St.

Anthony’s College
San Angel, San Jose De Buenavista, Antique
Christian Formation Ministry Office

STUDENT’S MODULE IN CHRISTIAN LIVING EDUCATION 3

Prayer, Liturgy and Liturgical Calendar

Picture Reference: https://holycrossrumson.typepad.com/pastor/mass-attendance/page/2/

INTRODUCTION

Healthy Christian spirituality is the fruit of your strong relationship

with God and your neighbors formed by deepening your understanding
of Christian faith, consistent practice of prayerful life and loving
service towards your neighbors.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Doctrine: Students explain the meaning of prayer and liturgy as well as the significance
of the liturgical calendar in their prayer life.

Moral: Students integrate prayer in their loving service to the community.

Worship: Students make a prayer of healing and protection of the whole world against
COVID-19.
PROCEDURE:

Opening Prayer: Pause for a while and pray.

Sign of the Cross

PL: St. Anthony of Padua our Patron Saint.
R: Pray for us.
PL: Lead to know and love Jesus deeply,
R: and follow Him in the loving of our neighbors.
PL: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
R: As it was in the beginning, now and ever shall be world without end.
All: Amen.
Sign of the Cross

Activity #1
Open the Google Classroom and view the video The Power of Prayer or you may view it in
Youtube through this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zGLAl-Q1-o.
A Google Form is provided in the Google Classroom entitled “Activity 1: The Power of
Prayer.” Answer the Google Form after viewing the video.

Questions to be answered:
1. Why do you pray?
2. What moves you to pray?
3. What is the purpose of your prayer, is it for yourself or for the community?

In this class, you will be learning about Prayer, Liturgy and the Liturgical Calendar. This
is to make you know the importance of prayer and liturgy in life.

Activity #2
Answer this question: “What have you observed about the effect of the COVID-19 in our prayer
life and liturgical celebrations?” Cite at least 3 instances about your observations in our society.

Answer in the Google Form provided in the Google Classroom entitled “Activity 2: The Effect
of COVID-19 in the Church and in your Spiritual life.”

CLASS TOPICS:
I. The Meaning and Nature of Prayer

The Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church (YOUCAT) 469 defines prayer as
“the turning of the heart toward God. When a person prays, he enters into a living
relationship with God.”

A more detailed explanation can be seen in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(CCC) 2559: “Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting
of good things from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our
pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles
himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer, only when we humbly
acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive
freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God.”

Here, you understand that prayer is something that links man in a deeper
relationship with God. It makes him realize his need of God, just as children who
needs the assistance and guidance of their parents. As stated above, humility is the
foundation of prayer. Man must be childlike in order for him to truly turn his heart
toward God, in order for him to raise his mind and heart to Him. Man must be of
humble and contrite heart in order to be worthy in requesting good things from God.
 The Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC) 1476, further states, “Prayer develops
a conscious awareness of our relationship with God. This relationship depends
fundamentally on WHO GOD IS, and WHO WE ARE. It grounds several basic types
of prayer. As creatures called to become children of God, our prayer is one of
adoration of our Creator and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father, whom we petition
for our needs. As sinners we pray in contrition for forgiveness from our divine Savior,
and offer Him all our thoughts, words and deeds. Thus, we have the basic types of
prayer – adoration, thanksgiving, petition, contrition and offering. They are in no
way imposed on us, nor are they simply a product of a particular time, place or culture.
Rather they spring from our deepest selves, our kalooban, inspired by God’s Holy
Spirit. Prayer can thus be described as the very life of our hearts and souls, to which
the Holy Spirit gives life.”

The Universal Call to Prayer (Why do we pray?)

The CCC 2566 states that, “Man is in search of God. In the act of creation, God
calls every being from nothingness into existence. "Crowned with glory and honor,"
man is, after the angels, capable of acknowledging "how majestic is the name of the
Lord in all the earth." Even after losing through his sin his likeness to God, man
remains an image of his Creator, and retains the desire for the one who calls him into
existence. All religions bear witness to men's essential search for God.”

