Collects and Readings - Part I

Collects and Readings - Part II

The Church's year divides itself into two portions. The first portion, from Advent to Whitsuntide, is devoted to the commemoration to the various scenes in the mystery-drama of the life of the Christ, which in itself, as Origen pointed out, is typical of the life of every Christian. The second portion, embracing all the Sundays after Trinity, is left for the practice of the virtues inculcated in the former.

It has been thought desirable to assign something in the nature of a leading thought to Sundays in the latter portion not already marked out by the Church, and to certain others in the earlier half of the year. These leading thoughts or intents might have been wider in their range, had it not been for the difficulty of gathering together suitable Epistles and Gospels.

A special day has been set apart as the Festival of the Baptism of our Lord, and the date for the Transfiguration has been advanced, so as to make that occurrence fit into the proper sequence of the Gospel narrative.

In addition to Whitsunday, six Sundays have been marked out for special devotion to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity; namely, the Sunday before Advent, the three Sundays before Lent, and two others after Trinity. Besides encouraging a devotion that is curiously neglected, this plan has the advantage of introducing red as the color of some Sundays.

The number of Saint's Days to be observed in this Calendar is reduced to a minimum. There is much to favour the contention that the whole system of such commemorations is an anachronism, which might be allowed for the most part to drop into abeyance without impairing the reality of our belief in the Communion of Saints. The Roman Calendar is overladen with saints, of whom few excite any real devotion at this distance of time, while others undoubtedly are mythical or transformed pagan deities. One may well contrast with these the many genuine saints - men and women of today - living in our midst. Our clergy, however, are free to observe the various commemorations, if they prefer to do so.

In regard to commemorations, we follow the ordinary custom of the Church. When two festivals concur, we use the service of the more important of the two, and in addition recite the Collect of the other in order that our people may not overlook it.

-- The Liturgy