Ordinary Time
During Ordinary Time, the Church celebrates the fullness of the mystery of the Lord Jesus. The people of God offer praise by celebrating the Paschal Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.
Ordinary Time is a liturgical season, just like any other. And just like any other season in the liturgical calendar, this season celebrates a very specific time in the life of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
When we think of liturgical seasons we typically think of the major seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. These seasons celebrate what could be thought of as “The Main Event.” Namely, the incarnation, birth, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
Seems like there isn’t much to celebrate after that, right?
Wrong!
The 33 (or 34 depending on how the feasts fall – more on that in a minute) weeks of Ordinary Time contain the rest of Jesus’ earthly ministry and some of the major events of the Gospels we have come to know and love.
The miracles, the parables, the calling of the twelve, the sermon on the mount, the bread of life discourse. . . we get all that and more during this season. Truly, there is much to celebrate.
Here’s a short list of ways you can fully embrace this liturgical season and get caught up in Christ:
- 1. Examine your habits. Your day to day life is typically just a series of habits played out one after the other. If you want your life to change, the first place to look is your habits. A great new habit to start: reading the daily Gospel.
- 2. Gratitude. Joy always finds its root in gratitude. Try starting each day by thanking God for five ordinary, everyday things. If you have a family, try going around the table at dinner time and list off things together.
- 3. Use your imagination to reflect on the daily life of Jesus. Imagine Jesus doing the simple things. Eating, walking, joking with his friends. Praying. Make yourself a bystander to the Gospel stories in your imagination.
- Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary. But the true power of the season is only unlocked if you live it ( Catholic Telegraph)