I love how the liturgical year is put together to include time for the ordinary. Stretching from now until November we can make it extraordinarily ordinary. Far from unimportant, during Ordinary Time we intentionally explore, grow and deepen our relationship with God.
Time is never insignificant. The months ahead are filled walking beside Jesus in his ministry, learning from essential teachings that comfort and challenge us to walk the way of Jesus in today. Over and over again we’ll be reminded to forgive, accept the “other” in our lives generously, to seek peace and live humbly, to be healed and allow ourselves to be an instrument of healing. Explore resources to help you along the way. Nourish the soul through prayer, poetry, music, books, art; put faith in action, seek out fellowship.
This season is an invitation to slow the pace so we can focus attention on those we love, renew ourselves in body, mind and spirit, put “urgent” in perspective, examine personal values and core beliefs, consider where our lives are going, and set about making changes we know are in our best interest so we can enrich our lives and those of others. It’s actually a season made for living in a COVID19 environment.
Do whatever you are doing this morning, this afternoon or tonight with God. Fill and feel your heart, mind and spirit. Be present in the moment – ask God to join you with an open mind. May we all use this extraordinary, indispensable, and fundamental season ahead to the fullest and follow the Way of Jesus. After all, if we don’t know the way of Jesus how we can celebrate it when the time comes in the months ahead?
And by the way, the term Ordinary Time is used in the Roman Catholic Church to indicate the parts of the liturgical year that are not included in the major seasons of the church calendar. You may have also heard it called the “green or growing season”. Liturgically the months ahead are less eventful and back to a more “normal” pace because this whole season feeds and grounds all the high feasts that follow. Follow this link to more information on Ordinary Time and the Calendar of the Church Year.