FAQ

The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly lections used to varying degrees by the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The RCL is built around the seasons of the Church Year, and includes four lections for each Sunday, as well as additional readings for major feast days. During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles. The lections from the Hebrew Bible are sometimes chosen from the Apocrypha.

The seasons of the Church Year reflect the life of Christ. Consequently, the gospel lections for each Sunday provide the focus for that day. The other lections for a given day generally have a thematic relationship to the gospel reading for that day, although this is not always the case. In Ordinary Time, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two sets of readings for the lessons from the Hebrew Bible. One set proceeds mostly continuously, giving the story of the Patriarchs and the Exodus in Year A, the monarchial narratives in Year B, and readings from the Prophets in Year C. In the other set of readings for Ordinary Time, the readings from the Hebrew Bible are thematically related to the gospel lections. Denominations or local churches generally use either the semicontinuous readings or the thematic readings during Ordinary Time. They do not typically move back and forth between the two over the course of a single season.

The gospel readings for each year come from one of the synoptic gospels according to the following pattern:

• Year A – Matthew
• Year B – Mark
• Year C – Luke

Readings from the Gospel of John can be found throughout the RCL.

An introduction to the Revised Common Lectionary can be found http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/RCL_Introduction_Web.pdf here.

The Revised Common Lectionary was produced by The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT). At the time the RCL was compiled, the CCT was composed of representatives from the following denominations (taken from Consultation on Common Texts. The Revised Common Lectionary. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992):

• The Anglican Church of Canada
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Christian Reformed Church in North America
• The Episcopal Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
• Free Methodist Church in Canada
• International Commission on English in the Liturgy (an Agency of 26 Roman Catholic National or International Conferences of Bishops)
• The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
• Polish National Catholic Church
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
• The Presbyterian Church in Canada
• Reformed Church in America
• Roman Catholic Church in the United States
• Roman Catholic Church in Canada
• Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship
• The United Church of Canada
• United Church of Christ
• The United Methodist Church

The Passages of Daily, Sunday, and Special Day readings in Biblical book order are accessible by selecting RESOURCES > Scripture index in the top bar of the lectionary site. It is relatively easy to determine which passages are not included in the lectionary readings after reading the combined list.

You also can get a list of passages not included in the lectionary by consulting the combined list of passages in “Scripture Readings in Biblical Order, Appendix B,” pp. 310-352, Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, Consultation on Common Texts. Fortress Press, 2005.

In a number of instances the two differ, primarily on feast days that are specific to the Roman Catholic Church. An excellent website for the Lectionary for Mass (1998 USA) can be found here.

The Consultation on Common Texts writes this in the introduction to the RCL: “In the opening verses of readings…the reader should omit initial conjunctions that refer only to what has preceded, and substitute nouns for pronouns when the person referred to is not otherwise clear. The reader may also preface the readings with an introduction, such as “N. said (to N.).”

While we do not currently provide a custom widget for this, you can make use of the Lectionary’s RSS feed and a free service called feed2js to achieve this functionality. Here is a widget using feed2js which displays the upcoming liturgical date name and the readings for that date. Both the Weekly and the Daily readings are available.

To use the Weekly Readings widget, copy and paste this code into your website:

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To use the Daily Readings widget, copy and paste this code into your website:

 <script language="JavaScript" src="https://rss.library.vanderbilt.edu/feed2js.php?src=https{9727912f06aa785b039f972bffa8be4558b095eb0b9777ba2c7ca4a263a03ad6}3A{9727912f06aa785b039f972bffa8be4558b095eb0b9777ba2c7ca4a263a03ad6}2F{9727912f06aa785b039f972bffa8be4558b095eb0b9777ba2c7ca4a263a03ad6}2Flectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu{9727912f06aa785b039f972bffa8be4558b095eb0b9777ba2c7ca4a263a03ad6}2Ffeeds{9727912f06aa785b039f972bffa8be4558b095eb0b9777ba2c7ca4a263a03ad6}2Flectionary-daily.xml&desc=1&utf=y" charset="UTF-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

If you would like to change what elements appear in the widget, you can build your own widget. Enter the the Lectionary RSS feed URL in the URL box and use the form to customize your display.

Once the code is on your website, you can use CSS styles to further customize the look and feel of your widget.

It’s understandable that users of the Revised Common Lectionary might have these questions. One way to answer them would be to note that the Consultation on Common Texts, the ecumenical committee charged with developing the reading selections, negotiated a variety of perspectives that occasionally called for additional inclusions of texts. Representatives of the many faiths and denominations participating in this ecumenical effort determined that in some cases only adding additional options to a service day’s reading would sufficiently represent the perspectives of the participants or the unique theological/historical focus of the day. The Consultation on Common Texts understood that to bring the Revised Common Lectionary to common acceptance across the community of Christian faith, the commonality would need to include some flexibility.

The most significant number of options occurs during the Season after Pentecost. One strand of Old Testament readings follows major stories/themes, read mostly continuously, beginning in Year A with Genesis and ending in Year C with the later prophets. A different strand of readings follows the centuries-old historical tradition of thematically pairing the Old Testament reading with the Gospel reading, often typologically, with the presaging of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry. The Consultation on Common Texts designed the Lectionary to make use of either of these strands, but once a strand has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season. Within each strand there may be additional readings, readings which are complementary to the standard reading; these may be used with the standard reading, or in place of it. These complementary readings are indicated by italics; complementary readings appear throughout the church year, not just during the Season of Pentecost.

The Proper numbers within brackets represent the system used by the Roman Catholic church and The Anglican Church of Canada, based upon the historic Roman lectionary. The Proper numbers without brackets represent the system of numbering used by the rest of the participating church bodies that have adopted the Revised Common Lectionary. The differing numbers do not indicate differing readings, but rather indicate traditional practices.

The Consultation on Common Texts (the interfaith organizational body responsible for the current Revised Common Lectionary) adopted the practice of the Episcopal Church of replacing the “Sundays after Pentecost” with “Propers” keyed to the civil calendar (e.g., instead of the “Ninth Sunday after Pentecost,” you now have “Proper 11, to be used on the Sunday between July 17 and 23 inclusive.”) [from Alexander Ring, “The Path of Understanding: The Development of Lectionaries and Their Use in the Lutheran Church.” Evangelical Lutheran Synod General Pastoral Conference, January 18, 1998 – http://www.blc.edu/comm/gargy/gargy1/AlexRing.gpc.html]

It appears that the tradition of using Acts instead of the Old Testament is a very ancient one, established in the early Church.

According to the Consultation on Common Texts,”Revised Common Lectionary,” Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992, pg. 13:

“A final concern in relation to the Easter cycle has to do with the disuse of the Hebrew Scriptures during the season of Easter in the Roman lectionary (a practice mentioned by Augustine in the fifth century). Following the liturgical tradition of the Ambrosian and Hispanic rites in the West and also that of the majority of the Churches in the East, the Roman lectionary of 1969 does not use the Old Testament during the Great Fifty Days from Easter to Pentecost. Nevertheless, the Roman rite (and the Revised Common Lectionary) has included extensive Old Testament readings in the vigils for Easter and Pentecost.”

First and foremost all of the texts can be read aloud (although the Psalm is often sung). In addition, hymns, prayers, litanies, and other liturgical elements which reflect the themes and language of the text can be incorporated into the service. When a congregation hears, sings, prays, and listens to the words and images of common scriptures over the course of several years, their connection to those texts is deepened significantly.

Using the RCL ties worship in a local congregation to the worship of millions of Christians around the world. Drawing from a common set of texts means that Christians will be hearing and reflecting on the same scriptures and themes. Sometimes they are even singing the same hymns. In addition, building worship around the texts of the RCL also ties local worship to that of the historic Church. Using all four readings develops the discipline of reading and hearing the scriptures that define the Christian faith. It also deepens the congregation’s understanding of the Church Year (and consequently the life of Christ) while also helping to set the rhythm for that year. Since the Revised Common Lectionary is drawn from a long succession of older lectionaries, using those readings in worship echoes the earlier practice of the Church. One final, pragmatic advantage to using the RCL is the wealth of liturgical and homiletic resources that are available around the common texts.

Select the CONTACT US link in the top bar on the lectionary site, fill out the resulting form, and submit it.

On the first Sunday of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent is four Sundays prior to the Western feast day of Christmas (December 25).

Both options are offered for a variety of reasons. For some churches, the length of the Passion narrative is problematic for Sunday worship, or the churches choose to read the Passion narrative at a special service before Easter. Some churches choose to read both, celebrating Palm Sunday but also reading the Passion narrative in lieu of a sermon. The dual offering accommodates practice for all denominations on this important liturgical Sunday.

