The Liturgical Year is a MESS (I went down a rabbit hole)

The liturgical calendar seems simple at first… but it’s not.
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[@Rezkeshdadesh]

When Easter fell on April 1 a few years ago, I made a monk laugh when I said Thomas doubted Jesus had risen, because he thought it was an April Fools joke.

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

Nice one! 😄

[@reshabriella]

Good one!

[@annakareninacamara6580]

too bad I can only steal this joke in a couple hundred years from now XD

[@sarahisatitagain]

Hahahaha this was brilliant hahaha I love light hearted jokes about faith

[@simondeep]

Found this late. But that was a funny year. Like you said Easter was April Fools-and not only that, St Valentines Day was Ash Wednesday haha

[@marthahawkinson-michau9611]

I’m honestly just nerdy enough to really enjoy this video. I didn’t realize just how complicated the liturgical calendar was, but I am very glad that the reforms made more scripture be proclaimed in church.

[@johncaron4888]

Me too!

[@carolingian5736]

@YAJUN YUAN That is factually untrue. The Apocalypse of St. John is read at least once that I know of in the pre-1962 missal, that being on the feast of the Assumption.

[@carolingian5736]

@YAJUN YUAN The table he showed is misleading as it accounts only for Sundays and relies on a very narrow definition of "major feasts".

[@sergiowinter5383]

It would be cool to have an option for a really long mass with even more scripture, kinda like what happened in the old testament. Maybe in the future

[@nealkriesterer]

​@sergiowinter5383 It's rare, but mass can be combined with Liturgy of the Hours - this adds three more Psalms to the mass.

[@allisonsalazar9929]

I’m a catechumen coming into the Church this year and between liturgical calendar and the lectionary cycles, I just hold on tight and go with it. 🤣 thanks Fr. Casey!

[@marylinramos4300]

That's awesome!! It's always so nice to see comments like these 😊I often think about how many are leaving the Church. I dont usually think about those that actually want to be a part of it.

[@cherylhee9762]

And it's a whole new language 😂 some of these words I've never heard of!

[@cherylhee9762]

What? Would you repeat that? Just kidding 😁 WOW you know your stuff!

[@LostArchivist]

God bless you. Remember, you are entering the beginning of a new life in Christ. There are 2000 years of treasures of the Church to feast upon and a couple millennia more of the Old Covenant if you really like digging up meaning, and learning. Welcome, and remember, mortal sin is the only thing that can tear you from Christ. Be mindful of that and avoid it at all costs. But when you fall, bring it to Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and really lean into repentence and growing in the virtues. That journey is a lifelong one. Explore it all, but remember, Christ is truly found in the Most Holy Eucharist, in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity is there. Christ is God, the Eternal Son of God the Father, in the embrace of the Holy Spirit. The same Christ Who was born in Bethleham, was Baptized in the Jordan, walked in Israel, and died upon the Cross for the sins of all humanity. The same Christ Who rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of Gof the Father Almighty in Heaven, the same Christ Who shall come to judge all. He is present in the Blessed Sacrament. My recommendation, try to contemplate what that really means. The One Who created all of nature, all the stars and galaxies in space, all of the animals and plants of Earth, every natural law, the One Who guides all of history and space and time; the One Who made every person and forsaw and to the greatest to least of each of us, made us by and for love of us. The One Who is the pure act of To Be Himself. He is there The Creator Who when we messed things up, came down from Heaven and took upon Himself a human form and, became one of us and took upon Himself the sins of the world, and allowed Himself to die. The Eternal God Who defeated death by dying and rising from the dead on the Third Day. The God Who is Justice, Wisdom, Truth, Mercy, Beauty, the God Who is Divine Love. He is in the tabernacle, called down and offering Himself up for us again on the altar. He is there in the Most Holy Eucharist. No matter what else may come or go, this is His Church, He is why to stay no matter what. But do take these weeks before Easter to consider Who you are going to recieve and the implications of the fact that He wishes to commune with you and feed your soul with Himself. He is real, this is real, don`t be afraid to know that it can be so simply wonderful. Trust Him and love Him and believe He can and desires to lead you to His side for all eternity. There are obstacles and hardships of course, but He makes use even of these for our growth in the journey to Him. Sorry I know this is long, but it is summed up in this. Remember, The Most Holy Eucharist is Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ Himself. God bless you, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Lord and Savior. Amen.

[@cherylhee9762]

@@LostArchivist God bless you ❤️

[@rayragasa7589]

And they say learning about the liturgical calendar is boring?! 😂 Thanks Fr. Casey for dragging us in into this rabbithole. My nerdy Catholic school self is awakened lol

[@cartoonringo]

‘The calendar is a mess!!!’ Tridentine calendar over here leaning back and sipping beer

[@leylinegoddess]

actually the tlm presents a less inclusive amount of biblical readings. and is more static. i find the growth of the use of the biblical readings gratifying.

[@arlia11]

"I watched a 12 minute video about a week-long research hole about the Catholic Liturgical Calendar and all I got was this t-shirt" ------- and send that off to the printer! Hahah I love nerdy stuff like this. Keep it coming Father Casey. As a protestant, I always marveled around what we did not cover in church, and the onus was on us to do our own reading to fill in the rest. It's good to see that post-Vatican II held some positive changes in how much of the Old vs New Testaments were read in a mass, and I hope people take advantage of it! Keep going on this type of content, you at least would have me watching to see the results of your research!

