is the last two weeks of Lent, from Passion Sunday (the 5th Sunday of Lent) the day before Palm Sunday, The second week of Passiontide is called "Holy Week." The last three days of Holy Week -- i.e., Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday -- are called the Sacred Triduum. Its color is violet.
Per the everyday calendar, Lent lasts 40 days + the six Sundays, but the Sundays aren't counted as "Lent" because Sundays are always about the Resurrection and are joyous.
Cycle 2: The Easter Cycle Season 6: Paschaltide (Eastertide) The Easter season lasts from the Easter Vigil to the day before Trinity Sunday (the Sunday after Pentecost). (56 calendar days, not counting Easter Vigil) Because it contains the two greatest Feasts of the Church -- Easter Sunday and Pentecost -- the mood is joyous and victorious. Its color is white.
Cycle 2: The Easter Cycle Season 7: Time After Pentecost This season lasts from Trinity Sunday to the day before Advent Sunday. This Season's focus is the Holy Spirit in the Millennium, the Church Age that we now live in, and Christ's Reign as King of Kings -- the time between the Age of the Apostles and the Age to Come. Its color is green.
"Overlaid" on this grid of Seasons are two sets of dates:

The Proper of Saints (also called the Sanctoral cycle) The Proper of Saints are Feast Days which are not movable, that is, they fall on the same date each year. Proper of Seasons (also called the Temporal cycle). The Proper of Seasons are those Sundays and other Feasts of the year, whose dates of celebration depend on the dates of Easter Sunday and Advent Sunday and are, therefore, movable (they change each year).
In other words, to imagine the liturgical year:

Imagine a regular, standard, everyday calendar Mentally overlay on that the Proper of the Saints, filling in each day of the regular calendar with the names of the Feasts for each day, the dates of which don't change -- e.g., January 21 will always be the Feast of St. Agnes, February 3 will always be the Feast of St. Blaise, etc. Then determine the dates of the Proper of Seasons and overlay that on top of the Proper of Saints.
To determine the dates of the Proper of Seasons:

Mark the Season of Easter:
First, we determine the date of Easter, which will be the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21 (even if the full moon on or after March 21 falls on a Sunday, go to the Sunday after). The Vigil of this Feast marks the beginning of Eastertide.
Mark the Season of Time after Pentecost:

Counting Easter as "one," count 9 Sundays forward from Easter and mark that Sunday as the beginning of Time After Pentecost. A Sunday of this Season is referred to as "(First, Second, Third, etc). Sunday after Pentecost."

Mark the Season of Septuagesima:
Counting Easter as "one," count 10 Sundays back from Easter and mark that day as the beginning of Septuagesima. The three Sundays of this Season are referred to, respectively, as Septuagesima Sunday, Sexagesima Sunday, and Quinquagesima Sunday.
Mark the Season of Lent:

Counting Septuagesima Sunday as "one," count 3 Sundays forward from Septuagesima Sunday, then go to the following Wednesday and mark that Wednesday as "Ash Wednesday," the beginning of Lent. A Sunday in this Season is referred to as "(First, Second, Third, etc). Sunday of Lent."

Mark the Season of Advent:
Then, starting with the date of Christmas (always December 25), we count back 4 Sundays to mark Advent Sunday (if Christmas is a Sunday, don't count it; count back 4 entire Sundays so that there are 4 Sundays in Advent). This date marks the beginning of Advent. A Sunday in this Season is referred to as "(First, Second, Third, etc.) Sunday of Advent."
Mark the Season of Christmas:

Mark the Vigil of December 25 as the beginning of Christmastide
Mark the Season of Time after Epiphany:

Mark January 14 as the beginning of Time After Epiphany. A Sunday of this Season is referred to as "(Second, Third, etc.) Sunday after Epiphany." Note, the first Sunday of this Season is the "Second Sunday after Epiphany," the "after Epiphany" referring to the Feast of the Epiphany, not to the Season. Then refer to the Temporal Cycle page to fill in any movable Feasts whose dates depend on the date of Easter or Advent Sunday as determined above.

The only things left to do are: to mark the "Octaves": Octaves are 8-day periods of observance, beginning with the Feast day itself. Not all Feasts have "Octaves"; only the most important ones do. So, starting with the Feast Day itself, counting it as "one," mark 8 days of the following Feasts as "Octaves": Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Then mark the octave before Christmas Eve as "The Golden Nights."

The only things left to do are: to mark Ember Days: o the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) are the days of Advent Embertide o the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the First Sunday of Lent are known as Lenten Embertide o the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost Sunday make up Whit Embertide o the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14 September). Note that these Ember Days must come a full week after the Holy Cross Day.

Now, each of the Sundays of a Season has its own "Propers" -- prayers that are specific to that day in the liturgy (the Divine Office and the Mass). Each of the Feasts in the Proper of Saints will also have its own Propers. So, because the Feasts in the Proper of Saints and the Proper of the Seasons can sometime overlap with two Feasts falling on the same day, all Feasts are ranked according to their importance. The higher ranking Feast will be the one celebrated.

Feasts fall into one of a few categories, in descending order of precedence 1:
1st Class 2nd Class 3rd Class Commemoration
When two Feasts of the same rank fall on the same day, they are ranked further by whether they relate to (in descending order of preference):
Our Lord Our Lady the Holy Angels St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, St. Peter, St. Paul, the other Apostles Martyrs Other Saints
Holy Days of Obligation

In addition to each Sunday, there are a handful of Holy Days of Obligation on which we must attend Mass. These Holy Days differ from country to country: Circumcision Ascension Assumption All Saints Immaculate Conception Christmas Epiphany Corpus Christi SS Peter & Paul
Other days a family might want to mark on their home calendars are: the family's Name Days" the First Friday of each month for devotions to the Sacred Heart the First Saturday of each month for devotions to the Immaculate Heart the anniversaries of loved ones' deaths so we remember to have Masses said for them, and light candles, fast, and pray for them

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Hebrew Catholic Liturgical Year

Let us begin with the sign of the Cross in Hebrew: