Color me Catholic.

BEFORE I BECAME A CATHOLIC I HAD made some visits to various churches. But the ceremonies of the Roman and Byzantine Church delighted me--the Roman orator Cicero mentioned that "variety delights." In later Latin literature the word variety often refers to the variety of colors. The pomp and circumstance of the liturgy, along with the various colors of the vestments added to my own delight. The colors and the movement added more and more to my delight.

In the early church, clothes of the day were worn, many of which resembled the robes of the rabbis. In the 12th century, Pope Innocent III declared certain colors to be the rule, since before his time, the colors of vestments included red, black, gold, white, gray, green, purple or violet, rose or pink, scarlet, blue or azure. Innocent permitted only white, red, green, black, violet (or purple) to be used. Gold vestments are still permitted for special occasions. A few years ago while in Portugal, I wore a vestment made of gold cloth that weighed about 20 pounds.

The next century allowed the use of rose vestments for the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday of Lent. This color was used to anticipate the joy of the birth of Christ and of the Risen Lord. In Spain in the 19th century, as a concession to the marvelous devotions to Our Lady, the priests could wear blue vestments on the Feast of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception and on the Feast of the Assumption. Today, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France all Masses in honor of Our Lady may be celebrated wearing blue vestments.

By 1990 black vestments, although still permitted, were rarely being used. These were for funerals, but following the early custom of the church, white seemed more appropriate since it connotes joy that a brother or sister has gone "home to heaven--our true home."

It was the various colors, as well as the materials and shapes, which impressed me as a young man. Within the spectrum of the colors of the church, many hues and shades were used. The similarity to the robes worn in medieval days along with the awesome motions of the clergy, reminded me of the days of knighthood.

Saint Augustine, after his conversion, wrote in his Confessions "O beauty ever ancient and ever new, too late have I loved you." In respect to the different colors and shades used in the liturgy, his thoughts come to mind. Beauty is there through the handiwork of great artists, it is ever ancient going back to the early church and ever new since styles and shapes open up new horizons of prayerful service.

The colors symbolize the deep emotions of humanity. Green is for hope in the life and vitality of living faith. Violet or purple makes us all realize the need for penance and reformation in our lives based on our faith in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Red reminds us of the supreme sacrifice made by the martyrs slain for the faith and the need at times to be heroic in the practice of our faith.

Even in the midst of penance or of longing for Christ's coming and for his resurrection, rose is used on the third Sunday of Advent (formerly called Gaudete Sunday) and on the fourth Sunday in Lent (formerly called Laetare Sunday) in anticipation of the coming joys of Christmas and Easter. White is symbolic of the integrity of the life of faith, sustained by purity. Gold may be worn to express genuine jubilation on special feast days. Since 1970, white vestments have been preferred for funerals, although violet and black may also be used.

The next time you attend the liturgy look at the colors worn by the clergy, as well as the myriad colors surrounding the altar and within the church. Something magical exists here.

By Father George Twigg-Porter, S.J., archdiocesan and reginal director for the Apostleship of Prayer at the University of San Francisco.