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Rules to Order the Christian Year | |
| For a Table of Transferences see here. | ||
| Sundays | ||
| All Sundays celebrate the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord. Nevertheless, they also reflect the character of the seasons in which they are set. | ||
| At Evening Prayer on Saturdays other than Easter Eve, Christmas Eve or Principal Feasts or Festivals, the Collect appointed for the ensuing Sunday shall be used. | ||
| When a Festival occurs on the First or Second Sunday of Christmas, a Sunday of Epiphany, a Sunday before Lent, a Sunday after Trinity or on the Fourth, Third or Second Sundays before Advent, it is always to be observed but may be celebrated either on the Sunday or on the first available day thereafter. Festivals may not be celebrated on Sundays in Advent, Lent or Eastertide. | ||
| In a year when there are 23 Sundays after Trinity before the Fourth Sunday before Advent, the Collect and Post Communion for the Last Sunday after Trinity shall be used on the 23rd Sunday after Trinity and the Collect and Post Communion for the 3rd Sunday before Lent shall be used on the 22nd Sunday after Trinity. | ||
| Principal Feasts | ||
The Principal Feasts which are to be observed are:
Christmas Day |
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| On these days the Holy Communion is celebrated in every cathedral and parish church, and this celebration, required by Canon B 14, may only be dispensed with in accordance with the provision of Canon B 14A. | ||
| These days, and the liturgical provision for them, may not be displaced by any other celebration, except that the Annunciation, falling on a Sunday, is transferred to the Monday following or, falling between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter. | ||
| Except in the case of Christmas Day and Easter Day, the celebration of the Feast begins with Evening Prayer on the day before the Feast, and the Collect at that Evening Prayer is that of the Feast. In the case of Christmas Eve and Easter Eve, there is proper liturgical provision, including a Collect, for the Eve, and this is used at both Morning and Evening Prayer. | ||
| In any year when there is a Second Sunday of Christmas, the Epiphany (6 January) may, for pastoral reasons, be celebrated on that Sunday. | ||
| The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas) is celebrated either on 2 February or on the Sunday falling between 28 January and 3 February. | ||
| All Saints' Day is celebrated on either 1 November or the Sunday falling between 30 October and 5 November; if the latter there may be a secondary celebration on 1 November. | ||
| Other Principal Holy Days | ||
| Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are Principal Holy Days. These days, and the liturgical provision for them, may not be displaced by any other celebration. | ||
| On Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday the Holy Communion is celebrated in every cathedral and parish church, except where there is dispensation under Canon B 14A. | ||
| Eastertide | ||
| The paschal character of the Great Fifty Days of Easter, from Easter Day to Pentecost, should be celebrated throughout the season, and should not be displaced by other celebrations. Except for a Patronal or Dedication Festival, no Festival may displace the celebration of Sunday as a memorial of the resurrection, and no saint's day may be celebrated in Easter Week. | ||
| The paschal character of the season should be retained on those weekdays when saints' days are celebrated. | ||
| Rogation Days are the three days before Ascension Day, when prayer is offered for God's blessing on the fruits of the earth and on human labour. | ||
| The nine days after Ascension Day until Pentecost are days of prayer and preparation to celebrate the outpouring of the Spirit. | ||
| Festivals | ||
The Festivals are:
The Naming and Circumcision of Jesus (1 January) |
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| These days, and the liturgical provision for them, are not usually displaced. For each day there is full liturgical provision for the Holy Communion and for Morning and Evening Prayer. | ||
| Provision is also made for a first Evening Prayer on the day before the Festival where this is required. When Evening Prayer on the day before a Festival makes use of the lessons relating to that Festival, the Collect of that Festival shall be used. | ||
| Festivals falling on a Sunday are to be kept on that day or transferred to the Monday (or, at the discretion of the minister, to the next suitable weekday). But a Festival may not be celebrated on Sundays in Advent, Lent or Eastertide. Festivals coinciding with a Principal Feast or Principal Holy Day are transferred to the first available day. | ||
| The Baptism of Christ is transferred only when 6 January is a Sunday. | ||
| When St Joseph's Day falls between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter or, if the Annunciation has already been moved to that date, to the first available day thereafter. | ||
| When St George's Day or St Mark's Day falls between Palm Sunday and the Second Sunday of Easter inclusive, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter. If both fall in this period, St George's Day is transferred to the Monday and St Mark's Day to the Tuesday. When the Festivals of George and Mark both occur in the week following Easter and are transferred in accordance with these Rules in a place where the calendar of The Book of Common Prayer is followed, the Festival of Mark shall be observed on the second available day so that it will be observed on the same day as in places following alternative authorized Calendars, where George will have been transferred to the first available free day. | ||
| The Thursday after Trinity Sunday may be observed as the Day of Thanksgiving for the Holy Communion (sometimes known as Corpus Christi), and may be kept as a Festival. Where the Thursday following Trinity Sunday is observed as a Festival to commemorate the Institution of the Holy Communion and that day falls on a date which is also a Festival, the commemoration of the Institution of Holy Communion shall be observed on that Thursday and the other occurring Festival shall be transferred to the first available day. | ||
| The Festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15 August) may, for pastoral reasons, be celebrated instead on 8 September. | ||
| Christ the King is never transferred. | ||
| Local Celebrations | ||
| The celebration of the patron saint or the title of a church is kept either as a Festival or as a Principal Feast. | ||
| The Dedication Festival of a church is the anniversary of the date of its dedication or consecration. This is kept either as a Festival or as a Principal Feast. | ||
| When the date of dedication is unknown, the Dedication Festival may be observed on the first Sunday in October, or on the Last Sunday after Trinity, or on a suitable date chosen locally. | ||