Furthermore, in CCC 2567, “God calls man first. Man may forget his Creator or
hide far from his face; he may run after idols or accuse the deity of having abandoned
him; yet the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious
encounter known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God's initiative of love always
comes first; our own first step is always a response. As God gradually reveals himself
and reveals man to himself, prayer appears as a reciprocal call, a covenant drama.
Through words and actions, this drama engages the heart. It unfolds throughout the
whole history of salvation.

II. The Christian Prayer and its Levels

According to CFC 1480-1481, “Authentic prayer… is always rooted in the heart,

and related to the neighbor in loving compassion and service… Christian prayer…
is directly addressed to God, our Creator and Lord, while involving an intrinsic
relation to one’s neighbor.”

The CFC 1486, further adds, “Jesus is much more than just an exterior model to
be imitated and copied like some popular celebrity, according to our particular fancy.
On the contrary, God has “bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing. It is in
Christ and through his blood that we have been redeemed and our sins forgiven”
(Eph 1:3, 7). God has predestined us “to share the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29).
Therefore, we are told to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:14), make our
own “the mind of Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5), so we can be “transformed into his very
image” (2 Cor 3:18). Our goal is to be able to say it with St. Paul: “I have been
crucified with Christ; and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me; I
still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God who loved me and
gave himself for me” (Gal 2:19-20). Hence, the Colossians are counseled to “continue,
therefore to live in Christ Jesus the Lord; …be rooted in him and built up in him,
growing even stronger in faith, as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude”
(Col 2: 6-7).
This effort at “putting on Christ” involves Christians in two basic levels of
Christian prayer.
 Levels of Christian Prayer

The CFC 1487 states, “…Catholics are taught to pray on two basic levels, that is,
in private, personal prayer and public, communal liturgical prayer… the personal
and communal prayer levels are complementary; both are necessary for an authentic
Christian prayer life. We stand before God both as a unique person created in His
image and likeness, redeemed and adopted as son/daughter in the Lord, and as a
member of Christ’s Body, the Church. This means there is always communal context
to our personal inner journey of prayer, and a depth of personal content in all
authentic communal liturgy. How essential this complementarity of the personal and
communal levels of prayer is can be shown in Christ’s own prayer, as well as in the
Prayer of the Eucharist.”

The CFC 1488 states that, “As in all other aspects of Christian Faith, Christ
shapes and guides the prayer of all Christians. Christ’s prayer was based on his
proclamation of the Kingdom of God – the Good News that defined his life, mission
and very relation to God, his “Abba,” Father.

In the context of the Sacraments, the CFC 1490 states that, “the Prayer of the
Eucharist displays the same integration of the personal and communal levels of
Christian prayer. After the communal calling together of the people, the Liturgy of
God’s Word is addressed to each worshipper in his or her own personal depth and
uniqueness. The liturgy of the Word is not a lecture or “message” for the crowd, nor
does it aim at merely passing on some religious information. Rather, its purpose is to
nourish, challenge and support the personal journey of each of the assembled
disciples, calling for each one’s personal response.

Furthermore, CFC 1493 states, “… there really is no “private” Christian prayer

but only “personal” which is essentially relational and thus open to the communal.
Likewise, the “public” form is better termed “communal” or “ecclesial” which
always includes the personal investment by each of the believers.”

III. God and the Sacred Liturgy

The CCC 1069 explains that “the word ‘liturgy’ originally meant a ‘public work’
or a ‘service in the name of/on behalf of the people.’ In Christian tradition it means
the participation of the People of God in ‘the work of God.’ Through the liturgy
Christ, our redeemer and high priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with
and through his Church.”

The Origin and Essence of the Liturgy as a Prayer

YOUCAT 170 states “the most profound origin of the liturgy is God, in whom
there is an eternal, heavenly banquet of love – the joy of the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. Because God is love, he would like to let us participate in the feast of his
joy and to grant us his blessings.”

Furthermore, YOUCAT 171 states, “Liturgy is always in the first place

communion or fellowship with Jesus Christ. Every liturgy, not just the celebration of
the Eucharist, is an Easter in miniature. Jesus reveals his passage from death to life
and celebrates it with us.”

