Saints' Discussion Forums

Pick your favorite liturgical color!

I am reading an old book on how the Holy Mass was said in the beginning, 'How Christ said the First Mass' and this is what it says about he origin of some of the liturgical colours -- it starts describing the Temple:

'Next to the east of that Holy of Holies, most sacred fane of earth, was the Holies, typifying the future Universal Church, the Jew or unbeliever cannot see.

Therefore it was closed by a great veil woven of white, green, red and purple strands, behind which twice daily entered the priest chosen to offer incense on its altar, to prophesy Christ praying in his Church.'

. . .

'The Holy of Holies was closed by a great veil, sixty by thirty feet, so thick and heavy it took 300 priests to hang it. It was woven of seventy two colored strands -- white representing the waters of baptism; violet, emblematic of penance; red, martyr's blood; and green, youthful innocence.'

. . .

'God revealed to Moses the most minute details of material, form and color of the priestly vestments. They were to be made only of linen, formed of beaten flax, to signify that the perfection of the priest only comes with bearing patiently the trials of this life. The colors were white, red, violet, and green, signifying innocence, suffering, penance, and youth. Later, black, typifying sorrow, was added. Josephus writes that the vestments of his day were emblematic of the colors of the sanctuary of the Lord of hosts, and that they were embellished with beautiful embroideries. They are now the five colors of Church vestments. '

Our liturgy is indeed divine! For even the colours that the liturgy of the Church uses is from God!

Neopelagianus

Since all creation was made for the sake of Christ, the more we learn the spiritual meanings and true purposes of things the more we can always call to mind virtuously and happily Our Lord.

Whether it be numbers, colors, birds, flowers, everything that exists there can be found out its purposes with God rather than only looking at it superficially or I one might even say, blindly or even atheisticly.

When we see violet we can remember the widows and suffering, and the purple of Our Lord's mantle. When we see red we can think of the Blood of Christ and the blood of the martyrs. When we see green, the vigor of youth which the world was filled with at Creation.

One, One God, Two, two natures in Christ, three, the Holy Trinity, four, the Four Last Things, Five, the Five Sacred Wounds and the Five-Fold Scapular, Six, the Five Sacred Wounds and the Hidden Wound, Seven, the Seven Sacraments, the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. . .

And so on, with associations for each number, for each color, for each flower. . .

It takes time to learn, but if you take the time, and like to garden, the more you can learn.

If one's mind lacks something to dwell on.. there it is?

                I like Red because of the fire of the Holy Spirit.       
                I like Gold because in the hymn We Three Kings of Orient Are Gold we bring to crown Him again.     
                I like Rose because of its joyous significance.

I picked white and gold as a pretty pair, then black because it looks so stark.  aside from the liturgical significance I  have to admit I just like how they look on the altar and the priest. A mass with the presiding priest in really spectacular vestments adds so much to the mass. :principalities: :angelbell: :principalities: :angelbell:

I am on our parish's ladies guild and part of our job is caring for those things.  :harp: :angelbell:
We still have the big pre-Vatican II altar containing the Tabernacle and a newer one further in front where the Priest stands so we hang lots of color up there.