The Season of Ordinary Time
What is Ordinary Time?
There is a common misconception among Catholics that Ordinary Time is the “boring” part of the Church’s liturgical year. We are not in the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter, and so there is no readily apparent sense or object of anticipation or joy. It can be easy to celebrate during Easter, or to look forward with determination toward Christmas during Advent. But how do we focus our spiritual energy during Ordinary Time? First, we should understand that “ordinary” in this usage does not mean “not special.” Rather, “ordinary” refers to time that is ordered. The Church names the weeks of Ordinary Time in numerical order. In the liturgical year, Ordinary Time is split into two periods: the weeks between the end of the Christmas season and Ash Wednesday, and the weeks between Pentecost and the First Sunday of Advent. During these periods, the Scripture readings bring us through the ministry and teaching of Jesus and encourage us to grow in our faith as part of everyday life. Ordinary Time is considered by the Church to be “A time of Conversion.” It is a time of maturation and growth, a time which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate more deeply into history until “all things are finally caught up in Christ.” If we are truly dedicating ourselves to growing in faith during Ordinary Time, our lives as Christians will be anything but ordinary. As Christians, we are constantly seeking to become more and more like Christ. Ordinary Time is a perfect season to really put this into practice.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, you have the opportunity to seek out moments when you can fully do God’s will. By building up this habit during Ordinary Time, you will start to see that your spiritual life and your everyday life don’t have to be separate things. Ordinary Time offers you the opportunity to follow Christ as he called his disciples to “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” During this Ordinary Time, drop your nets and be fishers of men by your example.
