Ordinary Time

Like all liturgical seasons, Ordinary Time is meant to be lived! We aren’t passive receptors of the liturgy – or at least we shouldn’t be. We are called to be active participants! Participating in Ordinary Time means participating in the everyday life of Jesus.

According to the USCCB, “The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time, on the other hand, take us through the life of Christ. This is the time of conversion. This is living the life of Christ. Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ.”
Think about that last phrase for a moment.

Getting caught up in Christ
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!