In the Roman Catholic Church, the terms for this Sunday ( and the two immediately before it — Sexagesima and Septuagesima Sundays ) were eliminated in the reforms following the Second Vatican Council, and these Sundays are part of Ordinary Time.

The earlier form of the Roman Rite, with its references to Quinquagesima Sunday, and to the Sexagesima and Septuagesima Sundays, continues to be observed in some communities.

Quinquagesima (" fiftieth "), is the fiftieth day before Easter, reckoning inclusively ; but Sexagesima is not the sixtieth day and Septuagesima is not the seventieth but is the sixty-fourth day prior.

Septuagesima comes from the Latin word for " seventieth " with Sexagesima and Quinquagesima equalling " sixtieth " and " fiftieth " respectively.

Quinquagesima Sunday is indeed the fiftieth day before Easter ( counting inclusively ), but the numbers indicated by the names " Sexagesima " and " Septuagesima " do not correspond to the interval between these Sundays and Easter.

The new liturgical books created after the Second Vatican Council omit Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima Sundays.

Through the same process, the Sunday before Sexagesima Sunday was formerly known as Septuagesima Sunday, and marked the start of the Pre-Lenten Season which eventually became the time for carnival celebrations throughout Europe, this custom being later exported to places settled and / or colonized by Europeans.

While Quinquagesima ( 50th day ) is mathematically correct ( allowing for the inclusive counting ), Sexagesima and Septuagesima are only approximations ( the exact number of days is 57 and 64 respectively ).

The earlier form of the Roman Rite, with its references to Quinquagesima, Sexagesima and Septuagesima, continues to be observed in some communities.

However, like Quinquagesima, Sexagesima and Septuagesima, the numeral is more likely an approximation of how many days there are until Easter Sunday, in this case 42.

There is here given the whole service for every Sunday and week-day, the proper antiphons, responsories, hymns, and especially the course of daily Scripture-reading, averaging about twenty verses a day, and ( roughly ) arranged thus: for Advent, Isaiah ; Epiphany to Septuagesima, Pauline Epistles ; Lent, patristic homilies ( Genesis on Sundays ); Passion-tide, Jeremiah ; Easter to Whitsun, Acts, Catholic epistles and Apocalypse ; Whitsun to August, Samuel and Kings ; August to Advent, Wisdom books, Maccabees, Prophets.

* Septuagesima – 63 days ( ninth Sunday ) before Easter ( Pre – Vatican II Calendar )

The season begins on 14 January and ends on the Saturday before Septuagesima Sunday.

Before the 1960 revisions, the omitted Sunday would be celebrated on the Saturday before Septuagesima Sunday, or, in the case of the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, on the Saturday before the Last Sunday after Pentecost.

The motet O magnum mysterium comes from the first volume ( printed in 1586 ) which covers the period from the first Sunday of Advent to the Septuagesima.

Usually these are a Gradual followed by an Alleluia ; but between Septuagesima Sunday and Holy Saturday, or in a Requiem or other penitential Mass the Alleluia is replaced by a Tract, and between Easter Sunday and Pentecost the Gradual is replaced by a second Alleluia.

Septuagesima ( in full, Septuagesima Sunday ) is the name for the ninth Sunday before Easter, the third before Ash Wednesday.

The earliest date on which Septuagesima Sunday can occur is January 18 ( Easter falling on March 22 in a non-leap year ) and the latest is February 22 ( Easter falling on April 25 in a leap year ).

The 17-day period beginning on Septuagesima Sunday was intended to be observed as a preparation for the season of Lent, which is itself a period of spiritual preparation ( for Easter ).

In many countries, however, Septuagesima Sunday still marks the traditional start of the carnival season, culminating on Shrove Tuesday, sometimes known as Mardi Gras.

At first Vespers of Septuagesima Sunday, two alleluias are added to the closing verse of Benedicamus Domino and its response, Deo gratias, as during the Easter Octave, and, starting at Compline, it is no longer used until Easter.

Likewise, violet vestments are worn, except on feasts, from Septuagesima Sunday until Holy Thursday.

It is 22 days long because it begins on the Sunday before Septuagesima, but not 24 since the Byzantine Lent commences on a Monday instead of a Wednesday.

* Lections and resources for Septuagesima Sunday

In the traditional Office, the Te Deum is sung at the end of Matins on all days when the Gloria is said at Mass ; those days are all Sundays outside Advent, Septuagesima, Lent, and Passiontide ; on all feasts ( except the Triduum ) and on all ferias during Eastertide.

In addition to their Breviary use some of the canticles are used in other connections in the liturgy ; e. g. the " Nunc dimittis " as a tract at the Mass of the Feast of the Purification ( when 2 February comes after Septuagesima ); the " Benedictus " in the burial of the dead and in various processions.

Septuagesima was also the day on which one could begin a forty-day Lenten fast that excluded from its observance Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

The following Sundays, until Septuagesima, were named as the " First ( etc.

Septuagesima ( from the Latin word for " seventieth ") is a two-and-a-half-week period before Lent.

In the time or times when the word " Alleluia " is excluded from use in the liturgy ( Lent and, in earlier forms of the Roman Rite, Septuagesima ), the pre-Gospel chant either replaces the word " Alleluia " with another acclamation ( in the present normal form of the Roman Rite ), or ( in earlier forms ) is itself replaced by a Tract, while, on the other hand, those earlier forms of the Roman Rite replace the Gradual with an Alleluia chant during Eastertide, thus putting not one but two such chants before the Gospel reading.

The Pre-Lenten Season ( see also Septuagesima ) is the period of preparation before the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent.

The Alleluia is sung for the first time since the beginning of Lent ( or, in the pre-Vatican II rite, since Septuagesima ).

On the other hand, the word " Alleluia " is excluded from the Roman liturgy during Lent and, in earlier forms of the Roman Rite, during Septuagesima.

The Alleluia is sung for the first time since the beginning of Lent ( or, in the pre-Vatican II rite, since Septuagesima )-however, it is a very solemn alleluia at this time.

) From Septuagesima until Easter, Laus tibi Domine, Rex aeternae gloriae ( Praise be to Thee O Lord, King of eternal glory ) replaces Alleluia.

In some cities in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, the key to the city is given to the so-called " Prince carnival " who leads the carnivals which take place the week prior to Septuagesima.

The other two Sundays in this period of the liturgical year are called Sexagesima and Quinquagesima, the latter sometimes also called Shrove Sunday.

The name " Sexagesima " is derived from the Latin sexagesimus, meaning " sixtieth ," and appears to be a back-formation of Quinquagesima, the term formerly used to denote the last Sunday before Lent ( the latter name alluding to the fact that there are fifty days between that Sunday and Easter, if one counts both days themselves in the total ).

* Sexagesima – 56 days ( eighth Sunday ) before Easter ( Pre – Vatican II Calendar )

Sexagesima, or, in full, Sexagesima Sunday, is the name for the second Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the Gregorian Rite liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, and also in that of some Protestant denominations, particularly those with Anglican and Lutheran origins.

Anglicans in provinces which continue to use the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as the primary authority also retain Sexagesima Sunday along with the two other pre-Lenten Sundays, as do those who use the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer.

* Lections and resources for Sexagesima Sunday

Such musical words are placed on words from the Biblical Latin text ; for instance when FA-MI-SOL-LA is placed on " et libera " ( e. g. introit for Sexagesima Sunday ) in the Christian faith it signifies that Christ liberates us from sin through His death and resurrection.