Ordinary Time

The longest season in our liturgical calendar is called “Ordinary Time.”  This term is often misunderstood, for there is nothing ordinary about it.  The person unfamiliar with the term Ordinary Time might think we are speaking of a period in our year which “dull” or “monotonous” in comparison with the “special” times of the year.  But, its name comes from how we count these weeks ahead, with “ordinal numbers:” The 10th week, the 11th Week, et cetera.  It is called ordinary in order to distinguish it from other periods of the liturgical year, which are put into the context of the specific mystery they celebrate, like the coming of salvation in Advent, the birth of our Savior in Christmas, Christ’s Passover, and ours, at Easter. 

Here we are, having just completed the Easter Season with last week’s celebration of Pentecost.  Prior to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the weeks of the year following Pentecost were numbered accordingly.  For instance, this Sunday would have been called the “First Sunday after Pentecost,” next week would be the “Second Sunday after Pentecost,” and so on.

Ordinary Time is the time of the Church, of the daily life of every Christian community, and of each one of us.  It is the time not of a brief sprint during which we hurry to a goal, but of moving at a measured pace in order to cover a long distance.

It is a time for us to examine our faith and our faithfulness.  A time for hope that holds us steadfast and keeps us from stopping at every minor difficulty.  A time for charity and sharing.  A time for reflection and introspection.  Ordinary Time is the opportunity for us to take our time without wasting our time. 

Everything is possible at any time for God, and for us, with His grace always being offered.  But this season of Ordinary Time reminds us of our need to be open to infinite possibilities.  In the course of six months many things can and will happen in the world, in the Church, in our families, and in ourselves.  With God’s strength, we can welcome what happens during Ordinary Time in faith, hope, and love. 

Ordinary Time is given to us to recapture, strengthen, redress, and rebuild ourselves in the image of our Lord Jesus.  This is the time for witnessing humbly to our faith and proclaiming God’s Word.  A time to welcome the riches of God to be found in others and in ourselves.  A time of ordinary and extraordinary possibilities.