64. In the light of all that we have said above, we see that the liturgical year is for us the possibility of growing in our knowledge of the mystery of Christ, immersing our life in the mystery of His Death and Resurrection, awaiting his return in glory.
I think this goes somewhat deeper than a succession of holidays. Do we have a strong sense of the Paschal Mystery during Holy Week and Easter? Do we see Lent as pointing to that, and not just a six-week period of devotion? Do we understand the incarnation and how it points us to the Last Supper, the Cross, and the Easter experience? Are green Sundays an opportunity to delve deeper into being a disciple of Jesus and following him consistently in our lives?
Pope Francis speaks of an itinerary:
This is a true ongoing formation. Our life is not a random chaotic series of events, one following the other. It is rather a precise itinerary which, from one annual celebration of the His Death and Resurrection to the next, conforms us to Him, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. [Missale Romanum (2008) p. 598: «…exspectantes beatam spem et adventum Salvatoris nostri Iesu Christi»]
The full document, copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione – Libreria Editrice Vaticana is here on the Vatican site.
Catholic Sensibility 