The relationship between prayer and liturgy is expressed in CCC 1073: “The
liturgy is also a participation in Christ’s own prayer addressed to the Father in the
Holy Spirit. In the liturgy, all Christian prayer finds its source and goal. Through the
liturgy the inner man is rooted and grounded in ‘the great love with which [the Father]
loved us’ in his beloved Son. It is the same ‘marvelous work of God’ that is lived and
internalized by all prayer, ‘at all times in the Spirit’.”

Celebrating the Church’s Liturgy

Who Celebrates?
The CCC 1187 states, “The liturgy is the work of the whole Christ, head and body.
Our high priest celebrates it unceasingly in the heavenly liturgy, with the holy Mother
of God, the apostles, all the saints and the multitude of those who have already
entered the kingdom.”

How is the Liturgy celebrated?

The CCC 1189 states, “The liturgical celebration involves signs and symbols
relating to creation, human life, and the history of salvation. Integrated into the world
of faith and taken up by the power of the Holy Spirit, these cosmic elements, human
rituals, and gestures of remembrance of God become bearers of the saving and
sanctifying action of Christ.”

When is the Liturgy celebrated?

The CCC 1163 states, “The Holy Mother Church believes that she should
celebrate the saving work of her divine Spouse in a sacred commemoration on certain
days throughout the course of the year.”
Furthermore, CCC 1193 adds, “Sunday, the ‘Lord’s Day,’ is the principal day for
the celebration of the Eucharist because it is the day of Resurrection. It is the pre-
eminent day of the liturgical assembly, the day of the Christian family, and the day of
joy and rest from work. Sunday is ‘the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical
year’.”

Where is the Liturgy celebrated?

The CCC 1197-1198 states, “Christ is the true temple of God, ‘the place where his
glory dwells’; by the grace of God, Christians also become temples of the Holy Spirit,
living stones out of which the Church is built.
In its earthly state the Church needs places where the community can gather
together. Our visible churches, holy places, are images of the holy city, the heavenly
Jerusalem, toward which we are making our way on pilgrimage.”

Examples of Liturgy
The most common example of a liturgical celebration is the Sacrament of the
Eucharist or commonly known as the Holy Mass. The Sacrament of the Eucharist is
the highest of all the sacraments by which all other sacraments are bound up with it
and are oriented towards it.
The sacraments are, as CCC 1131 states, “… efficacious signs of grace, instituted
by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.” The
seven ritual sacraments are listed as follows:
1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Eucharist – the source and summit of Christian life
4. Sacrament of Reconciliation
5. Anointing of the Sick
6. Matrimony
7. Holy Orders

Other examples of the liturgy include the Liturgy of the Hours and other Church
liturgical celebrations.
IV. The Liturgical Calendar

The Liturgical Year is the twelve-month cycle of the celebrations of the whole
mystery of Christ: it starts with the first week of Advent, and ends on the solemnity of
Christ the King. It is divided into six seasons: Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, Paschal
Triduum, Easter Time, and Ordinary Time.

Advent
Advent is the season of preparation for the twofold coming of the Lord: the first,
in Bethlehem, two-thousand years ago; the second, in his Parousia, at the end of
times. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, and ends at the Vigil Mass: the
Gloria is omitted, to create a longing for the Nativity, and the liturgical color is Violet,
symbolizing expectation and preparation. The Third Sunday of Advent is known as
Gaudete Sunday; Gaudete is the Latin word for “Rejoice.” The vestments worn on
this day are Rose, indicating the joyful hope for the coming of Jesus. The Advent
Wreath is highly symbolical: the Circle recalls the Old Testament countless years of
waiting for the Messiah; the Four Candles remind of the coming of Jesus, the Light of
the world: three Violet and one Rose, referring to the Gaudete Sunday, and are lighted
one after the other every week; while the White Candle in the center is lighted on
Christmas Day (Pirlo, 2018).

Christmas Time
Christmas Time is the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus: it begins with the Vigil
Mass on Christmas Eve and ends on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The
liturgical color for this season is White, or Gold, indicating joy and gladness. The
Christmas Octave, from the Latin word Octavus, meaning “Eight,” is the eight-day
celebration of Jesus’ Nativity, which underlines the importance of such event in
salvation history. During the Octave, the following feasts are celebrated: The Holy
Family (Sunday after Christmas); St. Stephen, the first martyr (December 26); St.
John the Evangelist (December 27); The Holy Innocents (December 28); and Mary,
Mother of God (January 1). The Holy Name of Jesus is celebrated on January 3, and
the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings, on Sunday between January 2 and January
8 (Pirlo, 2018).

