The Liturgical Year           The prayer life of the Church revolves around the events of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit. The Liturgical year begins with Advent and continues with Christmas. Easter follows Lent. Then we celebrate the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost. During Ordinary time we listen to Jesus' parables and hear about his miracles. There is a three year cycle of readings so that over a period of three years we hear most of each Gospel. The Gospel of John is used for Feast days and to supplement the other Gospels. As we hear the Good News of Jesus' message and celebrate the events of his life, the Church prays that we might grow as his disciples.           The Church's Daily Prayer           The Liturgy of the Hours is the Church's official daily prayer. It is made up of prayers, psalms, and selected readings from and about the Saints. By praying in the morning, midday, the afternoon and at night we join the rest of the Church in following Jesus' teaching to "pray without ceasing."