Today in the traditional calendar of both the Catholic Church and also that of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer it is Septuagesima, the beginning of the ‘gesimas’ preparing for, and in many ways anticipating, Lent, which of course prepares the faithful for Passiontide, Holy Week and finally the crown of the liturgical year at Easter.
Looking back I see that over the years I have posted quite a bit about this point in the ecclesiastical calendar and although they cross-reference I think it might be useful to list and link them in chronological order for those who might wish to re-read them or read them for the first time. Thus although there is inevitably some element of repetition in them I think each has something distinct to say or share. To avoid too much confusion I have set them out in two subsections.
The first part looks particularly at the change of season and the ceremonial abandonment of the ‘Alleluia’:
Bidding farewell to the Alleluia
The second part of the list looks rather more at the whole seventeen days of the season:
Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima
In addition I see that the New Liturgical Movement has a lengthy and informative discussion today of the historic Milanese usages for these coming days. It can be seen at Septuagesima in the Ambrosian Rite
For those following the Novus Ordo calendar or its equivalent you still have until Shrove Tuesday to use the A-word and then, maybe, go and decently bury it in the churchyard pending its disinterment on Holy Saturday.
A prayerful Septuagesima to all my readers.
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