The Revised Common Lectionary, 2012 edition, states “Owing to the overall length of the[se] readings, options in versification are provided for several passages.”

The lectionary selections on this site come from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005. Consultation on Common Texts, Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Reproduced by permission.

Some traditions use versions of the Revised Common Lectionary that differ slightly from the version on this RCL website. Differences between lectionary selections in your denomination’s published materials and what appears on this site may be a result of variations in adoption of the RCL by your denomination.

Scripture texts in the Revised Common Lectionary are from the New Revised Standard Version Update Edition (NRSVue) of the Bible. For more on the NRSVue, see the NRSVue page on the Bible Gateway website or pages 6-11 of this SBL and NRSVue document from the Society of Bible Literature.

The differences among various versions/translations of the Bible can lead to a particular translation matching the original meaning better when the versification is modified slightly. Users of this website can check other versions/translations by selecting the OTHER VERSIONS link in the right sidebar.

Not at this time. Our partial solution is to offer a link within the RCL site on the scripture texts pages that jumps to BibleGateway.com, placing the scripture texts automatically within a search box. From there, users can choose which version they wish to consult, including many non-English versions.

There is a Spanish language version of the lections only, available http://www.commontexts.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/leccionario_comun_revisado.pdf here.

We have had several requests for a spoken version of the Lectionary; at this time we do not have plans to offer this service. However, a podcast of the Lectionary can be found at the PCUSA “Hear the Word” service.

To subscribe to our email list, select TOOLS > Subscribe from the top bar on the lectionary site. The subscription links can also be found in the footer of the webpage. Please enter your email address and join us for spiritual inspiration. After the renovated website is launched, users must resubscribe to the email list.

This Revised Common Lectionary website provides iCalendar files of Weekly and Daily readings for your personal calendars, such as Outlook, iCal, and Google Calendar. You can access the calendaring links by selecting TOOLS > Subscript from the top bar on the lectionary site. Follow the listed instructions to add the readings to your calendar. Please contact us for assistance if you experience difficulties.

Older subscribers to the RCL calendar through Google Calendar will find that the RCL entries show as “busy.” The problem is caching within the Google Calendar site. Here is the fix:
— Unsubscribe to the RCL calendar.
— Resubscribe using one or both of these URLS:
webcal://rclstaging.233analytics.com/wp-content/uploads/feeds/weekly.ics?noCache
webcal://rclstaging.233analytics.com/wp-content/uploads/feeds/daily.ics?noCache

Certainly. Please contact the library to let us know that you are linking to us. Please include the URL for your site in your e-mail.

Copyright permission for this project has been received:

• Lectionary selections are reprinted from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 2005. Consultation on Common Texts, Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Reproduced by permission.
• Scripture texts are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
• Prayers are reproduced from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, copyright © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts. Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. A complete edition of the prayers is available though Augsburg Fortress.
• Art images are from the Art in the Christian Tradition database, a project sponsored by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library and the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, a division of the Heard Library, 2007.
• To reference this website, the following structure may be used: The Revised Common Lectionary. Vanderbilt Divinity Library. https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/. 2024.

The lectionary selections, scripture texts, and prayers may be freely used for non-profit purposes by worship leaders, teachers, and others in the Church and educational communities. Extensive portions of the NRSVue may not be quoted without permission from the holder of copyright as stated above. Please contact us if you have questions.

The art images and accompanying descriptions may be freely used for non-profit purposes by worship leaders, teachers, and others in the Church and educational communities. They are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial ShareAlike 4.0 License. In short: you are free to use and to share the file for non-commercial purposes under the conditions that you appropriately attribute it, and that you distribute it only under a license compatible with this one. For other use, please contact the Divinity Library Reference Staff with your request.

Permission guidelines for publication projects using the RCL can be found here: Publication Permissions.

“Reprinted from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, copyright © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts”

Yes. On the page you wish to print, select TOOLS > Print from the top bar on that page and click the PRINT button. The print box will offer four font sizes and two line sizes for printing.

Yes, by using a Windows command: on your keyboard, hold down the control key and press the plus-equal sign key while you are holding down the control key. To make the font size smaller, hold down the control key and press the underline-dash key.

When you are viewing the webpage with the passages for the week, select TOOLS > Print from the top bar on that page and click the PRINT button. You will have the option to uncheck the passages that you do not want to print.

