Liturgical Colors: Meaning and Importance

Liturgical Colors  refers to the different colors that the religious use but that we, as non-religious people from that point of view, do not know the intention or meaning of each color.

If you want to learn what each color used by God’s representatives on earth means, its intention and in what celebration each one is used, then continue reading this article.

liturgical colors

Liturgical Colors  as mentioned above have a meaning and are not always used for the same ceremonies.

Although we do not see the importance, the truth is that the different garments worn by God’s representatives on earth are important and knowing what each one is used for and what each color represents as well.

This diversity of colors in the sacred vestments seeks to express efficiently and in a visible, external way, each of the characters of each of the mysteries, festivals and celebrations throughout the year.

The liturgical year is the name given to the year of the Lord, in which various celebrations are held in honor of God the Father Almighty and eternal, his mysteries, and these, in turn, are represented by the different colors of the liturgical vestments.

What do the liturgical colors mean and when are they used?

Mainly, the liturgical colors  express the experience of an entire people and of the Church of God on earth, that is, every time we observe that the priest uses a new color in his vestment, he is giving us a message.

What is that message that the priest offers us? That we find ourselves in the celebration of some mystery of the life, work, death or resurrection of the Son of God.

White color

The White Color, not only in the Church but in life in general, represents purity, cleanliness, purification, innocence, divine grace, light, and even joy, these last three, from a more religious sense.

These Liturgical Colors are used by the priest to communicate to us without the need for words that we are celebrating the nativity or the resurrection of Jesus, for example.

The white color is also used in Easter time, parties in honor of our Lord God the Father or in some celebration of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God or our Mother.

It is also used to represent saints, angels and not martyrs because it is the color that represents Easter joy, life and light, the ascension.

Rojo

The Color red, not only in the Church but in life in general, represents blood, heat, fire and love (as a couple, siblings, family, friends, among others) and in a more religious sense it also represents sacrifice, love. of God and heroism.

The red color is used mainly on the Pentecost party, although it is also usually used on Good Friday and Palm Sunday.

Liturgical Colors , in this case, the red color, is used in all the festivities that represent the Passion of Christ the Redeemer and in the festivities of all those martyrs who gave their lives with the greatest joy and happiness because they kept firm their faith and their love and devotion for God.

Verde

One of the Liturgical Colors that we see priests use is commonly green, since this color is used during the week when there is no special feast to celebrate in the liturgical year.

The green color represents hope, freshness, well-being, health, and in a more religious sense it represents the freshness and freshness of our soul, the beautiful virtue of hope and the good fruit that God offers us and also expects from us.

This liturgical color is used during ordinary time, that is, the period that includes from the baptism of Jesus to Lent, passing through Pentecost and finally reaching Advent.

Purple

The color purple generally represents nobility, luxury, magic, spirituality, royalty, even creativity. From a more religious sense, the priest every time he uses the purple color he is telling us or representing piety.

Purple is one of the Liturgical Colors also well recognized by the Christian community, since it is used during Lent and in votive masses, that is, those masses that are celebrated with a special intention.

Some of these special intentions could be: requesting God’s intervention for a problem that we cannot find a solution to, some anguish or any other request that requires divine intervention from our beloved Father.

The purple color is also used for the celebrations of the masses of a deceased person, representing then, in these cases: penance, waiting, humility and a call to permanent conversion.

Less used colors

Although there are many Liturgical Colors  there are also liturgical colors that are not as widely used, or at least not as common as red, green, purple or white.

Something that draws a lot of attention is that these Liturgical Colors are seven (7) and the number seven has a special meaning for the Catholic Church.

For example, the number seven (7) represents a message or an idea that is beyond our human understanding and comprehension. It can represent hidden messages, to put it in some way that is sent by God so that we understand or resolve a situation in the best way, to put a case.

The number seven (7) also represents perfection for the Catholic Church, therefore, in the Holy Bible we can find that Peter had to forgive his brother even seventy (70) times.

golden or plated

Now yes, going back into the matter, we go with the gold color or the silver color. The golden color, as is evident, represents gold, money and even happiness. Abundance, prosperity and material things.

The gold color within the Liturgical Colors represents a more traditional and even a bit somber aura.

When a priest uses the color gold, he is highlighting his priesthood, the importance that he has as a disciple of God and as his representative on earth to guide his children, just as a shepherd does with his sheep.

The gold color, too, stands out and represents the great parties. On days that are considered solemn, this color is usually used to highlight the most noble ornaments, even though these ornaments do not correspond to the color of the day.

In the case of silver, this normally represents luxury, the value of material goods that we can acquire, the ideal value, although it always comes after gold, since this is a main color.

In a more biblical or religious sense, this silver color represents solemnity.

Rosa

When we think of the color pink, it is normal to think of women, strength, beauty, fullness, balance, but from a more biblical or religious sense, when the father or priest uses the color pink, he does so with the intention of showing us that the closeness of the Savior it is very close.

Normally, this pink color is used by the priest on the third Sunday of Advent, and within the Catholic Church it also symbolizes a symbol of ephemeral joy, rather, it is rigor.

When we talk about this ephemeral joy, it is because it is used on the fourth Sunday of Lent, at this time, as we know, it is a time when Easter is celebrated, that is, the triumphant entry of Christ into the promised land.

The color pink is relaxing, it is inevitable that it influences our feelings and inspires us to act kindly, delicately, to converse with others in a profound way, or to reflect on ourselves and our feelings in a sincere and transparent way.

The pink color is something similar to love but more tenuous, it is affection, it is sweetness, it is even protection. It is also a sign of our innocence, of our generosity through our actions and dedication to God and our loved ones: family, friends, among others.

Azul

And we have reached the end of these liturgical colors , we have reached the color blue, that color that is so wonderful for many and that represents peace, tranquility, relaxation, that wonderful sensation that the sea and its immensity offer us.

The blue color can be absolute calm, as well as represent storm and movement, madness.

The color blue in a more religious sense is used to represent or honor the beloved Virgin Mary, mother of God and mother of all men and creatures on earth.

Our beloved Mother, divine mother, that mother, who with her love, her mercy and her sacred mantle always offers us her protection, her shelter and the understanding that cannot be lacking in mothers.

A mother is always willing to welcome us with open arms, to forgive and love us unconditionally regardless of our mistakes or sins, and for this and much more we must honor, love and reciprocate them in the same way.