One of our school children asked why the priest wears certain vestments and what do the colors mean.  It is a simple question with a simple answer which can help us deepen our Catholic Faith and our understanding of the Sacrifice of the Mass.

 Within the Church Liturgical Calendar there are different cycles or seasons of the year.  They don’t coincide with the natural cycles of life but help the faithful to see and understand the life of the Church.  With each cycle a particular color is used.  Therefore, Easter, Christmas and their seasons usually use white or gold, which are festive colors that reflect the meaning of light inherent in the season.  The color red is used for any celebration of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost, Confirmation, etc.) and for Feasts of Martyrs.  The red is symbolic of blood, which has been spilled in defense of the Faith.  The color purple is used for Lent and Advent and their seasons.  Purple is used as a symbol of penance.  The last color is green, which is used for Ordinary Time.  These are seasons which have no particular celebrations within them.  Ordinary Time is the biggest part of the Liturgical Year.  There are two other colors which can be used and remain valid.  Black can be use for funerals and rose is use for the halfway marks of the Sunday in Advent and Lent.   Both colors are optional.  Sometimes during Advent some parishes use blue colors and vestments.  This is not an approved color and is invalid for use in the Liturgical Year.

 The required vestments for a priest are an alb (which symbolizes Baptism and purity, a stole (worn around the neck) which represents the priest’s rank in the Church, and a chasuble, which is worn over the alb and stole.  The Deacon is to wear the same things, but the vestment over his alb and stole is called a dalmatic.  Maybe at some Mass I’ll use a homily to describe what we wear and why.  It can be informative and helpful, and the knowledge can deepen our faith.