You can easily print each “season” by selecting TOOLS > Print from the top bar on the lectionary site. You also can use PRINT PDF on the right sidebar to access six print options.  Another alternative is to purchase a copy of the Lectionary from a variety of online and brick-and-mortar bookstores.

Yes, we have a very simple Facebook page that lists the readings for the week; they link to this main RCL website. If you are interested in commenting or asking a question, you can use the form on our Contact Us page.

Rather than going the app route, we have learned that a redesigned mobile friendly responsive website is that best way to go. The renovated site with a mobile friendly feature is ready for RCL community in 2024.

There are products for the weekly and daily Lectionary, as in the Logos Bible software add-in.

Select SEARCH in the top bar of the lectionary site, and find a search box with the “Lections” option. Begin typing the book of the Bible, and a list of all the entries in the RCL will appear as a list. Click on the appropriate passage from the list, and that passage will appear in the search box. Click the SEARCH button. The search results will appear on a page that shows where that passage appears in the Lectionary and will provide the text of that scripture passage.

The Passages of Daily, Sunday, and Special Day readings in Biblical book order are accessible by selecting RESOURCES > Scripture index in the top bar of the lectionary site.

You can also read the combined list of passages in “Scripture Readings in Biblical Order, Appendix B,” pp. 310-352, Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, Consultation on Common Texts, Fortress Press, 2005.

We hope to provide an option for adding the art graphic to the printable page, but at this time, the only option is to copy the graphic and paste it into a word-processing document and then print it.

We offer black and white images specially formatted to work well in church bulletins, handouts, and any other use found helpful for churches. Select ILLUSTRATIONS link in the right sidebar to access them.

We plan to develop a downloadable format that includes the artwork and the scripture passages on the same page.

We do not yet have a process by which users can automatically add content, primarily because the Vanderbilt Divinity Library has editorial control over the content. We are open to ways that we can work with contributors, within this limitation.

We encourage churches and other educational communities to make use of the art images. The images (linked from the Vanderbilt Art in the Christian Tradition website — http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-search.pl) have some limitations: the use of the art image must be non-commercial, attributed to the artist/photographer, and if shared, done so with these original limitations. The Vanderbilt ACT website itself should also be attributed.

This information is provided for easy copying near the bottom of every record in the Art in the Christian Tradition database. Here is an example: “Craig W. Hartman (architect); NeitherFanboy (photographer). Cathedral of Christ the Light, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54202[retrieved January 26, 2010].”

We now have slideshows in PDF and PowerPoint format available for users, free to use in any non-commercial setting. You can find them in SLIDESHOWS PDF and PPTX on the right sidebar.

The texts of the Revised Common Lectionary Prayers have been made possible with the cooperation of the Consultation on Common Texts, the ecumenical authoring body for the Revised Common Lectionary, as well as the initiating body for the prayers. The prayers were written by many pastors from across the denominational spectrum — Catholic, Christian, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, etc. They are the group to which the credit belongs.

They are reproduced from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, copyright © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts, Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. A complete edition of the prayers in print is available though Augsburg Fortress: http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.jsp?isbn=0800634845&clsid=120020&productgroupid=0

Regarding a prescribed order of readings for Jews: there is no one prescribed order. The length of a “reading cycle” has varied over time: as the article on the “Triennial Cycle” in the Encyclopedia Judaica (2nd edition) notes, “In traditional synagogues, the Pentateuch is read in one year. Reform Judaism (and some Conservative synagogues) has, however, reverted to the ancient Palestinian custom of a triennial cycle” (vol. 20, p. 143). Another article in the Encyclopedia Judaica, 2nd edition, (“Torah, Reading Of”) goes into a bit more detail about how the Torah is read today and includes a number of tables of readings. There is also an article on the “Triennial Cycle” in the first edition of the Encyclopedia Judaica; it’s available for free online (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=327&letter=T&search=triennial).

Tables of readings for the Jewish faith can be found online — for example, http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/readingp.htm has a table for the annual reading of the Torah, along with another table of readings for special Sabbaths and holidays. Note that the Torah reading is accompanied by readings from the Prophets (called Haftaroth; the article mentioned above, entitled “Torah, Reading Of,” notes that “[t]he practice of “completing” the Torah reading with a passage from one of the prophetic books, the haftarah (“completion”), is mentioned in the Mishnah (Meg. 4:1–2); the origins of the custom, however, are obscure” (vol. 20, p. 50). These tables are keyed to a calendar (http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/current.htm); if you start with the calendar, you can get to the correct reading for a particular day by clicking the links on the calendar.