[@loganleroy8622]

I have to say, I am really conflicted. I honestly think I might want to become Catholic, in large part because of this channel. I just don't know if I'm ready to take that leap. It will not go over well with my family if I make that commitment. Luke 14 and Matthew 10 stick in my mind as I write this, but that doesn't make it any less difficult.

[@ponypublications]

Praying for you friend! 🙏

[@dianaveronica85]

Praying for you, while you discern 🙏🙌🙌 !... Also, I would personally say that it is a better choice to "try and fail"😩 than to "never try at all"😣, if you really want to try something. Because, "A saint is not a person who never fails, but a saint is a person who remembers to get up, even after failing every time🤩 !" Remember that we are waiting for you, on the other side, friend ! 💓💞💕 The church(with all it's saints) will be there to catch you, when you take "the leap" 😇

[@AdJesumPerMariam24]

I was in your shoes 14 years ago… it took 3 years of discerning, but 11 years ago I became Catholic and it has been the biggest blessing in my life. My family wasn’t thrilled, but I knew I had to pursue the Truth, and Jesus was calling me into His Church. Some family members still don’t really understand, but their reaction wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be. I have never once regretted my decision. Praying for you, friend!

[@kragar4]

Check out the Coming Home Network. They have worked with thousands converting including pastors from multiple denominations that lost jobs because of converting. Blessings on your journey.

[@andrewpatton5114]

Some of the most hardened anti-Catholics have converted because one of their family members converted and dispelled the myths they have been taught.

[@elainebrockhaus649]

Take Away: Also read the Bible yourself 😄 Thanks for this fun and informative. (😅) article I will never think of “Ordinary Time” as quite so ordinary!

[@cassimosher]

Hahaha! I was just thinking, "So what I'm hearing is, 'Read your Bible!'"

[@s.potter4623]

:D :D

[@chagoot1024]

@@cassimosher That's what I was saying. We Catholics CAN read, and don't have to go without if we are still going to the Tridentine Mass.

[@sergiowinter5383]

I would even say to read different versions of the bible, or the original vulgata in Latin if your Latin is good enough

[@mariolis]

And dont forget to get a bible WITH the Deuteurocanonicals because most bibles in English are protestant ones

[@didoburns]

As someone who attends the TLM every Sunday and the new Mass most weekdays, I agree the new mass has a wide touch of scripture both old and new testament, but I'm also aware that in the new lectionary especially when the readings are long or contain some hard teachings there are usually shorter options which most times are what is usually read.

[@harry2654]

That was one of the reasons my family will no longer attend the new mass under any circumstances.

[@JSCRocketScientist]

I love the long ones. Same here.

[@slowroastedmarshmallow9226]

@@harry2654 I'm w you, Harry... This whole "making sense" of weaponized ambiguity is not a Rabbit Hole, but isa Pied Piper who leads people unto the edge of a Precipice! The Modernist architects of the V2 Sect made this MESS of the MASS on Purpose. Not only is it NOT Catholic, it borders on Sacrilege / Pure Evil! See "Eyewitness: Nun tells story of Modernist Revolution", a Faithful Nun who had the COURAGE in the late 1960's to Remain a Faithful Catholic / become a Traditional Nun (which she is to this day)!NOT follow the Pied Piper of Vw you will like what this holy nun, who must be around 70 years old has to say. I'm sure Fr. Casey came from a "good family", but it isn't enough to be "nice" / going along to get along w Leaders who ARE NOT good examples of Faith (i.e. almost all the Popes since V2)...

[@lbower2025]

The point of the reading at the TLM is to praise God that is why in the old rite during a Deacon's ordination the bishop says " Proclaim the Gospel for the living and the dead" but in the new Mass the readings are for the people.

[@Darth_Reposter]

My Parish has the exact oposite, everytime there is a shorter Readind/Gospel the Priest tells us to read the long one/reads the long Gospel. It's good, we get more of God's Word.

[@thatsnoternie]

Great breakdown! One thing I’d add is proper feasts and solemnities that make the calendar even different from diocese to diocese and in some cases parish to parish.

[@doverbeachcomber]

I still maintain that introducing the term “Ordinary Time” was one of the most misguided decisions of all those that followed Vatican II. Yes, I know that “ordinary” was intended in its little-used sense of “ordered” or “organized.” But In everyday English, “ordinary” usually carries a heavy connotation of “unremarkable” and “humdrum.” Not exactly inspiring or energizing! At least with the former terminology, “Sundays after Pentecost”, you had some sense that you were part of the explosion of the Church into the World that began at the first Pentecost and was still going on.

[@Darth_Reposter]

You are right in Portuguese we say "Tempo Comum" and Comum measn Common, Ordinary or simple/abundant. Many people think that Ordinary Time is siply the "remainder" of the callendar, so people fall to the error of thinking Ordinary Time is less important than the "non-Ordinary" Times.

[@brentfisher902]

@@Darth_Reposter Want 'ordinary' Well in my mind every day of my life is the same as the last..September 10, 2001. A routine day. No day of the week of the year sticks out from any of the others. (Reason: I am your tax dollars at work. Monday is as happy a day as Saturday when you don't ever have to work a single day in your life and my needs are met 100% of the time)

[@sergiowinter5383]

I think it fits very well. Like in our lives, in the majority of time we are doing the ordinary, which is necessary, just not as flamboyant as the times we go to a party or something unexpected happens, same thing with Jesus doing His ordinary, which wasn't awesome like easter or Christmas but still extraordinary in human history.

