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The Art of Living in Season
The 12th century church ceiling in my ancestral village
The church calendar is an important tool for Christian discipleship. It helps us participate in the story of Christ throughout the year by inscribing our time into his. See it as a visual aid that helps everyday disciples incorporate the seasons of the year into a particular event of Christ’s life (e.g., Christmas), and therefore serves as a constant reminder of the great Story to which we belong – a blessing for all Christians, regardless of church tradition.
This calendar comes in two parts: the “Special Seasons”, from Advent to Pentecost (to simplify), and the “Ordinary Time,” which refers to the six months-period between Trinity Sunday (a week after Pentecost) and the next Advent.
Each church season comes with traditional celebrations that arose over the years, starting in the fourth century, after which various cultures have gradually developed their own distinctive customs (manger scenes, holiday foods, hymns, etc) for observing these sacred seasons.
In The Art of Living in Season, I have used the church calendar dates that recall key aspects of Christ's life and ministry, and that also figure prominently in the land and customs of the santons.
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