Eastern Oklahoma Catholic July/August 2010 : Page 22
s p i r i t u a l f i t n e s s Towards harvest time Aug. 15, the Pascha of summer, sig-nals the beginning of the final phase of the liturgical year. The Church enters into the splendors of Her harvest time. With the feasts of late summer and au-tumn, the Church turns the shimmering pages of the book of the Apocalypse and draws us into their mystery. “Blessed is he who keeps what is written therein; for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3) Mysteries of glory On Aug. 6, 40 days before the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord, a mystery of heavenly glory. “I saw one like a son of man ... And His face was like the sun shining in full strength. (Rev-elation 1:16) Six weeks later, on Sept. 14, we celebrate His Glorious Cross, the Tree of Life with leaves “for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2) The great multitude On Nov. 1, the immense mosaic of all the saints is unveiled before our won-dering eyes in a liturgy scintillating with images from the Apocalypse and echo-ing with “the voice of a great multitude like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, cry-ing, ‘Alleluia!’” (Revelation19:6) Apocalyptic phase of the What the liturgical year teaches us Eastern Oklahoma Catholic 22 July/August 2010 | www.dioceseoftulsa.org Come, Lord Jesus On Nov. 9, the Feast of the Dedica-tion of St. John Lateran points to “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband.” (Revela-tion 21:2) As Mother Church approaches Advent, the end of Her yearly cycle, the sacred liturgy increases its momentum. Beginning with the solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe, the last cry of the book of the Apocalypse is ceaselessly in our hearts and on our lips, “Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20) Those who belong to Christ The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Aug. 15 inau-gurates the phase described by St. Paul in the second reading, “In Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at His
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