[@scolley0616]

Another "rabbit hole" is the Liturgy of the Hours for Ash Wednesday and the 3 following days. I have gotten, more than once, "What do you mean we use Week 1 Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and switch to Week 4 on Wednesday and for the rest of the week?"

[@mdruane]

I did the Ascension Bible in a Year, and I can understand why a lot of the OT was skipped-- mainly repetition. But the historical context and what was happening with the people and such-- it gave me great insight into the New Testament and removed any doubts about Jesus being fulfillment of God's Plan. I highly recommend it for getting the most out of the New Testament.

[@j2muw667]

Same! The insight and extra reinforcement on how Holy the Holy of Holys was- and dedicated priests.. and that God came down to them! And about staying seperate from the pagans because holy people will become ‘lazy’ and start leaning towards pagan ways.. Some seems extreme (killing a whole population rather than taking a chance on their ways corrupting the Jewish faith)... repetitive- but I figure it’s part of the challenge in building discipline! 🤣😜

[@themobbit9061]

Kudos for gathering all that info. Interesting the difference between pre-Vatican 2. I wish Catholics were encouraged to read at least 1 gospel in sequence (perhaps in groups) to see the beauty of Jesus’ words and works unfold in its context - instead of in choppy bits.

[@brucejohnson7944]

I found this all very interesting. The liturgical calendar from 1970 going forward gives you a lot more of the readings out of The Bible but it does not in any way shape or form take way from the fact good Catholic christians should be doing and that is spending more time with his/her bible. This being lent is an excellent opportunity to get back into The Bible. You will get more than you get from the cycles and you won't have too concerned about missing anything.

[@lbower2025]

You are right we should read the Bible on our own but the point of the reading at the TLM is to praise God that is why in the old rite during a Deacon's ordination the bishop says " Proclaim the Gospel for the living and the dead" but in the new Mass the readings are for the people. So they have two different uses and in the TLM almost every Priest reads the readings in English and Latin so that the people can understand.

[@brentfisher902]

The main thing here...is stay in school, and read. It's Okay To Be Smart.

[@1dancy]

BTW, thank you Friar Casey for the time you put into this series.

[@maryemilysmiley6146]

My head just exploded. I don't know how we learned the Bible stories pre-Vatican II. Catholic school kids from grade through high school learned the stories by osmosis. They were in our readers and all kinds of material. I had and still have my St. Joseph Sunday missal in Latin and English. I have the current St. Joseph Sunday missal and the two volume week day missals. I have always enjoyed them and still remember quotes from our Baltimore Catechism. For anyone trying to make heads or tails out of the liturgical calendar the St. Joseph Missal gets you where you want to go w excellent summaries of the meaning of the readings. It's great to be a nerd but this is a battle I won't pick. Informative, but I have to put my head back together.🙏✝️😱

[@dylantemple2509]

I'd love to see some statistics on who's more biblically literate. Your average Novos Ordo attendee, or a Traditional Catholic.

[@CatholicNicklas]

Vatican 2 just made it all the more confusing

[@thischarminghouse]

Out of curiosity, does the pre Vatican 2 calendar still exist? I suppose I can google.

[@TeXasDadBod]

I need friends like you I’m 35 and try and relate to people but at church people don’t seem to want to be friends my age because they already have some or are busy with kids and cannot understandably just hang out and talk about God . I too have kids and only have a chance to chill out and speak about Jesus when I go visit my cousin and we talk 3-4 hours which upsets our wife’s not because we are glorifying God but because we are not tending to the kids or them which seems to irritate them instead of being happy we have one or two days to have a moment to have these conversations. Here I am a man who has problems with the internet and trying to stay off of it so I am not tempted I also can only get my daily dose of The Bible with a explanation of what I’m reading as fast as I can online . I’m not complaining just trying to find people I can hang with that aren’t about video games drugs or fighting to have these Bible conversations once and a while but also do stuff like Jujitsu lessons go to parks and ride bikes or skateboard with people who love God. I know if I don’t find any I can always spread the news and teach them what I know as a catechized Catholic and then have friends through that avenue but it be cool to do that with likeminded friends . Of course I will mention I have my wife and she is great but even she needs friends other than me as well and ones that don’t pressure her to be “COOL” .

[@rezitatorin]

Another reason why I simply love the Church.

[@BreakingInTheHabit]

That's why I make videos like this! There's so much to marvel at!

[@henkaistudio]

@@BreakingInTheHabit Mary was married to Joseph and she has 6 other children and they are Simon and James and Jude and Jose and two unnamed daughters. She just like us too needed a savior and she grew old and died and she is buried underground and she went into heaven too.

[@Bicicletasaladas]

​@@henkaistudio Hail Mary, full of Grace The Lord is with thee Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, JESUS Holy Mary, Mother of God Pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death. Amen. +++ Glory be to the Father + and to the Son + and to the Holy Ghost+ As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

[@theleastofpilgrims3379]

Also, by the way, the Ambrosian and Mozarabic Rite lectionaries always had an Old Testament lesson. The main reason why the Latin Rite and its Protestant derivatives traditionally lacked an Old Testament lesson was because this was supposed to be, and still is in the Byzantine Rite, something you hear at Vespers on Saturday Night. Also, if you factor in the Divine Office, the reduced number of lessons during the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Mass is less of an issue. The problem, as pointed out by Fr. Robert Taft SJ, Requiescat in Pace, was always one of parish priests reading the Breviary as a private devotion since about the year 1000, so access to the Divine Office in the Western church outside of cathedrals and certain churches operated by some of the religious orders was limited. The Second Vatican Council did command the universal public celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, and also mandated the continued use of Latin in the Roman Rite, but both of these important decisions subsequently failed to be implemented, which is why I am one of many who feels a reform of the reform is needed, as well as a renewed spirit of tolerance for traditional Latin mass communities.