Online orders of reading for the triennial cycle are available, as this example: http://www.hebcal.com/hebcal/; to see weekly readings, make sure you check the “Weekly sedrot on Saturdays” option under the “Include events” section on the left of the page. The calendar will have links to the readings for both the annual and the triennial cycles.

Regarding a prescribed order of reading for Muslims: the Encyclopedia of the Qu’ran notes the following about recitation of the text: “During the fasting month of Ramadan, the entire Qu’ran is read over the course of the month in night prayers. In addition, during Ramadan or during the days of the pilgrimage, pious Muslims may recite the entire Qur’an in one night. Muslims read the Qur’an frequently as an act of supererogatory piety, and recitation — especially at night — is performed by committed Muslims” (from the article “Recitation of the Qur’an” by Anna M. Gade, in Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an, gen. ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe (Washington DC. Brill, 2009). This article goes on to mention some of the suras that are frequently evoked in specific situations, with emphasis on the correct recitation (including pronunciation) of the Arabic. As best we know, there is not a “cycle” or “order of readings for the Qur’an, other than the Ramadan division of readings.

Regarding a prescribed order of readings for Jews: there is no one prescribed order. The length of a “reading cycle” has varied over time: as the article on the “Triennial Cycle” in the Encyclopedia Judaica (2nd edition) notes, “In traditional synagogues, the Pentateuch is read in one year. Reform Judaism (and some Conservative synagogues) has, however, reverted to the ancient Palestinian custom of a triennial cycle” (vol. 20, p. 143). Another article in the Encyclopedia Judaica, 2nd edition, (“Torah, Reading Of”) goes into a bit more detail about how the Torah is read today and includes a number of tables of readings. There is also an article on the “Triennial Cycle” in the first edition of the Encyclopedia Judaica; it’s available for free online (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=327&letter=T&search=triennial).

Tables of readings for the Jewish faith can be found online — for example, http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/readingp.htm has a table for the annual reading of the Torah, along with another table of readings for special Sabbaths and holidays. Note that the Torah reading is accompanied by readings from the Prophets (called Haftaroth; the article mentioned above, entitled “Torah, Reading Of,” notes that “[t]he practice of “completing” the Torah reading with a passage from one of the prophetic books, the haftarah (“completion”), is mentioned in the Mishnah (Meg. 4:1–2); the origins of the custom, however, are obscure” (vol. 20, p. 50). These tables are keyed to a calendar (http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/current.htm); if you start with the calendar, you can get to the correct reading for a particular day by clicking the links on the calendar.

Online orders of reading for the triennial cycle are available, as this example: http://www.hebcal.com/hebcal/; to see weekly readings, make sure you check the “Weekly sedrot on Saturdays” option under the “Include events” section on the left of the page. The calendar will have links to the readings for both the annual and the triennial cycles.

Regarding a prescribed order of reading for Muslims: the Encyclopedia of the Qu’ran notes the following about recitation of the text: “During the fasting month of Ramadan, the entire Qu’ran is read over the course of the month in night prayers. In addition, during Ramadan or during the days of the pilgrimage, pious Muslims may recite the entire Qur’an in one night. Muslims read the Qur’an frequently as an act of supererogatory piety, and recitation — especially at night — is performed by committed Muslims” (from the article “Recitation of the Qur’an” by Anna M. Gade, in Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an, gen. ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe (Washington DC. Brill, 2009). This article goes on to mention some of the suras that are frequently evoked in specific situations, with emphasis on the correct recitation (including pronunciation) of the Arabic. As best we know, there is not a “cycle” or “order of readings for the Qur’an, other than the Ramadan division of readings.

Since our site is the standard for the Revised Common Lectionary, used across many denominations, some of the saints’ days celebrated in Episcopal churches are not included. We produce what the Consultation on Common Texts published in their 2005 edition. To find other saints’ days readings, see: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Calendar.htm

Year A 2016-2017 list in Excel format
Year A 2016-2017 list in Word format

Year B 2017-2018 list in Excel format
Year B 2017-2018 list in Word format

Year C 2018-2019 list in Excel format
Year C 2018-2019 list in Word format

Year A 2019-2020 list in Excel format
Year A 2019-2020 list in Word format
Year A 2019-2020 list in PDF format

