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