Faith By Colors

God made man to understand the value of hues to represent celebrations, and period of penance and sacrifice. Our patriachs, the prophets and holy men in the bible used colors as part of tradition. To please God and to give glory to His coming and salvation to mankind. Even then, colors bear spiritual significance on, prayer, worship and thanksgiving. 

However, the dark side also came up with his own brand of misleading ‘knowledge’ of the significance of these colors. Teaching men of acquiring wealth, protection and power by understanding the use of colors. While colors indeed has a therapeutic effect, it is because God made them. However, the dark side had seduced men of different cultures around the world the energies colors’ possesses. The fengshui believing red is a auspicious color to bring in all the wealth and happiness. Making yearly festivities of wanting more by wearing red bearing all the red charms to display. The chakras of energies from colored candles and other material objects in the hope of absorbing all the positive outcome from the universe. The colors of gem stones to carry to attract love life or a good luck charm. From the feeding of the dark side, all of these all important colors had become for material gain and spiritual lost. 

While the Catholic church has always been appropriately using colors to convey the gospel and the grace to the faithful. It’s because of the deep understanding from Apostolic traditions both oral and written. That is why liturgical colors can be seen in rites, the sacraments and relics. This liturgical colors are necessary for the faithful to benefit and to receive grace from the Holy Masses, feasts and celebrations in the church. Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) formalized the Catholic liturgical colors. 

Here are some of the colors and their symbolic uses from the Catholic church: 

WHITE 

A color of purity, triumph, joy and innocence. It is used during Christmas season, Easter and Feast of the Lord Jesus Christ other than of His passion. Feasts of the Apostles and during consecration of churches and altars and administration of the sacraments of Baptism, Viaticum and Holy Matrimony. 

RED 

It represents sacrifice, His Precious Blood and God’s love. It is used on Feasts of Christ’s passion, on Feast of the martyrs, and on the week of the Pentecost. 

GREEN 

This color represents hope as it is worn during ordinary Sundays 

VIOLET 

This color is all for penance and humility. The color of Advent and specially during Lent. This color is very evident when the covering of draperies the images of saints during Lenten season is usually in violet fabric. It is also used on Mass at the blessing of candles and of holy water. 

BLACK 

It signifies sorrow, mourning, sacrifice and penance. The color of Good Friday during the death of Our Lord in His Passion in calvary. It is also used in masses for the dead (Requiem Masses) and All Soul’s day. 

All this liturgical colors is for the glory of God. Every devout Catholic knows that even blue is another important color, the color of Mary, the Mother of God. During Marian feasts, the Immaculate Concepcion or during October month of the rosary, blue and white will always show that special mark of Mary. 

We can see the polarity on how colors are used to gain material and spiritual grace. Hopefully, we make use of the palettes of colors God gifted us to feed our soul. Only God can give our life color and every color God gave us should not blind us. But should lead us to His Kingdom, our true home, where our true color with God shines.

https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04134a.htm https://thesplendorofthechurch.com/2020/02/27/the-catholic-liturgical-colors-are- biblical-by-lawrence-luna/