Year B 2020-2021 list in Excel format
Year B 2020-2021 list in Word format
Year B 2020-2021 list in PDF format

Year C 2021-2022 list in Excel format
Year C 2021-2022 list in Word format
Year C 2021-2022 list in PDF format

Year A 2022-2023 list in Excel format
Year A 2022-2023 list in Word format
Year A 2022-2023 list in PDF format

Year B 2023-2024 list in Excel format
Year B 2023-2024 list in Word format
Year B 2023-2024 list in PDF format

Year C 2024-2025 list in Excel format
Year C 2024-2025 list in Word format
Year C 2024-2025 list in PDF format

Year A 2025-2026 list in Excel format
Year A 2025-2026 list in Word format
Year A 2025-2026 list in PDF format

Because of copyright issues paired with limited stafftime, we are unable to offer commentary at this time. We do offer commentary of a kind; the Lectionary artworks sometimes have a small reflection written about the art as it relates to a particular Lectionary scripture. For instance, see Year B Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany: http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54132

We have no plans to change the scripture layout on the website to prose form. However, we do offer specially formatted PDFs that are structured in the “prose” form. This feature is available by selecting the PRINT PDF link in the right sidebar.

Each scripture texts page offers a link to the appropriate colors according to denomination — that link to “Colors” is in a box on the right hand side of the page. We also offer a summary of the Seasons and their Colors that may be helpful:
* Advent – The Season of Expectation – Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas Day, the season of Advent is a time when the Church looks toward the second coming of Jesus and the eternal hope of Christians in the end of time. The color for this season is either Purple (for royalty) or Blue (for the Virgin Mary).
* Christmas – The Season of Incarnation – For 12 days, from Christmas Day (December 25) through Epiphany (January 6) (inclusive) the Church celebrates the miraculous incarnation of God in the person of Jesus. The color for this season is White.
* Epiphany – This season connects with the Christmas season as a time of beginnings. Beginning with the visit of the Wise Ones, the season includes the baptism of Jesus, the presentation in the temple, the miracle at Cana, and the Transfiguration. The season’s color is Green, with the special days using White for their celebration.
* Lent – The Season of Reflection – For forty days (not including Sundays) prior to Easter Sunday the Church reflects on the suffering of Jesus. Together, we approach the cross. Worship during this period is traditionally more subdued and penitential. Many people also fast during the season of Lent. The color for this season is Purple.
* Holy Week – The final week of Lent is called “Holy Week.” Often churches that do not typically meet for daily worship will meet every day of Holy Week. At the minimum, they will worship on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. The color for Holy Week remains Purple, although some churches use Red on Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday. Some churches also use Black on Good Friday.
* Easter – The Season of Resurrection – For fifty days beginning on Easter Sunday Christians celebrate the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus and the certain hope their own resurrection. The color for Easter is White. This season ends on the Sunday of Pentecost, for which the color is Red.
* Ordinary Time – The Season of Nurture and Growth – The periods of time following Epiphany and Pentecost are referred to as “Ordinary” because their Sundays are numbered in ordinal fashion. The focus of Ordinary Time is on developing a deeper understanding of Christian discipleship. The color for this season is Green (for growth).

As to linking the colors directly to each liturgical day, we have added it to our future enhancements list. One of the complications is that denominations can occasionally differ regarding the use of a particular color. In the meantime, one among several useful resources for liturgical colors is available at http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship/Learning-Center/FAQs/Liturgical-Colors.aspx.

Yes. It is provided by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians of the Catholic Church in the U. S. Some of the scripture selections differ from the standard Revised Common Lectionary, but there are enough similarities to be very useful. See: http://www.npm.org/Choral_Anthem_Project.

For the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, see: http://www.kingofpeace.org/resources/ — look for the section entitled “Palm Sunday Gospel in parts.” Or for the Gospel of John, see: http://oremus.org/liturgy/lhwe/john.html.

The Church Year is an ancient way of telling time. Rather than measuring time exclusively according to the natural seasons, Christians have traditionally measured time in their worship with a calendar built around the life of Christ. Some of the seasons of the Church Year date back to our earliest written records of Christian worship. The current form of the Christian calendar, including its colors, dates, and feasts, was firmly in place by the medieval period. Worship that is centered on the Church Year allows Christians to step into the life of Jesus. Seasons of hope and grief, mercy and penitence assure that all aspects of the human condition are given an appropriate place in the worship practices of the Church. The repetition of these seasons is also an educational tool, gently inculcating the heritage of the faith. The specific season is reflected in the colors used for the paraments in the sanctuary and the clergy’s vestments, the texts read, and other liturgical practices like the lighting of the paschal candle. When certain feast days fall during the week it is not unusual to celebrate them on the nearest Sunday. This generally does not apply to Ash Wednesday or Christmas Day.

