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The liturgical calendar informs Catholics about what is going on in the Church year.
From the beginning of the Church year to its end, the liturgical calendar gives you the information on each day's celebration, rank, and liturgical color.
Each mass is a celebration of the Paschal mystery. Each liturgical year is a celebration of the Paschal mystery.
As Catholics we are called to live the life of Jesus. To live it at each mass. To live it each liturgical year.
I am calling for the renaming of Palm Sunday and Good Friday. These calls are substantive in nature and are handled in detail.
I am calling for the renaming of Easter Sunday, the Ascension, and the King of the Universe solemnity. The substantive nature of these calls will have already been addressed and thus the calls are handled in passing.
I am calling for the renaming of the Nativity. The substantive nature of this call will have already been addressed and thus the call is handled in passing.
I am calling for the inclusion of a mass called the Preaching of Jesus or the Teachings of Jesus. I will make a brief argument for its inclusion.
Palm Sunday and Good Friday are two holy days in the Catholic year.
They currently appear on the 2025 liturgical calendar for the dioceses of the United States as Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord and Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday).
I am calling to change the names to the Passion of Jesus and the Death of Jesus.
This call comes from two desires. First, to better bring the human person into union with God through an ordering of human life to divine worship. Second, to make better known how Jesus Christ is the center of existence for the human person.
The ordering of worship, Jesus as the center, and how the liturgical year is structured form a key to arguing for changing the names.
The Paschal mystery is the key that is formed. Arguing for change is not possible without a correct and complete embracement of the Paschal mystery.
The Paschal mystery is defined in the glossary of the Catechism as “Christ’s work of redemption accomplished principally by his Passion, [D]eath, Resurrection, and glorious Ascension”.
The passion, death, resurrection, and ascension are linked in such a way that they cannot be separated. This inseparable link forms an indispensable part of our liturgical worship.
This link allows us to prepare and enter into the kingship of Jesus, which is really the source, summit, and culmination of liturgical worship. The kingship of Jesus is really our Eucharist.
Our worship is centered around the mystery of Christ. Our lives are centered around the mystery of Christ. The liturgical calendar is centered around the mystery of Christ.
It is important to be focused, simple, precise, and concise.
The mystery of Christ has profound implications for everyday life. These implications include heaven, hell, and the world. All of creation is subject to the mystery of Christ.
Catholics must not lose sight of their special calling in this mystery.
Faith does not give us the option to be ignorant, lazy, or stubborn. It requires us to make a real effort to live lives of virtue, lives that are modeled after Christ.
Christ has a specific vision and mission for his Church and for his people.
The easier it is and the more successful we are, the better. We must find the best through the better.
Catholics cannot live like non-Catholics. Jesus has specific expectations for us. There is no life apart from the truth.
I think I have done a satisfactory job of identifying and explaining the importance of the Paschal mystery.
At this point, I am going to argue for each name change, beginning with Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday is first and foremost about the passion. The lead should not be buried.
The palms are an important event in the mass and a realistic symbol. However, we are much better suited to put the emphasis on the passion and its place in the liturgical calendar.
The readings of the mass are rightly focused on the passion.
The palms form a small part of the readings. They are mentioned in the context of his entry into Jerusalem.
His entry into Jerusalem is important, but it is not the heart of our focus. The heart of our focus is his passion.
Additionally, I want to replace “Lord” with “Jesus”.
This makes it easier to encounter Jesus. The reality of our relationship with him should be transparent.
Our encounter with Jesus includes our adoption as sons and daughters. We are not merely obedient to him, we are also part of his family.
We truly have life in him. We move with him and journey with him. It is not possible to have abundant life without his spirit.
It is true that without Jesus the law will bring death.
The fullness of his passion must be acknowledged.
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord should be the Passion of Jesus.
Friday of the Passion of the Lord is redundant and does not advance our focus. As things currently are, we go from a Palm Sunday passion to a Good Friday passion.
We need to focus on the death of Jesus. This event is crucial in his Paschal mystery and is missing in the liturgical calendar. Labeling the event as the Death of Jesus makes things clear.
The Gospel reading for Good Friday in 2025 rightly focuses on his death. It tells us of his death through his crucifixion, piercing of his side, and burial.
The other readings are rightly centered on his death.
The death of Jesus is rightly recognized as a liturgical work on Good Friday. It needs to appear on the calendar verbatim.
The Passion of Jesus focuses on and emphasizes his passion.
The Death of Jesus focuses on and emphasizes his death.
There is a need for evolution from the passion of Jesus to the death of Jesus in the liturgical calendar. The Paschal mystery demands the evolution.
I believe I have made a good argument for my position that the names should be changed to the Passion of the Jesus and the Death of Jesus.
It is now appropriate to discuss the remaining changes proposed in my second calling.
I am going to address those changes as they appear chronologically.
First, Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord. Resurrection of Jesus is an improvement.
Second, The Ascension of the Lord. Ascension of Jesus is an improvement.
Third, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Jesus Christ, King of the Universe is an improvement.
Focusing on the Paschal mystery of Christ–his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension–allows us to know what is going on, what is expected of us, and how to respond.
Our personal relationship with his Paschal mystery is a key to our life and liturgical year.
It is not possible to share in his life and live the liturgical year without experiencing the kingship of Christ. Participating in the liturgical work of the Kingship is meeting Jesus as King dressed in splendor and wearing a golden crown.
I think his majesty comes from our relationship with him and that should be emphasized.
An additional change proposed is The Nativity of the Lord to Birth of Jesus.
It is essential for a narrative of Jesus to be formed in the calendar. The life of Jesus is accurately portrayed with these changes to the calendar.
The new calendar would contain the narrative as follows: Birth of Jesus; Passion of Jesus; Death of Jesus; Resurrection of Jesus; Ascension of Jesus; and Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
There is a noticeable gap in the life of Jesus. The gap is the preaching of Jesus. I suggest a mass called the Preaching of Jesus. (The Teachings of Jesus is also intriguing.) Some things to consider are the third luminous mystery and biblical research to enlighten the mind.
I believe having a mass honoring the preaching or teachings of Jesus is too good to pass.
It is important for Catholics to be guided by the calendar into the life of Christ in a way that is simple and understandable.
There is also a need for symmetry in the calendar.
My changes accomplish this guiding into the life of Christ and symmetry.
Stephen Steiniger is a Catholic who is alive in the love of Christ. He desires all who read his writings to benefit in their relationship with Christ. He enjoys religion, politics, and comedy. Stephen possesses an undergraduate and graduate degree from Bowling Green State University. He lives on planet earth with the rest of the human race. Stephen believes this is a good About the Author profile.