[@patriciagrundy3204]

This explains so well why we do not hear some Scripture messages equally every 3 years. Thank you for all of your time and patience to discover all of these fact and then taking time to share all of this. We are truly blessed with God's Word and Love.

[@deonna53223]

That's it! You're banned from the internet rabbit holes for the rest of the year! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I so understand how you go down these rabbit holes. It starts with a small string and you keep pulling and pulling. Lol. This was interesting. Thanks! 😁

[@TonyFromChicago_]

Which year?

[@deonna53223]

@@TonyFromChicago_ 🤣🤣🤣🤦‍♀️. Touche. I guess I need to pick one. 🤣🤣

[@De-Nigma]

Maybe we can make it safer: you’re only allowed down internet rabbit holes during the 9th week in ordinary time. (Seconded though, I didn’t know any of this, and you’re good at presenting it, thanks.)

[@deonna53223]

@@De-NigmaCan we really be sure that's the safest one??? 🤣

[@mssixty3426]

Just yesterday I was looking through my missal and Catholic calendar trying to figure out what happened with Ordinary Time after Easter . . . Which left me puzzled, so thank you for this explanation!

[@joelarkin4268]

Pray for peace in the world. It's the first Day of lent. Fasting penance prayer. Wear the brown scapular. Pray the Rosary everyday.🙏🇮🇪☘️☘️☘️

[@jy7383]

When the Mass changed in 1964 i was in Borneo - i flew back to Singapore, was directed to the Catholic church for daily Mass where an Indian priest was talking English the whole way through. I assumed I was in a protestant church. In Borneo I had sat through two sermons on Sundays --- Chinese and Eban from a Dutch priest --- but the holy sacrifice -- the ONE THING NECESSARY --- was offered exactly as always. It was the same in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) at Christmas that year --- with a sermon in Shona -- and in Holland on my way home to England --- with a sermon/homily jn Dutch ---- just as the blessed silence of the holy Mass had been when I was at school in Switzerland, when the sermon was in French

[@Banman52]

The Christmas season is the most concise "mess"- Christmas, Jesus in the manger, then Feast of the Holy Family within a week - Jesus is suddenly 12 years old, then The Epiphany, Jesus is back in the manger, then the Baptism of the Lord - Jesus is suddenly, what, 30 years old???

[@EugeniaB82]

Shirt should say, I love my faith & mathematics 🤣 I’m still doing last year’s Bible in a year podcast w/ Fr Mike Schmitz. I’ll get there eventually 👍🏼

[@amytarvin2776]

Thank you! I kept falling asleep during Leviticus until I just gave up.😕. I am pitiful.

[@j2muw667]

@@amytarvin2776 - just keep chipping away a chapter at a time! Maybe read it instead of listening? Eventually you’ll get through Leviticus and Numbers... I’m on a ‘Bible in a year’ schedule.. I’m about a month behind, and it’s just the end of March!🤣. But I figured it’s better to keep at it to form a habit of reading regularly (I’m not yet at daily) than not reading it at all! I do better reading myself than listening... God bless your endeavor!

[@amytarvin2776]

@@j2muw667 Thank you for the encouragement! You are right!👍🏻

[@Mike-bn7kr]

I was told by many priest in my life we read the full Bible every 3 years. Now you made me qustion the turn being told.

[@johnstack4352]

I use the New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal( I've been using it since the beginning of the Pandemic) and you answered my question of what happened to the 9th Sunday in OT yr C. Thank you BTW I would encourage anyone to invest in a Missal,it allows you to be prepared for Mass and more ✌️🙏

[@timothysworld1028]

❤ I did liturgy planning for parish for over 20 years. I found d this so informational .

[@michaelnewton5873]

February 2 is also Candle Mass.

[@andrejosefb.carabeo6577]

Very informative video Father! I hope you could do a second part of this series, this time concerning the saints inserted in the General Roman Calendar and the differences between Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials.

[@christinashaw1859]

This year, when Advent was only three weeks long, I decided to try out the 6 week long Nativity Fast with our Eastern brothers and sisters! It was definitely a learning experience. 🙂 The idea of only having three weeks to prepare for Christmas caused me a lot of anxiety lol!…I’m actually thinking about looking more into the Ukrainian Catholic rite. It’s neat that we have so many different cultures and ways of worshiping in our Church!

[@williamhillyard6688]

I love listening to you Father Casey. Thank you for your knowledge and sharing it with us. God Bless You.

[@JesusIsLove2512]

Praise the Lord Jesus Christ 🙏 Mother Mary Pray For Us 🙏Abba Father Bless us and we Adore You 🙏Holy Spirit Guide us and direct our paths 🙏

[@mkcatrona]

Thanks. If I was bored at Mass as a teen, this was often something that I wondered about. The liturgical calendar never really added up to me, but since I was usually thinking about it during a particularly dry homily or a reading I've heard for the nth time, I forgot about it by the time I got home and could google it.

[@annettebeckett4671]

In South Africa..Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt also on a Sunday. She is the Patron Saint of South Africa

[@standupstathentes6842]

Let's pray for the old and new calendar to find some sort of awesome fusion. Let's goooo!

[@mandyv8524]

At least I know I'm not the only one in the rabbit hole. I was just thinking about it! Honestly, I was firming up Catechism plans and spiraled down too. Thanks for the company down here and the explanations in the video.