Lent
Lent is the forty-day season in preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash
Wednesday and ending at noon of Holy Thursday. During this time, we Christians
reform our lives through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; while the catechumens
complete their final preparation for Baptism. It includes the Passion Sunday, recalling
Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem; and the Chrism Mass, on the morning of Holy
Thursday (in our diocese, the Diocese of San Jose de Antique, it is celebrated in the
morning of Holy Tuesday because of various reasons), when the Bishops,
concelebrating with their Priests, blesses the Sacred Oils for sacramental use during
the ensuing year. The liturgical color of Lent is Violet, which symbolizes penance
and conversion. During the fourth Sunday of Lent, which is called Laetare Sunday,
from the Latin word Laetare meaning “Rejoice,” the vestments are Rose and flowers
may adorn the Altar.

Paschal Triduum
The Easter Triduum is the celebration of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of
our Lord. It begins on Holy Thursday, with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper; continues
through Good Friday, with the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion; reaches its highest
point on Saturday night, in the Easter Vigil; and concludes with the Easter Mass on
Sunday.
On HOLY THURSDAY, we commemorate the institution of the Sacraments of
the Eucharist and of Ordination. Following the example of Jesus, the Priest washes
the feet of 12 Catholic members of the congregation; after the Gloria, the church bells
remain silent until the Easter Vigil. The mass is followed by the Eucharistic
Procession to the Altar of Reposition, with the ensuing traditional visit to Seven
Churches. The liturgical color on Holy Thursday is White, to signify joy for the gift
of the Eucharist and of the Priesthood.
On GOOD FRIDAY, we remember the Death of Jesus; hence, the Holy Mass is
not celebrated on this day, and until the Easter Vigil. The Celebration of the Lord’s
Passion takes place at three in the afternoon, when Jesus died on the Cross. On Good
Friday, the color is Red, to indicate the Passion of Christ.
On HOLY SATURDAY, there is no celebration, since Jesus rests in the tomb.
After sunset, we celebrate the Easter Vigil, beginning with the Liturgy of Light, with
the blessing of the Fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle, which will remain
beside the Altar until Pentecost. After the Liturgy of the Word, where the whole story
of salvation is being recalled, there follows the Liturgy of Baptism. The color for the
Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday is White, or Gold, signifying the joy of Christ’s
Resurrection (Pirlo, 2018).

Easter Time
The Easter Season, which lasts for 50 days, from Easter until Pentecost, is the
celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, and of the coming of the Holy
Spirit. This is a time of rejoicing, when the Alleluia and the Gloria should be sung
with heartfelt emotion. The celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection continues during
the Octave of Easter. The solemnity of the Ascension is celebrated on the 40th day
after Easter, which is Thursday; but, whenever this is not a civil holiday, it is moved
to the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Pentecost Sunday commemorates the coming of the
Holy Spirit and the Nativity of the Church. The color of the Easter Season is White,
signifying the joy of Christ’s Resurrection; on Pentecost, the color is Red,
representing the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Ordinary Time
The Ordinary Time is the part of the Liturgical Year that lies outside the seasons
of Lent-Easter and Advent-Christmas. It begins with the Baptism of the Lord and
ends with the feast of Christ the King, which is also the end of the liturgical year. It is
composed of 34 weeks, divided into two sections: the first, between the Christmas
Season and Lent; the second between the Easter Season and Advent.
The Ordinary Time celebrates the basic truths of our faith. The Sunday readings
are organized into a three-year system: The Year A, B, and C are centered on the
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, respectively. The weekday readings are
arranged in a two-year system: Year One when the year number is odd (i.e. 2017),
and Year Two, when even (i.e. 2018). The Liturgical Color for Ordinary Time is
Green, a sign of hope and daily spiritual growth.
 The Liturgical Colors (Pirlo, 2018)
Green. The symbol of hope and living vegetation, it is used during
Ordinary Time.
Red. The symbol of blood, it is used on the feast of our Lord’s Cross
and Passion, on the feasts of the Apostles and of all martyrs. Red is
also used on Pentecost and in Masses of the Holy Spirit.
Violet. The symbol of penance and mourning. It is used during Advent
and Lent, or during funeral Masses.
White. The symbol of innocence and triumph, it is used on the feasts of
our Lord, of our Blessed Mother, of the angels and of all saints
who were not martyrs.