* Advent – The Season of Expectation – Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas Day, the season of Advent is a time when the Church looks toward the second coming of Jesus and the eternal hope of Christians in the end of time. The color for this season is either Purple (for royalty) or Blue (for the Virgin Mary).
* Christmas – The Season of Incarnation – For 12 days, from Christmas Day (December 25) through Epiphany (January 6) (inclusive) the Church celebrates the miraculous incarnation of God in the person of Jesus. The color for this season is White.
* Epiphany – This season connects with the Christmas season as a time of beginnings. Beginning with the visit of the Wise Ones, the season includes the baptism of Jesus, the presentation in the temple, the miracle at Cana, and the Transfiguration. The season’s color is Green, with the special days using White for their celebration.
* Lent – The Season of Reflection – For forty days (not including Sundays) prior to Easter Sunday the Church reflects on the suffering of Jesus. Together, we approach the cross. Worship during this period is traditionally more subdued and penitential. Many people also fast during the season of Lent. The color for this season is Purple.
* Holy Week – The final week of Lent is called “Holy Week.” Often churches that do not typically meet for daily worship will meet every day of Holy Week. At the minimum, they will worship on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. The color for Holy Week remains Purple, although some churches use Red on Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday. Some churches also use Black on Good Friday.
* Easter – The Season of Resurrection – For fifty days beginning on Easter Sunday Christians celebrate the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus and the certain hope their own resurrection. The color for Easter is White. This season ends on the Sunday of Pentecost, for which the color is Red.
* Ordinary Time – The Season of Nurture and Growth – The periods of time following Epiphany and Pentecost are referred to as “Ordinary” because their Sundays are numbered in ordinal fashion. The focus of Ordinary Time is on developing a deeper understanding of Christian discipleship. The color for this season is Green (for growth).

* Christmas Day (December 25) – Celebrating the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
* Epiphany (January 6) – Honoring the arrival of the magi.
* Transfiguration Sunday (Sunday immediately prior to Ash Wednesday) – Prepares the Church for the rigors of Lent by dwelling on the holiness of Jesus as demonstrated in the moment of his transfiguration.
* Ash Wednesday (40 days, excluding Sundays, prior to Easter Day) – Begins a season of penitence, reflection, and fasting. It is generally observed by the imposition of ashes on the forehead with the words “From dust you have come, to dust you shall return.”
* Palm Sunday (1 week prior to Easter Day) – Begins Holy Week by commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
* Passion Sunday (observed on Palm Sunday) – Passion Sunday is sometimes observed in congregations where attendance during Holy Week is low or impossible, or where the congregation wishes to use that Sunday as preparation for the somber tone of Holy Week. This feast focuses on Jesus’ suffering, in anticipation of Resurrection Sunday. Passion Sunday is sometimes observed in conjunction with Palm Sunday.
* Maundy Thursday (Thursday immediately prior to Easter Day) – Commemorates the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Services on this evening often include a small fellowship meal and footwashing, in imitation of Jesus.
* Good Friday (Friday immediately prior to Easter Day) – Commemorates the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. A somber service without the Eucharist, often ending in a darkened sanctuary.
* Holy Saturday (the day immediately prior to Easter Day) – Commemorates the time when Jesus’ body lay in the tomb. Many churches observe an Easter Vigil throughout the night reading biblical texts which tell the whole salvation history of humanity.
* Resurrection Sunday / Easter Day – Commemorates the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
* Ascension of the Lord (Thursday, 40 days following Easter Day) – Commemorates the ascension of Jesus.
* Pentecost (50 days following Easter Day) – Commemorates the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the Church. The color for this Sunday is Red (representing the Holy Spirit).
* Trinity Sunday (Sunday following Pentecost) – Honors the mystery of the Trinity.
* Reign of Christ / Christ the King (last Sunday prior to Advent) – Honors Jesus as the unique and fully divine Son of God.

Resurrection Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The tables used to determine when the full moon falls do not precisely match the ones used by astronomers. Details on how the date of Easter is calculated can be found http://www.assa.org.au/edm here.