What do the various liturgical vestment colors symbolize at Mass?
The Church uses specific liturgical vestment colors to visually express the character of the mystery being celebrated: 1) White/Gold: Joy, purity, and victory, worn during Easter, Christmas, feasts of Our Lord, Mary, and non-martyr saints; 2) Red: Fire of the Holy Spirit and shed blood, worn on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost, and feasts of martyrs; 3) Green: Hope, spiritual life, and growth, worn during Ordinary Time; 4) Violet/Purple: Penance, expectation, and mourning, worn in Advent, Lent, and funerals; 5) Rose: Joy amidst penance, worn on Gaudete Sunday (Advent) and Laetare Sunday (Lent); 6) Black: Mourning, permitted on All Souls' Day and requiems.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1155
- Revelation 7:9
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.