A Sunday at the End of the Church Year
A calendar on a church table may look familiar, with weeks arranged in rows and Sundays marked in their usual places. But a church calendar can also show a different way of dividing the year. Instead of beginning in January, the Western Christian liturgical year begins with Advent, a season leading toward Christmas. Its final Sunday is often known as Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday.
In 2026, that Sunday falls on November 22. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops lists it as the Solemnity of Christ the King. In the Roman Catholic calendar, it closes the liturgical year; Advent begins the following Sunday, November 29. Other Western churches may also observe the final Sunday before Advent, although their names for it and their practices can differ.
A calendar with a purpose
A liturgical calendar organizes seasons and special days for worship. Many Western Christian churches use such a calendar to mark events associated with the life of Jesus and other important parts of their faith. Christmas and Easter are well-known examples, but the calendar also includes longer seasons and Sundays with particular themes.
- liturgical:
- Related to the forms and patterns of religious worship.
- observance:
- The act of marking an occasion with particular practices.
- authority:
- The power or right to guide, rule, or make decisions.
- monarch:
- A ruler, such as a king or queen, who leads a nation.
- denomination:
- A group of religious communities that share a particular tradition.
- congregation:
- A group of people gathered for religious worship.
- emphasis:
- Special attention or importance given to something.
- civil:
- Related to ordinary public life rather than religious practice.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How does the passage distinguish the liturgical calendar from the ordinary calendar?
- 2Why does the author explain differences among Western and Eastern Christian traditions?
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About this report passage for Middle School
“A Sunday at the End of the Church Year” is a report reading passage about The Christian liturgical calendar, written for Middle School. It takes about 6 minutes to read (854 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.