[@josephdiorio4809]

In Our Maronite Catholic Church we only have a one year cycle

[@josephdiorio4809]

@Michael Fox for 50 Years the Maronite Church celebrated Orthodox Easter it wasn’t until we opened Parishes in The United States a Long time ago, then the Patriarch decided to change the Calendar to the Gregorian because of the Maronites in the United States.

[@THuff808]

It was very informative. I never stopped to think of breaking down the readings in this manner. Now I have a little better understanding of how/why we have certain readings. In grade school we always did the daily calendar/weather etc. wish they would have tacked this on with the lessons. Gradually learning about the Liturgical Calendar and Year in this manner, might save a lot of confusion and may even draw us closer to understanding the workings within the Mass. Thank you for your efforts and gift of teaching.

[@mikealexander1935]

When I was a kid I wondered if Easter would ever fall on my birthday (March 24). Later I realized it would not happen in my lifetime. As shown in the figure at 2:12, it was the least likely date from 1600 to 2099.

[@moroaica3660]

I'm not even Catholic (pagan, actually) but this is actually fascinating. You guys make the Roman and Greek calendars look simple! lol

[@leonardab5042]

I LOVE THIS!! This liturgical calendar complexity is one of my favorite aspects of Catholic liturgy. Maybe it would also be awesome if you can elaborate on why certains feasts are on certain dates (I mean, there are already discussions about why Christmas is on 25th Dec, but there are many other feasts with fixed dates). Anyhow, always grateful to watch your videos, Fr. Casey! Thank you!

[@JuanMartinez-xl2oj]

Great video, now that you've elucidated this point, care to help the layman learn to take up the liturgy of the hours?

[@christinebutler7630]

There's a wonderful KZbin channel called sing the hours. It's easy to follow and may God bless the guy who makes the videos for doing the work of figuring out the calendar. There's lauds and vesper, each day. Still searching for a channel for compline.

[@JuanMartinez-xl2oj]

@@christinebutler7630 thanks a ton, I'm going to look that up!

[@ReddBlues]

I've never seen the circle of fifths as the liturgical calendar before. That's awesome. I really could have benefited from this as a kid.

[@mrbarryfleming]

Great video, but my FOMO levels are skyrocketing 🚀, great incentive to fill in the gaps at home, thanks Fr Casey I had no idea how much I was missing out on

[@bzar_q]

I highly doubt we know more of the Bible today than in times past. It’s awkward to criticize the ancient Roman Rite for only covering 1% of the OT and then showing that the Novus Ordo covers 13%… wow. Now I really feel like we have the OT down. The liturgy shouldn’t try to be so many thing at once. If you want a healthy dose of the OT read the Bible. There’s also the daily office which will increase exposure. But honestly, it’s probably a problem that we give the sense that you can really get through the Bible by going to Mass. You can’t. If you want to read the Bible read it. I did enjoy the video though. Nice perspective and informative.

[@TheMinotaurWarrior]

Fun fact: Leap day is not February 29th, it's February 24th A double-length day was added by Augustus as the fifth day before the Calend (start) of March, in order to work around the similarly complicated Roman Pagan holiday schedule. The Gregorian calendar inherited this. Modern secular calendars also inherited it - and changed the way days are popularly referred to, getting rid of "ad/ab" dates, or "since/from" and sticking to consistently counting up from the first day after the start of the month. It's like if I said, "Every 208 weeks, there's an extra day between tuesday and wednesday called tudensay" and then everyone switched to calling it "day 1, day 2, day 3..." and thought the leap day was day 8.

[@maryellencook9528]

Well, at least the Liturgical year is color coded. That helps to keep some of us grounded. 😆😂🤣😄 Of course, as an Episcopalian, things are not quite so complicated, except we have years A,B,C, and D. P.S. My late Roman Catholic Father-in-law always carried his pre Vatican 2 misselette, in Latin, to Mass every Sunday that he was alive.❤

[@robertmclean590]

If you have a Year D in your parish you'd be doing something very odd. Every Anglican province I can think of follows what Fr Casey outlines, with the occasional variation in readings, but essentially it's exactly the same. Indeed the Episcopal Church's official website says, 'The Lectionary in the BCP and other contemporary lectionaries use a three-year cycle, referred to as Years A, B, and C. Year A begins on the First Sunday in Advent in years evenly divisible by three (e.g., 2001). The Daily Office lectionary follows a two-year cycle. Year One begins on the First Sunday in Advent preceding odd-numbered years and Year Two even-numbered years. In the eucharistic lectionary the Gospel According to Matthew is read in Year A, Mark in Year B, and Luke in Year C. The Gospel According to John is used during Lent and Easter, and on some Sundays in Year B, since Mark is shorter than the other gospels'. The complexity comes for those people who produce the annual calendars with readings for the year. For those of us in the pews week by week it's pretty easy, we just have to 'read, mark, learn and inwardly digest' the readings, as Archbishop Cranmer put it.

[@maryellencook9528]

@@robertmclean590 I may be thinking of our old EFM module. My parish does follow the BCP. When I started EFM 15 years ago it was using the B.O.B. Big Old Binder, and our common lesson book was years ABCD. My parish prints out the service and readings for all 3 services, so I haven't used a BCP for a few years. It is asy to become complacent, even though this is less confusing for visitors. I apologize for the confusion.

