Pentecost Sunday - The Birth of the Catholic Church

 

It was on this Sunday, in 33 A.D., the Catholic Church is born! The Apostles gathered together to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Weeks (50 days after Passover - which is where we get the name "Pentecost" as in pente = 50) and the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary, witnessed as tongues of fire upon their heads.

So Why Red Vestments for Pentecost?

It is widely known that red is the color of martyrdom, and is the color of the vestments for the feast day of a martyr, but why red on Pentecost? Well, there are at least two reasons red is the appropriate color for Pentecost, first and foremost - red is also the color for fire, and the fire of the Holy Ghost is represented in the red vestments. Secondly, it is truly an apostolic holy day (holiday) and since most of the 12 Apostles (all but St. John) died as martyrs, the red color of martyrdom is also appropriate.

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church! 

Nearly 2000 years strong!

Palm Sunday - What Color Are the Vestments?

What Color are the Vestments for Palm Sunday?

The answer is:   
For the Ordinary Rite - Red – for the Passion of Christ. 
For the Extra-Ordinary Rite - Purple - For Lent

See below for the vestments for the other seasons of the liturgical year.

Vestments for the Rest of the Liturgical Year:

White

Light, innocence, purity, joy, triumph, glory

Season of Christmas
Season of Easter
Feasts of the Lord, other than of His passion
Feasts of Mary, the angels, and saints who were not martyrs
All Saints (1 November)
Feasts of the Apostles
Nuptial Masses
Masses for the dead (Requiem Masses) when the deceased is a baptized child who died before the age of reason

---

Red

The Passion, blood, fire, God's Love, martyrdom

Feasts of the Lord's passion, Blood, and Cross
Feasts of the martyrs
Palm Sunday (Except in the Extra-Ordinary Rite)
Pentecost

---

Green

The Holy Ghost, life eternal, hope

Time After Epiphany
Time After Pentecost

---

Violet

Penance, humility, melancholy

Season of Advent
Season of Septuagesima
Season of Lent
Rogation Days
Ember Days (except for Pentecost Ember Days)
Vigils except for Ascension and Pentecost
Good Friday

---

Black

Mourning, sorrow

All Souls Day
Masses for the dead (Requiem Masses), except for baptized children who've died before the age of reason

---

Rose (not Pink!)

Joy

Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent)
Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent)

The Cassock

The cassock is black because it symbolizes that it is no longer the man who became a priest living within it, but Christ who lives within the priest.  He has died to his old self and anything which might separate him from Christ and now lives united in and for Christ.
  
The cassock traditionally has 33 buttons up the front, each representing one year in our Lord's life.  Each sleeve has 5 buttons, one for each wound Jesus received during His crucifixion.  The "Roman collar" is a sign of the priest's willing obedience to Christ and His Church.

The cassock is a sign to all who see him that he is a priest and servant of the Lord Most High.
(Posted by Dana Acly to Keeping Catholics Catholic on Facebook).