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Ordinary time is the time between the principle liturgical seasons. It is called ordinary, not because it is unexceptional or common. It means that the time is "counted." During this time the Church counts Sundays from Epiphany to Lent as the 1st Sunday of the winter Ordinary Time, etc. It orders the readings so that the life of Christ unfolds for us each year.
The winter weeks bridge the time between the two major seasons of Christmas and Lent. They begin the day after the feast of the Baptism of Jesus and end the day before Ash Wednesday. Even though the feast of the manifestation of the Lord at the Epiphany closes the Christmas season, the manifestation continues through the story of Jesus in the gospel.
This year Mark's gospel is read at the liturgies, beginning in Chapter 1 and continuing through Chapter 10, right before the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The epistles are from Hebrews, describing the mission of Christ by using images from the Hebrew liturgy in the great temple of Jerusalem. Readings are also taken from the book of Genesis beginning with its account of creation, calling all to be thankful for the beauties of this precious planet of ours. The bleakness of winter in some parts of the world is a challenge to hope. Lent is just around the corner, but the promise of spring is not far off.
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During this time the greatest feast falls on February 2, the presentation of the Lord in the temple, so called "candlemass" because candles are blessed on this day. (Notes from Days of the Lord, Vol 4, p.3) | Ordinary Time provides for us all the possibilities to experience the richness and power of God's Word in the liturgy. If only we take time to listen and open our hearts and minds.
Ordinary Time in the Spring
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"This is the time of simply living: putting one foot ahead of the other; keeping on keeping on with the everyday stuff; being faithful to what the Spirit calls and beckons us to do here and now. In ordinary time, we strike matches over and over and over." Beverly Reddick, AFSC
The time after Eastertide and before Advent is also "Counted" Time. The liturgies of these Sundays reveal to us the dailiness of our Christian life. It is the time when we focus on our own spiritual growth, patiently, painstakingly and with unwavering faithfulness. We allow ourselves to be nurtured by God's word, our souls are cultivated, watered and refreshed for the longest period of the liturgical year. It is a time to overcome obstacles in our own spiritual path. We fix potholes and move rocks as we progress. It is a time to grow more deeply in faith, hope, and love.
Ordinary Time is also given to each community to recapture, strengthen, redress, and rebuild our own Christian and ecclesial identities. Without our becoming self-absorbed, this is the favorable time to check up on and, if need be, to renew our commitment to church. This is the time for witnessing humbly but effectively God, alive in our communal life. This is the time for proclaiming God's Word and the time for sowing and burying the grain that will germinate in due time. (Notes from Days of the Lord, Vol 4, p.3) |
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"Emmaus"
Mary Peter Tremonte |
The celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ, (his life, death, resurrection and glorification) unfolds throughout the liturgical year. It is of the greatest importance to Christian worship.
The liturgical seasons of Advent -Christmas, Lent-Easter and Pentecost are the more dramatic and expansive celebrations of particular aspects of the one Paschal Mystery which we celebrate every Sunday.
Sunday, in the Christian experience, is the identifying mark of the community of believers coming together to remember and celebrate the first day of the week when Jesus was raised up and creation, at last, came to its completion. The promise of life for all and for creation is fulfilled. |
Sunday, day of worship, rest, and play is a concrete sacrament or sign of unfettered time.
We call this part of the liturgical year "Ordinary Time" but there is nothing ordinary about the ongoing ebb and flow of life and creation which are truly graced by God's presence and which find their reflections in the liturgical prayer of the church.
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"Ellos, por su parte, contaron lo sucedido en el camino y cómo lo
habían reconocido al partir el pan."
(Lucas 24:35) |
"Then they told their story of what had happened and how they had recognized him at the breaking of the bread."
(Luke 24:35 | |