[@StephenGBorja]

I started the video, thinking "Liturgical calendar? That's so simple with Year I and II; A, B and C!" And then you continued explaining it which got me confused and then fascinated and then amazed at how intricate and enriching of a mess our liturgical calendar is! Thank you! Credits to the Holy Spirit for my finishing the video!

[@margaretwandel5660]

I did not know when I was a kid the Catholic Church only had one liturgical year. That will explain why I had never heard certain Bible passages.

[@curt8652]

That's really more about your own catechisis and home spiritual life.

[@margaretwandel5660]

@@curt8652 No, it is about how the Catholic Church taught the Bible during mass. At that time, the nuns at religious education classes discouraged people from reading the Bible on their own. Protestants received a much better Bible education and still do. However, Protestants are not taught to revere the sacraments.

[@curt8652]

@Margaret Wandel So that has nothing to do with the Mass, just bad teachers and again, home life. And I was raised prot they have a tepid knowledge at best, just as the average Catholic.

[@margaretwandel5660]

@@curt8652 If you were raised Protestant than you do not know what the Latin mass was like at that time and how things were taught. According to Fr. Casey there was only one liturgical year while I was growing up. So only a small part of the Bible was taught. With Vatican 2 that changed. That Protestants have doctrinal differences with the Catholic Church does not mean they did not cover the Bible better. Of course, there are a wide variety of Protestant churches who have differing approaches. But when I was growing up generally Protestants read their Bibles while Catholics did not. There were no Catholic Bible study groups at that time.

[@curt8652]

@Margaret Wandel You're reasoning is all over the place. I do know what the tlm was like then speaking to those around at the time though most were children..as it is now, as I attend regularly and serve it. So yes I know exactly the calendar which was/is never the exact same but close. That there wasn't bible studies or people didn't pick up there's had nothing to do with liturgy and was entirely on cultural norms. Vatican 2 didn't change anything...The liturgy was changed after the council, on its recommendations...which were ignored in many cases. Also they might have added more OT but they cut out key things like 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. I didn't mention doctrinal differences....not sure why you are? They take out their bibles but for many its a Sunday only event. Broad stokes. Besides having everyone interpret all scripture themselves hasn't exactly been great for Christian unity.

[@moirahansen1955]

Glad I stayed through to the end of this video.. I really wasn't sure where you were going at the beginning. Thank you.

[@joejackson6205]

I figured this out a while back, came to the conclusion, like John Paul the Great, every good Catholic should read the Bible every day.

[@pirenet]

I am a huge Liturgy nerd. Well Done Fr Casey!

[@cindyb5065]

This answers a question I planned to pose to our parish priest. We received lectionary workbooks each year. The A, B and C rotation I understood but didn’t see (before now) why they weren’t reused every three years to save money. That would be way too easy a solution.😂

[@BreakingInTheHabit]

If you can wait a few hundred years it might work!

[@ryanrusch3976]

Also if you really want interesting calendrical history one of the most interesting facts is that the modern calendar in which everybody uses was created by Gaius Julius Caesar. He created the calendar because as Pontifex Maximus it was his job to dole out special days in order to keep the calendar on time. He didn't do his job due to being at war with the state and therefore hadn't updated the calendar in three years making it around two weeks off. This is important as during the Roman Civil War the opposing general, one Titus Labienus once Caesar's right-hand man, stopped defending the Dalmatian coast as according to the Calendar it was now unfit to sail ships across the strait. However, Caesar knew about the Calendar and therefore was able to make an unopposed landing and eventually win the Roman Civil War. After the Civil War Caesar would sit down with a group of highly intelligent people and remade the calendar to consist of 11 months all consisting of 31 days excecpt for February which was seen as an unlucky month and was therefore made shorter than the rest, and to ensure that a Pontifex Maximus could never mess up his job again he incorporated Leap Year so that the Calendar would never require extra days be added manually.

[@Laurelin70]

Actually, the calendar we now use is the one reformed by pope Gregorius XIII in 1582.

[@ryanrusch3976]

@@Laurelin70 The only real change Gregory made was to space Leap Years our more effectively. The amount of days each month, February being the shortest month, and the ideas of the leap year all came from Caesar.

[@danielewens2330]

This was the nerdiest video I’ve watched at lunch in a long while. Thank you Father Casey! I’m currently wrapping up a masters degree in the Liturgy and I can’t tell you how fascinating I find this. I would agree that the revised calendar and lectionary are some of the most important fruits of the second Vatican council. But as a parish Liturgy Director it certainly makes my job a lot more confusing!

[@terecaravaca]

He has another nerdy video that I loved. I think it’s called “18 minutes of useless information about the Catholic Church” or something like that. If you like this one, I think you would also like that one

[@dianaveronica85]

This is awesome 😂... I've been trying to learn about liturgical calendars from the internet, but I didn't get much information. Now I may have to rewatch this video a few more times 😂😂

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

Same here

[@nancydonarm5367]

I love it, you are so much fun and I look foward to your talks

[@ryanrusch3976]

My favorite time of the year is ordinary time! when I was a kid it was my favorite time because everyone wore green and now its my favorite time of the year because of the funny name.

[@jacksonreedsweet2818]

The 1962 liturgical calendar is somewhat complex as well. There is no ordinary time, but instead the Sundays after Epiphany and the Sundays after Pentecost. You have between two and six “Sundays after Epiphany” depending on the date of Easter, and then Gesimatide three Sundays before Ash Wednesday (Septagesima, Sexagesima, and Quintagesima). You’re then in Lent, followed by Eastertide, followed by Pentecost and the Sundays after. The last Sunday after Pentecost is always the 24th Sunday, and if the 23rd Sunday falls too early, you do the “resumed Sundays after Epiphany” to fill in the gaps.

