Author: Cathy Loh, Diocese of Palm Beach Director, Office of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Liturgical living is widely discussed today, and we highlight it each month in our Joy of the Family newsletter. You may still be wondering what it is, how it can shape your family’s daily life, and what benefits it offers.
Liturgical living is the practice of aligning daily life with the rhythm of the Church’s liturgical calendar. We know that God is a God of order and, much like the natural seasons of each year, the Church observes its seasons in a regular annual cycle: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, and so on. Liturgical living includes celebrating feasts and fasts, observing the various seasons of the Church year, and living a vibrant faith as part of the daily routine. Faith becomes an intentional part of your daily life rather than simply a weekly or occasional observance.
Reflecting on my growing up years, I realize in hindsight that we casually practiced liturgical living without ever calling it that. I am of the age where Church feasts had not yet been abrogated to Sundays, so we observed them on the appropriate weekday, and every Friday was no meat Friday. I’m sure we could have done much more, but there was a definite rhythm to our lives that reflected the Church calendar. I never realized how ingrained that rhythm had become until I returned to the faith after lapsing during my college years and immediately after. When I returned home to the faith, re-experiencing that rhythm felt like the comfort of putting on a well-worn, cozy sweater.
Today, we live in a different time, what many are calling a post-Christian era. To live liturgically requires specific intention. But many are finding the effort to be well worth it. Liturgical living fosters a deepening of the love of God and of understanding the faith. It builds a family culture of knowing what we believe and what we stand for, strengthening family bonds and unity. It creates joy and meaning in daily life, making faith tangible and creating cherished memories. The pace of life slows through intentional living allowing for reflection on the sacred in everyday experiences.
So, how to get started on this new journey. You do not need a major, instant overhaul of your life. Start small by choosing one feast to celebrate each month. Build in simple rituals like prayers, crafts or themed meals. Gradually expand to include more celebrations, marking the major seasons, building to a year-round rhythm that reflects the Church calendar. Traditions like Advent Calendars or wreaths help with the countdown to Christmas through the Advent season. Don’t cheat yourself or your family by making Christmas a one-day feast, rather, observe all 12 days of Christmas right up until traditional Epiphany on January 6 with special activities and prayers, maybe even small gifts on Epiphany. Then there are only a few weeks until Lent begins when traditional observance means giving up something desirable or adding a new prayer practice. Observe the Easter Triduum by attending the special liturgies and services like the Mass of the Lord’s Supper or the Stations of the Cross. Mark the liturgical highpoint of the year with a special Easter celebration and dinner and continue to observe Easter with joy-filled, simple activities for 50 days until Pentecost. Ordinary Time is all about growing in the faith, so be creative and select Saint days to celebrate, read bible stories and saint stories, and discover new traditions to observe. Remember to decorate your home with simple reminders of the liturgical season like purple for Advent and Lent, white for Christmas and Easter, red for Pentecost and green for Ordinary time. Even music can be a part of liturgical living. Find ways to remind yourself of your Catholic heritage.
Liturgical living is not about perfect observance of the liturgical calendar but about making the faith a joyful, integral yet natural part of your family’s daily life. Even if you are single or an empty nester, you can share the joys of liturgical living with friends and neighbors. June is a great month to start with many special feast days to choose from: Corpus Christi on June 7, Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 12, Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29 and more. Pick one and begin the liturgical living lifestyle!
What does Scripture say about order:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1
“But [God] has arranged all things by measure and number and weight.” Wisdom 11:20
“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33
“…all things should be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40
“But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son….” Galatians 4:4