The Liturgical Year: Christmas Time
Christmas Time begins with Christmas and lasts through the Baptism of the Lord. Christmas is the time to remember that we are all one family, because "God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son"(John 3:16). Through the incarnation we became adopted sons and daughters of God. Christmas compels us to reach out to family. We are moved to strengthen the family bond.
The custom of celebrating the twelve days of Christmas originated with the Church. These twelve days from December 25 to January 6 Epiphany were formerly referred to as Christmastide. In today's Church calendar, the season of Christmas extends until the Baptism of the Lord, the Sunday after the Epiphany. The color for Christmas Time is white.
Calendar of Saints and Feast Days
- December 25 Christmas - The Nativity of the Lord
- December 26 Saint Stephen
- December 27 Saint John the Apostles
- December 28 Holy Innocents
- December 29 Feast of the Holy Family
- January 1 Mary, Mother of God
- January 4 Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton
- January 5 Epiphany of the Lord
- January 12 Baptism of the Lord
Websites for Saint's and Feast Day Information
www.catholic.org
www.catholicpages.com
www.catholic-forum.com
www.americancatholic.com
Teachers and Catechists
Please refer to the Celebrate book (Grades K-6) included with Christ Jesus, the Way for further information about the Liturgical Year, saints, prayer services, and activities for classroom and home.
Lectionary Link
Please refer to the Lectionary Link for the appropriate Sunday readings for Christmas.
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