[@curt8652]

It flows rather well.

[@annettebeckett4671]

Nope now I can explain Calendar to kids. Everything a catechism lesson. Thanks Fr

[@patthompson8591]

Oh dear! Fr Casey, I'll stick with the simple Julian or Gregorian calendars - no rabbit holes. 😊

[@doug.jones.88]

It can get even more fun in other parts of the world. In some countries of the Middle East, among them Jordan and Egypt, the Christians have collectively decided to celebrate Christmas with the West and Easter with the East. So now there's not only the usual liturgical year cutting and pasting, but also figuring out how to catch up to the rest of the Latin church once Easter passes. In 2018, I had two (Catholic) Holy Weeks back to back, one in Lebanon (Gregorian calendar) and one in Egypt (Julian calendar). I was also living with Jesuits of different Eastern rites that year. For the Maronites, Lent starts on Ash Monday, and the Maronite calendar predominated in the Jesuit house where I was staying. But the priests would also celebrate Melkite and Latin Rite liturgies depending on their native rite. One of the priests celebrated Latin Rite Mass the day after Ash Monday, which you might recognize as Fat Tuesday, a day *before* Lent had even begun in the West. We of course didn't switch back from Lent to Ordinary Time, so I have no idea which Mass he used! Being Catholic is fun!

[@ceewng5042]

I do wonder why belief in the Eucharist has declined so much, and catechesis in general is awful? Genuinely asking, not snarky at all. I go to the TLM (old calendar) and the catechesis/homilies are leagues above anything I heard when going to a NO parish 🤷

[@kurtbarrett4618]

N.O.=quantity TLM=quality & yes the TLM calendar is a mess also, i mean the whole month of Oct, I hardly know what week we are on.

[@cjtaylor1977]

I always learn a lot from your channel so thank you. I knew about easter but I did not appreciate how complex your religion is in this practice. It makes me think that other religions must have equally mixed calenders. I know some are basd on cycles too and yet seem to shift a lot per calendar year. It makes me grateful I don't have to work out this complexity. Well done to any scholars invested in this.

[@supreme87878]

TLM calender doesnt have ordinary time. Three weeks before Lent period is not ordinary time, it is pre-lent period liturgical colour: purple.

[@Marist_Chanel]

As a person who has been attending the Latin Mass for the last 14 years, i agree that we don’t hear as much scripture variety as we do in the New Mass. But I would like to say, that because we have the same reading’s every year, it’s more ingrained in my memory and I’m more familiar with them. Also, the sermons based on these readings and feastday’s change every year, especially if it’s a different priest. It allows me to look at these mysteries and feasts in different ways that help deepen my understanding of them and also allow me to appreciate much more, God’s infinite wisdom. Pretty much like the rosary. You meditate so many times on the same mysteries that bit by bit, you’re looking at these mysteries from different angles and realising just how deep these mysteries are. Overtime, a new lightbulb goes off in your head and you’re like “How did i not see that before?” 🤔 Just having the one cycle of readings means it’s more fresh in my mind so to speak. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to appreciate the New Mass readings like that. Who knows? Maybe it’s because I don’t follow the New Mass with a missal 🤷‍♂️

[@leylinegoddess]

yes i am old enough to say it was engrained in me, but my brain kept saying, that can't be all there is. sooooo i became an historian and studies all the stuff that went along with the standard operating readings. ah what revelation.

[@1dancy]

..and I thought the fact that I forgot today was ash Wednesday and ate meat was problematic.

[@theleastofpilgrims3379]

You know, also, the specific issue you refer to here was not an issue with Ferial Sundays in the Extraordinary Form, but it could still be fixed in the Ordinary Form by inserting a rubric into the General Instruction of the Roman Mass allowing for multiple sets of lessons to be read in the same mass.

[@Laurelin70]

In Italy we still have some liturgical feast celebrated even if at mid-week: Epiphany (january 6), Assumption of Mary (august 15), All Saints (november 1st) and Immaculate Conception (december 8), plus Christmas and Saint Stephen (december 26). SO we are spared some sundays.

[@lapun47]

Thanks Father, it's comforting to see I'm not the only one puzzled by (mind-boggled by) the liturgical calendar.

[@mattbonner12]

That is pretty interesting. Then if want to go beyond just the mass and include the breviary, there are a lot more things as well including the optional gospel and canticle readings in the back lol.

[@MrCarls814]

I always enjoy these kinds of videos keep up the good work Father Casey

[@carolynkimberly4021]

Mass is not meant for catechesis. It is meant for offering the one sacrifice acceptable to God for the remission of sin.

[@BreakingInTheHabit]

The mass does offer a sacrifice for their mission of sins, but it is also the primary means of catechesis and a visualization. From even ancient times there was an axiom Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi: The law of prayer is the law of faith. In other words the way we pray influences and defines what we believe. Since the early times, prayer has always been the primary means of Catechesis.

[@Diffman731]

@@BreakingInTheHabit yet what you hear at a typical Catholic Mass is "hymns" (more like songs, really) with weak Theology and a sermon with weaker even more watered down Theology which in no way reflects the Theology of what was taught in the "early times."

[@MrColinwith1L]

@@Diffman731 the problem is the weak theology and the emphasis on sensationalism. Not the liturgy itself.

[@Diffman731]

@@MrColinwith1L tell me more about how songs like "On Eagle's Wings", "Table of Plenty" and many others have sound Theology.

