Lenten Calendar 101

[Daniel27]

Can someone please give me a quick rundown of the “calendar of Lent” with all the various dates/days and their names, and their related practices?

(Also, feel free to share any tips which you’ve gathered over the years for how to have a more “successful” Lent)

 

[Stephen_says]

Here ya go! I’m not the most knowledgeable, so I may have left some things out! Figured you were looking for some more traditionalist stuff because mostly people are just like “Oh, get ashes and don’t eat meat on Friday”

February 26 Ash Wednesday - Fasting and Abstinence; Get your Ash to Church! Not a Holy Day of Obligation

All Lenten Weekdays - Pray, Fast, Give Alms. Many forms of fasting have been observed throughout the centuries, from no meat, eggs, oil, or wine for the entirety of Lent, to a little bit of meat once a day except Friday, to no food at all until 3 pm, etc. Currently, we give up sweets and eat fish on Friday and call it a day.

Fridays in Lent - Traditionally, Fasting and Abstinence. Nowadays just abstinence: NO MEAT!

March 4 Wednesday of the First Week of Lent - Ember Day - Traditional day of Fasting and Abstinence. No longer mandatory in the US.

March 6 Friday of the First Week of Lent - Ember Day - see above.

March 7 Saturday of the First Week of Lent - Ember Day - see above.

March 17 Optional Memorial of St. Patrick - Wear green lol, not a solemnity.

March 19 SOLEMNITY of St. Joseph Husband of Mary! - Go to Mass! Eat a zeppole! Have that chocolate you gave up and praise God! If it were Friday, Abstinence would be dispensed since it’s improper to fast on a solemnity!

March 25 SOLEMNITY of the Annunciation! - Go to Mass! If it were Friday, see above.

April 5 Palm Sunday - Go to Mass, get some palms, make a cross.

April 8 ‘Spy Wednesday’, Wednesday of Holy Week - Traditionally, Tenebræ (Matins and Lauds) is sung. This service should be sung about 3pm on the eve of the day to which it belongs. Lauds follow immediately on Matins, which in this occasion terminate with the close of day, in order to signify the setting of the Sun of Justice and the darkness of the Jewish people who knew not our Lord and condemned Him to the cross.

April 9 Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday - Traditionally the Chrism Mass is celebrated in the afternoon where all the Holy Oils for the year are consecrated and priests renew their promises.

Also Commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist and the washing of feet is celebrated in the evening with some measure of joyous solemnity. Attention centers upon the solemn procession of the extra Host to an “altar of repose” adorned with flowers and lighted with a profusion of candles, the hymn “Pange lingua gloriosi corporis mysterium” being sung upon the way.

Also, traditionally, Tenebræ is sung.

April 10 Friday of the Passion of the Lord - Fasting and Abstinence. No Mass is said today, but there traditionally is a Eucharistic service around 3pm to commemorate the Passion.

Also, traditionally, Tenebræ is sung. A great point is made of the gradual extinction of the lights during the Friday Matins.

April 10 Holy Saturday - Traditionally the fast of Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil. Not so much anymore. Easter Vigil begins during the evening of Holy Saturday!

April 11 Easter Sunday! - Congratulations, you made it to Easter! Get to Mass, Praise God, and have some candy!

Pax

 

[KBS]

If you are interested in daily meditations & readings, there are several liturgical calendars online with their relevant links.

Examples:
The Lectionary Page - I like the clean layout of each day
CatholicCulture.org - the entries don’t look like links, but they are.
The Rosary Shop - I like that this has links for reading but also lists the Rosary meditations.

 

[Daniel27]

March 19 SOLEMNITY of St. Joseph Husband of Mary! - Go to Mass! Eat a zeppole! Have that chocolate you gave up and praise God! If it were Friday, Abstinence would be dispensed since it’s improper to fast on a solemnity!

March 25 SOLEMNITY of the Annunciation! - Go to Mass! If it were Friday, see above.

So for me, the thing I am choosing to give up is listening to music. Is proper to: a) not not give up music (that is to say freely listen to it)? & b) go to Mass to celebrate it as if it were a holy day of obligation?

Sorry but I struggle to understand the differences between holy days of obligation and solemnities.

 

[Stephen_says]

If it were me, I would think it propped to listen to music with joy! Make sure it’s good music! And it is always recommended to go to mass!

I think a lot of people are in your shoes. I’ve heard that holy days of obligations are mostly feasts that have to do with Jesus and Mary, plus Peter & Paul and All Saints day, and Solemnities are for other important saints and events, but take that with a grain of salt, because there are a few that deviate lol .

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

holy days of obligation and solemnities

A solemnity is essentially a day treated like Sunday, except you’re not obligated to go to Mass during weekday solemnities; the only thing different that’s added when there’s a Holy Day of Obligation is the “obligation” part — you’re required to attend Mass.

March 17 Optional Memorial of St. Patrick - Wear green lol, not a solemnity.

This may depend on where you are as to whether it’s a solemnity or not.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

Holy Thursday also traditionally has the Chrism Mass at your cathedral or other designated place, although there’s quite a range now of when this Mass occurs. We have ours on Tuesday of Holy Week; I’ve heard of some dioceses having theirs even earlier. Generally, all priests (as possible) attend this together and renew their priestly vows. The bishop will also bless the sacred oils used throughout the year.

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is the Maundy Thursday Mass that must occur that particular night (from mandatum when Jesus washed the Apostles’ feet) — this technically ends Lent, but as you see above, the penitential nature of things isn’t quite over.