THE SECOND PART OF THE LITURGICAL YEAR THE EASTER CYCLE - SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY; 31st JANUARY

 THE SECOND PART OF THE LITURGICAL YEAR

THE EASTER CYCLE
SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY
31st JANUARY



The Christmas cycle celebrates the Mystery of the Incarnation. The Easter cycle celebrates the Mystery of the Redemption. (1)
Septuagesima Sunday is the beginning of the Easter cycle, introducing the Season of Lent.
The Roman Missal expresses it this way:
Introduced by three Sundays, (Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima), the season of Lent begins of Ash Wednesday and ends with the death of Jesus in Passion Week. The struggle between Our Lord and Satan ends with the victory of the Saviour at Eastertide. During the period from Septuagesima to Ash Wednesday, the liturgy speaks no more of our greatness but contemplates the misery of our fallen humanity- the fatal consequences of original sin-and the sacrifice that God asked from the faithful Melchisedech, symbol of the sacrifice that Jesus brings for the whole of humanity.
In this period we prepare for the fasting and penance of the season of Lent. The season can be recapitulated with the words of the Preface of Lent:
‘Who by this bodily fast dost curb our vices, lift our minds, and bestow strength and rewards.’ Our souls are slaves of the devil, flesh and the world. Jesus came into the world, not to be crowned king of the Jews, but to deliver us from this threefold bondage and to restore to us the divine life which we had lost.
The season of Lent ends with Passiontide (from Passion Sunday to Easter). The Judica me… and the Gloria Patri are omitted because the very ancient Masses of Passiontide date from an age before these prayers were added to the Roman Mass. The Liturgy commemorates the sorrowful aspects of the last week of Jesus’ mortal life. On Thursday evening, He had the Last Supper with His Apostles and on the following day He was crucified on Calvary.
‘Who didst establish the salvation of mankind on the tree of the Cross, that whence death came thence also life might arise again, and that we, who were overcome by a tree, by a tree might also be overcome.’
The struggle between Our Lord and satan ends with the apparent success of satan on Good Friday. The priests are robed in vestments of mourning and the whole church wears an aspect of sadness. But by the sacrifice of Himself, the Son of God triumphs and gloriously comes forth from the sepulcher on Easter morning.
The Tract for Septuagesima is the De Profundis, (Ps 129.1-4):
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine: Dopmine, exaudi vocem meam. Fiant aures tuae intendentes in orationem servi tui. Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine: Domine, quis sustinebit? Quia apud te propitiation est, et p[ropter legem tuam sustinui te Domine.
Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the prayers of Thy servant. If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it? For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness, and by reason of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord.

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