[@MrColinwith1L]

@@Diffman731 on eagles wings is very closely paraphrasing Psalm 91. (If you have ever prayed the breviary for Sunday at Compline you likely would know this). So it is rooted in Scripture, which is revealed sacred doctrine, which is according to St Thomas Aquinas the very object of all theological study, as it is from the wisdom of God. Table of plenty is an amalgamation of various biblical verses as well, from various psalms, parts of the book of Proverbs (“wisdom sets her table and invites all to the feast”), the song of Isaiah 12, and most importantly from parts of the Gospels (“your teacher eats with sinners”). Again, one who regularly prays the breviary could easily recognize these verses as from the biblical psalmody. So thus song too is descended from the sacred doctrine of revelation, the object of theological study. So please tell me more about what you think is a better material for crafting hymn content? Granted these are hippie-ish and dated. But can we say they have weak theology when they have the revealed wisdom of God as their source material?

[@paullydca]

THANK YOU!!!!!! This explains so much. I was super confused my the 3 year missal I bought had week 9 listed for this year, but the missal for just this year from my parish did not. This makes sense to me.

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

I really like the new post-Vatican II 3-year cycle. But I will admit that I hate that there are two “Ordinary Times.” I wish we had kept the names Epiphanytide, Shrovetide, and Pentecostide. Fr. Casey, if you’re ever made Pope or Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, can you please put these names back into use? Haha. They just sound cooler even if nothing else is change!

[@claytonknight7825]

Fr. Casey, thank you very much for making such a wonderful, in-depth, and informative video. I made a liturgical wall calendar for a friend this last year and found out just how much was involved in it. But as someone who is interested in this topic, it is worth pointing out you were not fully correct in your statement that Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full Moon that falls on or after the spring equinox. Rather, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full Moon that falls on or after the set ecclesiastical equinox, of March 21st. In 2019, for example, the astronomical spring equinox was March 20th, along with a full moon the same day. However, because the first full moon following the ecclesiastical equinox was April 19th, Easter was not until April 21st, a full month after the first full moon on or after the astronomical spring equinox. Your calendar is wild, and so remarkably interesting.

[@Sulla2300]

Thank you for putting this video together. I learned so much.

[@thefulgurator]

this finally explains why there are some readings that come up at mass that i don't ever recall having heard before! i've thought "well surely 3 years ago i heard this and i must just forget". turns out i may have never heard it or it's been 10ish years since i did. phew, i feel better about myself now that i have this knowledge! 😅😇

[@HoldYourBreat4]

Father Casey…. You did this to yourself 😂 have you ever heard the expression “I don’t need to know how the watch works, just tell me what time it is” ..? Love your content 🙏🏻

[@brentfisher902]

1:16 This is what is known as a Pseudo-Random Number Generator. Often done with a Linear-Feedback Shift Register...it generates a sequence of equally likely statistically random numbers using binary deterministic means which on first inspection, appear unpredictable and totally random. But after a long time (Millennia, in your case), the sequence repeats over, and if you were able to remember/store the entire sequence and knew ahead of time the exact length of the time it takes to repeat...the numbers are boringly predictable. If the date Easter fell on was coverted to PCM audio and played through a speaker...it would sound like a waterfall.

[@TCM1231]

God Bless you Fr.

[@DanielWSonntag]

I do the church bulletin so this is helpful! Now I don't feel so bad wondering why it's so confusing sometimes 🤨

[@thomasdooher7138]

This is the first of your conferences I listened to where I needed a shot after. Geeeeezzz…

[@bernadettehomerski3561]

This I have shared with my team….you did a great job of explaining the ‘mess’…!! Thank you!

[@fv9859]

Fr. Casey, I just love your videos. They feel so refreshing. Warm regards from Brazil.🇧🇷

[@GrantQuinn1]

On a weekend where there is a “missed Sunday” I will now set aside time for the readings that get substituted out. Is there scope for a parish to use those readings at another time, such as a Saturday morning Mass?

[@petermorris1871]

Fantastic vid Father. From another Father who really likes listening to you. God bless the good work and will be sharing this with some of my flock whom I know will enjoy this fantastic geek-out and rabbit hole!

[@robertjarman4261]

From Russian Orthodox person in Russia sympathetic to Catholics. I tend to use both the Eastern and Western to avoid fasting days.

[@thedzkydabz3738]

Woah! This is mindblowing as a catholic 😳😳😳

[@that_faint_melody]

(2:19) My birthday is March 24, and I always wondered why it never fell on Easter Sunday…looks like I’ll be waiting until 2391 before it happens again…

[@allisonsalazar9929]

Also my Bday! Guess it’s a waiting game…

[@michaelrome3527]

God bless you Father for taking the mind numbing time to explain this 😳

[@hayenon]

Love it thanks for your research on all this. Wow! God bless you.

[@willowwhisps1339]

Can you make a video talking about angels, specifically angels as biblically accurate vs. angels as shown by art and media? Also the seven arc angels including the only ones who are named (that I know of) Gabriel, Micheal, and Raphael? I would be very interested to learn more!

[@defyingblueprints6914]

I'm very confused. Does the Catholic church have set readings for everyday? Does the priest not pick a text every week, with the possibility to have something relevant for the time/place? Who makes the schedule?

[@e_rock_3149]

Yes, the Catholic church has set readings for every day. The priest does not get to choose whatever text he wants. (There are some limited exceptions where the priest might have options, but usually that's not the case, especially on Sundays). Naturally, the Vatican sets the readings for the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.