SYMBOLIC SATURDAY - THE END OF THE ECCLESIAL RAINBOW

These colors may not be used in liturgy, but they are still very important colors as far as understanding the symbolic language of the Church.

Blue is the color of truth and heaven. This is the color that appears in the sky when the clouds clear away giving us the idea of the unveiling of truth. Christ is often depicted wearing a blue mantle during His teaching ministry. Mary is seen in blue when she holding Jesus or with Him any time before His Passion. It is also a general color of Mary.

Brown symbolizes either spiritual death and derogation or renunciation of worldly wealth. It is also a symbol of humility along with the sparrow whose brown feathers are not as colorful and elaborate as other birds. It is easy to see why this would be the color of the habit of so many Franciscans.

Gray was once a liturgical color used during lent but it is no more. It denotes mourning and humility, death of the body and the immortality of the soul. In art Christ is often depicted wearing this color at the Last Judgment.

Yellow can have two meanings; one positive and the other negative. A golden yellow suggests holiness or even divinity. Part of Saint Joseph’s traditional color scheme is yellow denoting his holiness.

But yellow can also have a sickly quality and can be used to suggest infernal light, derogation, jealousy, treason and deceit. Judas is often depicted wearing this dingy yellow. In the Middle Ages heretics were forced to wear yellow and in periods of plague, yellow crosses marked the contaminated.

As stated before, color symbolism changes within the context they are being used. For example, in the Eastern Catholic Church, many times liturgical colors have to do with brightness rather than specific color (according to the late great Fr. John Keblesh, Byzantine priest). Some of these different schemes will be explored later on also.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Here are the answers to yesterday's quiz:

1. True.
2. False. They are interchangable only for masses of the dead.
3. False. It is also used on Laetare Sunday in Lent.
4. False. The color is amaranth red
5. True.
6. True. (See above.)
7. True. Though I don't recommend the combination for anyone else.
8. False.
9. False. Blue is not a liturgical color.

And as far as I can tell, MJ came the closest to getting all of the answers correct of those brave enough to post your answers! Congratulations.

TEST YOUR ECCLESIAL COLOR PROWESS

I must needs take a pastoral break from blogging today. But here is a short quiz to take. Answers tomorrow. Enjoy.

TRUE OR FALSE?

1. For much of the life of the Church the correct color for bishops was green.
2. The following colors are always interchangeable in the United States: White, Purple, and Black.
3. Rose is worn only once a year, on Gaudete Sunday during Advent.
4. Scarlet is the name of the color that Cardinals wear.
5. Gold and Silver are interchangeable with White for certain celebrations.
6. Gray was once a liturgical color, but no more.
7. Though the pope dresses in white, his shoes are of red Moroccan leather.
8.A red pall may be placed over the coffin of a martyr.
9. In certain instances, blue and purple are interchangeable liturgical colors.

SYMBOLIC SATURDAY - COLORFUL SPEECH

More on the symbolism of the liturgical colors.

Green, the first color mentioned in Scripture, is a sign of spring and vegetation representing our on going working out of our salvation. It is a symbol of life over death. The priest and altar appointments are decked in green during ordinary time, the liturgical season outside of the Lent/Easter, Advent/Christmas seasons. It is superseded by red or white for special feasts.

Purple is a symbol or royalty and power and also of sorrow and penance. It is used in advent (a borrowed term that was once used to describe that period of preparation for the arrival of the emperor) as we await the birth of Christ. It is also used during lent as a penitential symbol as we prepare for the joy of the resurrection of Jesus. In the United States, this color may also be used for funerals though it seems rare enough that it is.

A rose by any other name would still smell of pink. Actually that is incorrect. The color to be worn this day (and every time it comes up there will be hundreds of blog entries debating this) is a light purple, or rose, not pink. It is an optional color to be used only two days out of the entire liturgical year. The first day is Gaudete Sunday otherwise know as the third Sunday of Advent. Gaudete is the first word in the introit for this day, which translates from the Latin as "rejoice". Advent is half over. Christ is drawing nigh!

The second day that it may be used is on Laetare Sunday, which is known as the fourth Sunday in Lent. It too calls us to rejoice as the better part of lent is over and we grow closer to the great celebration of Easter.

Black symbolizes death, the underworld, and darkness. In the Unted States it is an optional color for masses for the dead, which includes All Souls Day. It is important to note that we are not wearing this color to mourn the end of the existence of a person (they are living the next life after all!) For this reason my funeral vestment (unless a person requests that I wear black) is white, to help mark the joy we celebrate for the person who is now living free of the cares of this world. But that vestment also has black banding on it to recognize and pay tribute to the very real fact that we are personally sad to have to be without the physical presence of our brother or sister for a spell.

These colors (along with those mentioned last Symbolic Saturday) are the only liturgical colors approved for use in the Latin Rite. Next Week: Other colors and their symbolic value in art.

SYMBOLIC SATURDAY - COLOR COMMENTARY

Colors are a little trickier than you might think. How you are using them will determine what they mean. For example there is the liturgical color symbol language of the Latin Rite and a slightly different one in the Eastern Rites. Color symbols in heraldry would differ from other art forms. With that in mind we begin with the liturgical colors of the Latin Rite.

These are the approved liturgical colors for use in the west, White, Red, Green, Purple, Rose, and Black.

WHITE – White symbolizes innocence, purity and holiness. In Scripture there are many references to this color. For example, in Psalm 51:7 it says, “O wash me and I shall be whiter than snow”, and during His transfiguration Jesus’ “clothes became white as light,” Matthew 17:2.

It is no accident that Jesus after his resurrection wears white or that Mary as the Immaculate Conception or in her presentation in the temple or prior to the annunciation is seen wearing white. If the artist knows what he or she is doing, close attention will be paid to this in order to aid the viewer understand what is being depicted.

We depict virgin saints wearing white robes. We wear white at baptisms (the baptismal garment), and at First Communion (at least the girls do) and brides wear white to show their purity. (*Ahem*)

Liturgically white is interchangeable with silver or gold. Priests and altar appointments are white on Christmas, Easter, Feasts of Our Lady, and Feasts of Angels, Confessors, and Virgins. It is also used for funerals.

RED – We think of the color red when choosing a crayon to color blood, though why we would be coloring blood is another question. Therefore it is the color of martyrs, those who spilled their blood for Christ and His Church.

It is also the crayon we would choose to color fire (warning: if you spend your time coloring blood and fire, you may be sent away for counseling.) Because the Holy Spirit descending as tongues of fire this color is also associated with the third person of the Blessed Trinity.

Priests and altar appointments appear in red on Pentecost, Passion (Palm) Sunday, and feasts of Apostles and Martyrs.

Next week we will finish up liturgical colors.