Liturgy for Advent-Christmas-Lent
While the world is celebrating Christmas from
November onwards, the Church waits till the Sunday before Christmas to use a
Christmas story Gospel on Sunday. After Christmas the present liturgy sometimes
has Jesus a boy (Holy Family), then back to a baby (Epiphany), then an adult
(Baptism), then back to a baby (Presentation).
Some suggestions for a more chronological (& therefore more understandable)
liturgy:
| Sunday | Feast | Comment |
| 1st Sunday of Advent | Saint Nicholas, Santa Sunday! | He was a bishop, (that's why Santa wears red & white), he helped the poor; let's reclaim him and make Advent/Christmas a time for helping the poor, a time for giving rather than receiving |
| 2nd Sunday of Advent | Annunciation Sunday | As on March 25: Many Catholics have never heard the Gospel of Luke 1.26 at Sunday Mass |
| 3rd Sunday of Advent | Visitation Sunday | It was the baby Baptist who recognized Jesus' womb presence, not the Jordan John. Mary's cousin caring continues the theme of giving rather than receiving |
| 4th Sunday of Advent | Emmanuel Sunday | Matthew 1.18, with Just Joseph in the background |
| Dec 24 & 25 | Christmas | Use the same Birth Gospel, Luke 2.1, for all Masses. Otherwise only people who attend Midnight Mass ever hear it |
| Sunday after Christmas | The Word Sunday | John 1.1 - highlighting the Divinity of Jesus |
| Following Sunday | The Presentation | As on Feb 2: this didn't happen after Jesus was baptised (..as present chronology has it...) |
| Following Sunday | The Epiphany | Same as at present (... a good example of the same important Gospel each year...) |
| Following Sunday | Womb Life & Refugee Sunday | Matthew 2.13:
Flight to Egypt (many people have never heard this Gospel on a Sunday...an ideal day for
promoting compassion/care for Refugees) + Baby killings (.. abortion/right to life...) |
| Following Sunday | Holy Family Sunday | Always using Luke 2.41, Jesus in the Temple |
| Following Sunday | John the Baptist | "Prepare ye the way" Jordan John (..should be here, before Jesus' Baptism, not before his Birth!) |
| Following Sunday | The Baptism of Jesus | All womb/baby/child Gospels done, now he can be an adult! |
| Following Sunday | Ash Sunday | Only a small percentage of Sunday Mass Catholics now receive ashes, because getting to Mass on a weekday is so difficult. So, transfer this most important and meaningful day to Sunday - just like Ascension, Corpus Christi etc |
| Following 4/5/6 Sundays | Passion Sundays | Use the Passion Gospel over several weeks. For the evangelists, it was the most important part of their writing. But we use the story only on Passion/Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Keep whole story on Good Friday |
| Following Sunday | Palm Sunday | Just the Palm Gospel. One Mass, one theme |
| Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday, Easter Season - as at present | ||
+ Four Sundays of preparation before Christmas; four/five Sundays of reflection after Christmas. Preparation done by the above Incarnation Gospels, not by end of the year readings already heard during October/November. No more "Three Advents/Comings" (Christmas, daily life, end of world), just the one original Christmas Advent/Coming
+ In most of the above Masses, use the same Gospel (& other readings) each Year. No more Year A, B, C. The world needs to hear the above Gospels once a year
+ February 14: Feast of St Valentine. Reclaim Valentine's Day! (..with beautiful readings from OT & NT re love...)
Zhaoqing 2005-02-19