Learning about the Liturgical Year: Calendars

All this month I'll be posting about resources to help you live, learn, and celebrate the coming season of Advent.

What better way to begin than with a review of a brand new tool for Catholic homes and classrooms- a printable Liturgical Calendar that can be colored in week by week.  A resource like this is seriously one of my most frequently asked blog questions, and I never have had a good answer until now.  Many printable calendars are not good for varying ages, don't have enough info or are too busy, and more importantly, no one seems to consistently make new ones each year.

I told you back in this post that one of my favorite parts of being Catholic is living out the beautiful rhythm of the Liturgical Year.  The fasts and feasts, the orderly-ness, the life of Christ lived out in the Church- every Catholic can benefit from making the Liturgical Year more a part of their prayer and daily life.

*TelosArt provided me with a free 2017-2018 Liturgical Calendar and printable coloring calendar in exchange for an honest review. I only recommend things that I have used and love, and these opinions are entirely my own.

I reviewed TelosArts's Liturgical Calendar a couple of month ago, and have since ordered sets for both our school and CCD program through her generous bulk pricing.  TelosArt has created a set of simple, but beautiful, Liturgical Calendars for the 2017-2018 year.  This calendar would look lovely hung up in a home as well as in a school classroom, CCD room, RCIA meeting place, etc.  It is usable and attractive both for kids and adults, and packs tons of info within the clean design.  Liturgical seasons, dates, colors, feast days, and more is included on each calendar.

My fellow teachers and catechists are excited to start teaching with these calendars, and after talking more with Jessica from TelosArt, we are thrilled to use a matching printable and colorable calendar with each of our students.  The printable blackline 8.5" x 11" calendar holds the Liturgical Year calendar on one side and a list of major Feasts and Solemnities on the back.  You can find the printable 2018 Color-As-You-Go Liturgical Calendar here in her shop. (and it's on sale for the rest of the week!)

I thought I'd share a few of the ways I (or our catechists) plan to use these calendars this year:

• For a Liturgical Year overview- perfect to study just before Advent, about all the major seasons of the year.  Students could color in Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, and Easter seasons on their own calendars while discussing the representation of the Life of Christ found in one full rotation on the calendar.
• To talk about the significance of colors- We'll discussion the meaning and symbolism of the colors of the Liturgical Season and connection to feast days.
• As a classroom display and continuing study- We plan on adding a small post it flag to mark the week of the Liturgical Year we are currently in and move it week by week.  Another teacher is adding a spinning arrow on a brad so that they can turn the wheel throughout the year.
• For small group activities- My school purchased enough calendars that I have a set of five in my room, meaning that I can set up some group work where the students can see the details of the calendar up close.  I plan to have them look for and describe the rhythm and structure of the Liturgical Year, pay attention to the location of certain feasts and their seasons, etc.  As we discuss those patterns, they will color in the inner season circle on their own personal calendar.
• As the year progresses- We also will keep our calendar in our faith folder and pull it out as the seasons change.  In the outer circle there is a section for all 52 weeks in the year, so we can keep track of the seasons and feasts week by week. 
• To celebrate Feasts and Solemnities- The Convenient month by month outline on the back highlights Saints and Feasts.  We can use this to plan ahead for celebrations, chose a patron Saint for a certain time period, connect Feasts to Seasons, etc.

We'll use the calendar alongside my Liturgical Year Coloring Book, which you can get in this post.

I can't wait until Advent to really dive into all the conversations I know this Liturgical Calendar is going to spark.  I'm sure you can think of great ways to use it with your students too!

For more photos and examples of all the calendars TelosArt offers, visit their website here (You can also find TelosArt on Etsy and Peter's Square.)  Don't forget that the printable calendars are on sale for the rest of the week, so this is the time to snatch your download!  They also have a new black and white 18" x 21" coloring calendar poster that would be perfect in a classroom. And TelosArt has generously set up bulk pricing for schools and churches.  You can check out the options here and contact TelosArt here.