Fourth Sunday of Easter
Christ the Good Shepherd in the Catacomb of Priscilla
| |
| Rank | Sunday |
|---|---|
| Season | Easter Time |
| Liturgical color | White |
| Lectionary | Sunday Cycles A, B, and C |
Fourth Sunday of Easter is a Sunday of Easter Time in the Roman Rite, celebrated as a principal observance of the Lord's Paschal Mystery.[1]
Place in the calendar
It is traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday and is observed as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
Its exact civil date is determined each year by the temporal cycle and the date of Easter or Christmas, as applicable.
Mystery celebrated
Christ the Good Shepherd knows, gathers, feeds, and lays down his life for his flock.
The proper prayers and the readings appointed for Years A, B, and C express the celebration within the one Paschal Mystery of Christ.[2]
Rank and observance
The Sunday is the principal celebration of the day and is observed from First Vespers where the liturgical books provide. The universal table of precedence governs any collision with a solemnity or other observance.[3]
References
- Back to citation General Instruction of the Roman Missal — Universal norms for celebrating Mass in the Roman Rite.
- Back to citation Lectionary for Mass — The Roman Rite cycle of readings for Sundays, solemnities, feasts, and weekdays.
- Back to citation Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar — Universal norms governing seasons, Sundays, ranks, precedence, and the calendar.