United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

Chapter 14. The Celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ • 173

(CCC, no. 1166). The Church encourages that Sunday, the “Lord’s Day,” also be a day for rest and recreation. It is also a day when the faithful can devote themselves to works of mercy and to the apostolate. This is discussed again in the chapter on the Third Commandment. The Liturgical Year In the Liturgical Year, the Church celebrates the whole mystery of Christ from the Incarnation until the day of Pentecost and the expectation of Christ’s second coming. The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery. The presence of the Risen Lord and his saving work permeates the entire Liturgical Year: Advent, the Christmas Season, Lent, the Easter Season, and Ordinary Time. The Cycle of Saints Besides the liturgical times just cited, the Church, with a special love, venerates Mary, the Mother of God, and also offers for the devotion of the faithful the memory of the martyrs and other saints. The veneration of Mary is evident in the number of feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is intimately linked to the saving work of her Son. Her feasts call us to admire and praise her as the outstanding fruit of Christ’s redeem ing work. Mary is the pure image of the kind of discipleship we hope to attain. She prays for us, loves us, and always brings us to Jesus. The feasts and memorials of the martyrs and other saints are occasions to praise God for their identification with Christ’s Paschal Mystery. They are examples to us of love for God and others, of heroic courage in prac ticing faith, and of concern for the needs of others. We also rely on their intercession when we present our needs to God in prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours Closely tied to the Eucharist in the daily liturgical life of the Church is the Liturgy of the Hours, especially Morning and Evening Prayer. The