Special Colors
Gold. The symbol of the kingship of Christ, it is permitted in special
occasions in place of white, red and green vestments.
Rose. The symbol of joy and moderation in penance, it replaces the violet
on the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete) and on the Fourth
Sunday of Lent (Laetare).

Summary/Generalization: You have learned that prayer and liturgy is important in life.
Through prayer and liturgy, we communicate to God to strengthen our faith and seek aid to our
problems in our society. Prayer is teaching us not to be selfish because Christian prayer is not
merely a personal request for one’s own desire but a communal petition for the welfare of
everybody.

Personal Activity:
Try to make a summary of your learnings about Prayer, Liturgy and Liturgical Calendar.

Activity #3
Write a prayer of healing and protection on the Google Form provided in the Google Classroom.

Answer in the Google Form is provided in the Google Classroom entitled “Activity 3: Your
Personal prayer for healing and protection from COVID-19”

QUIZ WEEK 1
Direction: Answer the following questions correctly in not less than 5 sentences and not more
than 10 sentences. Write it in the Google Form provided in the Google Classroom entitled “Quiz
Week 1 – Prayer, Liturgy and Liturgical Calendar”
1. Why is prayer necessary in our life as Christians? (5pts.)
2. What are the levels of Christian prayer? Explain each (15pts.)
3. How is the liturgy significant in the Church? (5pts.)

HOME-LEARNING ACTIVIES

Home-Learning Activity #1
In a 1/8 illustration board, draw and label the Liturgical Calendar and provide
explanations for the Liturgical Seasons and take a picture of it and submit it in the Google Form
provided in the Google Classroom entitled “Assignment Week 1: Drawing of Liturgical
Calendar.”

Home-Learning Activity #2: Bible Verse Journal

Write your reflection on the Microsoft Word about this bible verse, 2 Ch 7:14, and relate
it on the present situation of our society. Copy the format given in the Google Classroom and
write your reflection using that format.
 Guide questions for reflection:
a. What is the present situation of our society concerning the COVID-19
pandemic?
b. How would you relate the bible verse in the present situation of our
society?
c. Why is it necessary for us to pray in this times of crisis?

Submit your reflection at the end of 1st Quarter together with other reflections you will be
making in the future. Instructions will be given at the end of the Quarter.

Home-Learning Activity #3: Records of Your Daily Prayer and Weekly Mass Attendance
Create a Daily Time Table and specify the time you allot for prayer, include your weekly
attendance for Sunday Mass. Copy the format given in the Google Classroom and submit the
answered form when finished. Submit weekly your Weekly Sunday Mass Attendance for
checking.

Take note of the following for your weekly attendance for Sunday Mass:
a. The Gospel Reading of that particular Sunday Mass celebration
b. The main theme of the homily delivered by the homilist of the Mass

Home-Learning Activity #4: Reading and Understanding the Student Handbook and New
Rules for Students
Read and understand Student Handbook and new rules for students

REFERENCES

Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994). Definitive Edition. Vatican: Libreria Editrice
Vaticana, pp. 13, 19-25, 307-317, 323-343, 677-759

Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Catechism for Filipino Catholics
(2005). Manila Philippines: Claretian Publications, pp. 358-372, 531-554.

Christian Community Bible (2015). Claret Publishing Group: Quezon City, Philippines,
2 Chr 7:14.

Pirlo, Paolo O. (2018). The Seven Sacraments. Parañaque City, Philippines: Sons of Holy Mary
Immaculate, Quality Catholic Publications, pp. 104-108.

The Power of Prayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zGLAl-Q1-o

Retrieved: June 1, 2020

Soft copy of Student Handbook 2019 and new rules for students SY 2020-2021

Youth Catechism (2011). San Francisco: Ignatius Press, pp. 13-25, 100-115, 258-280.