| When kept as Principal Feasts, the Patronal and Dedication Festivals may be transferred to the nearest Sunday, unless that day is already a Principal Feast or one of the following days: the First Sunday of Advent, the Baptism of Christ, the First Sunday of Lent, the Fifth Sunday of Lent or Palm Sunday. | ||
| Harvest Thanksgiving may be celebrated on a Sunday and may replace the provision for that day, provided it does not supersede any Principal Feast or Festival. | ||
| In the Calendar of the Saints, diocesan and other local provision may be made to supplement the national Calendar. | ||
| Lesser Festivals | ||
| Lesser Festivals, which are listed in the Calendar, are observed at the level appropriate to a particular church. Each is provided with a Collect, Psalm and Readings, which may supersede the Collect of the week and the daily eucharistic lectionary. The daily Psalms and Readings at Morning and Evening Prayer are not usually superseded by those for Lesser Festivals, but at the minister's discretion Psalms and Readings provided on these days for the Holy Communion may be used at Morning and Evening Prayer. | ||
| The minister may be selective in the Lesser Festivals that are observed, and may also keep some or all of them as commemorations. | ||
| When a Lesser Festival falls on a Principal Feast or Holy Day or on a Festival, its celebration is normally omitted for that year, but, where there is sufficient reason, it may, at the discretion of the minister, be celebrated on the nearest available day. | ||
| Commemorations | ||
| Commemorations, which are listed in the Calendar, are made by a mention in prayers of intercession and thanksgiving. They are not provided with Collect, Psalm and Readings, and do not replace the usual weekday provision at either the Holy Communion or Morning and Evening Prayer. | ||
| The minister may be selective in the Commemorations that are made. | ||
| A Commemoration may be observed as a Lesser Festival, with liturgical provision from the common material for holy men and women, only where there is an established celebration in the wider church or where the day has a special local significance. In designating a Commemoration as a Lesser Festival, the minister must remember the need not to lose the spirit of the season, especially of Advent and Lent, by too many celebrations that detract from its character. | ||
| Days of Discipline and Self Denial | ||
| The weekdays of Lent and every Friday in the year are days of discipline and self denial, except all Principal Feasts and Festivals outside Lent and Fridays from Easter Day to Pentecost. | ||
| The eves of Principal Feasts are also appropriately kept as days of discipline and self denial in preparation for the Feast. | ||
| Ember Days | ||
| Ember Days should be kept, under the bishop's directions, in the week before an ordination as days of prayer for those to be made deacon or priest. | ||
| Ember Days may also be kept even when there is no ordination in the diocese as more general days of prayer for those who serve the Church in its various ministries, both ordained and lay, and for vocations. | ||
| Traditionally they have been observed on the Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays within the weeks before the Third Sunday of Advent, the Second Sunday of Lent and the Sundays nearest to 29 June and 29 September. | ||
| Ordinary Time | ||
| Ordinary Time is the period after the Feast of the Presentation of Christ until Shrove Tuesday, and from the day after the Feast of Pentecost until the day before the First Sunday of Advent. During Ordinary Time there is no seasonal emphasis, except that the period between All Saints' Day and the First Sunday of Advent is observed as a time to celebrate and reflect upon the reign of Christ in earth and heaven. | ||
| Liturgical Colours | ||
| Appropriate liturgical colours are suggested (adjacent to each Collect): they are not mandatory and traditional or local use may be followed. The colour for a particular service should reflect the predominant theme. If the Collect, Readings, etc. on a Lesser Festival are those of the saint, then either red (for a martyr) or white is used; otherwise, the colour of the season is retained. | ||
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White
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is the colour for the festal periods from Christmas Day to the Presentation and from Easter Day to the Eve of Pentecost, for Trinity Sunday, for Festivals of Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary, for All Saints' Day, and for the Festivals of those saints not venerated as martyrs, for the Feast of Dedication of a church, at Holy Communion on Maundy Thursday and in thanksgiving for Holy Communion and Holy Baptism. It is used for Marriages, and is suitable for Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination, though red may be preferred. It may be used in preference to purple or black for Funerals, and should be used at the Funeral of a child. Where a church has two sets of white, one may be kept for great Festivals indicated as 'gold or white'. | |
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Red
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is used during Holy Week (except at Holy Communion on Maundy Thursday), on the Feast of Pentecost, may be used between All Saints' Day and the First Sunday of Advent (except where other provision is made) and is used for the Feasts of those saints venerated as martyrs. It is appropriate for any services which focus on the gift of the Holy Spirit, and is therefore suitable for Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination. Coloured hangings are traditionally removed for Good Friday and Easter Eve, but red is the colour for the liturgy on Good Friday. | |
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Purple
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(which may vary from 'Roman purple' to violet, with blue as an alternative) is the colour for Advent and from Ash Wednesday until the day before Palm Sunday. It is recommended for Funerals and for the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, although either black or white may be preferred. A Lent array of unbleached linen is sometimes used as an alternative to purple, but only from Ash Wednesday until the day before Palm Sunday. Rose-colour is sometimes used as an alternative on the Third Sunday of Advent and the Fourth Sunday of Lent. | |
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Green
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is used from the day after the Presentation until Shrove Tuesday, and from the day after Pentecost until the eve of All Saints' Day, except when other provision is made. It may also be used, rather than red, between All Saints' Day and the First Sunday of Advent. | |