Today is the feast of the Annunciation, according to my Magnificat.
Can anyone explain to me why this is?? I’m confused.
In other, less-confused news, I’m writing a post about Easter and detachment. As per that subject, I submit to you our Easter 2013 family photo. (One of them, anyway.) Why, you may ask, did we take the photo outside the church…in the cold and on the dead, brown grass…instead of inside the church by one of the many beautiful floral arrangements?
Detachment, my friend.
Stay tuned.
The Annunciation is usually celebrated on March 25 (9 months before Christmas :D) but this year, March 25 was during Holy Week, when no other solemnities can be celebrated. Since they couldn't move it to the next week (Easter Week) for the same reason, they decided to celebrate it today. 🙂
Holy Week! That's it!!
See, I knew it'd been celebrated during Lent before–and often, right?–just hadn't made the Holy Week connection.
Bless you, sweet Stacy. Now I can get on with my day.
And I could have looked this info up myself, but comments (of course) are way more fun. ; )
Um, yes, what Stacy said. The priest explained it at Mass today. (yay, I went to Mass!)
It's a great Easter picture!
You've inspired me to try to get to Mass, Jamie! Maybe the one at noon…
I LOVE your outtake photo! I hope you have it framed. It's that awesome! Except that you are not in it. But my blanket is. 🙂
It was chilly, Charlotte! Baby needed to be bundled! (Also, I'm in the later photos…which figures into the "detachment" part. ; )
I was so confused too. Husband had to educate me. =)
fun catholic trivia – in the west, Holy Week bumps all other feasts, but in the east, Annuciation trumps all 🙂 isn't it interesting how we can be One but still have our own flair?
We are Byzantine Catholics and Annunciation was not moved on our calendar. I am confused as to how the Latin/Western calendar moved the feast because clearly Christmas is not going to be celebrated January 8! I mean I know why it was moved but it just seems like there are a few feasts Annunciation/Christmas and Ascension (40 days from Pascha but some dioceses move it to the Sunday – because the Bible clearly states Christ Ascended on a day that was convenient for most people to get to Church?) : ) Sorry for the small little Catholic rant!
The RCC removes all feasts from Holy Week because we are sorrowfully preparing for the death of Our Lord; it is a week of penance, not celebration. The next week, Easter Week, is literally one big long Easter Sunday, which trumps all other feasts.
I totally agree with you about the Ascension. It's silly to move it to a Sunday when it's supposed to be on a Thursday. We're so lazy in America. 😛
A few years ago Annunciation fell on Good Friday… That was an interesting liturgical day!!!
Ooooh… How do you celebrate a feast on Good Friday? Does the Byzantine Catholic Church allow a Mass?
In a very lengthy fashion… (lengthy even for us… Byzantines are known for doing things three times and taking a while to get it done). So there was Vesperal Liturgy so vespers commemorated both Annunciation and the death of Christ (oddity singing about the angel coming to Mary and Mary at the Cross and Christ being crucified) then immediately into Liturgy for the Annunciation and then to the Entombment portion Good Friday including a procession and veneration of the shroud. There definitely was some vestment color changing going on from dark to light to go with Good Friday vs the feast… I went in the pre-kid days pretty sure if that happens any time soon we could have some issues : )
Oh dear… and I thought our Good Friday liturgy was long. I'll bet it was beautiful though. 😀
I thought your older daughter some how turned 20…she looks so grownup then my quick second look told me she was up on a step.
Still…great looking FREEZING group!
What a stunning family. I am pretty sure we won't have green grass for quite some time as there is a winter storm warning now for this area.
We didn't know the Solemnity got moved and celebrated on the 25th..during Holy Week. Opps.
Do give us a close up of the little guy. It's been awhile.
Stacy is correct in all she said but her final words "they decided to celebrate it today" should be
"the first available day after Holy Week and Easter Week" is why it is today, Monday 🙂
Yup. I couldn't think of the right words at the time. Thanks for the correction. 🙂
Oh, my gosh, I have a post in the works about detachment, too. But who knows when I'll actually get it done? I hope you beat me to it and then I'll just join in the conversation.