Fr Leonard E Dollentas
I was once asked by a parishioner about Ordinary Time in the liturgical cycle of the Church: Is Ordinary Time a less important part of the Church calendar? Why is it called ordinary? She is confused about the term because in English “ordinary” means something that is not special, something that is mundane, and uninteresting.
I assumed that this misconception that Ordinary Time is an unimportant part of the liturgical cycle was held not only by this parishioner, but some other faithful as well. The fact that Ordinary Time refers to those periods that fall outside major liturgical seasons, reinforces this impression.
We may recall that the Church year begins with Advent, followed immediately by the Christmas season. After the season of Christmas follows the shorter part of Ordinary Time, which begins on the Monday after the traditional date of the feast of the Epiphany. This marks the end of the liturgical season of Christmas. This first period of Ordinary Time runs until Ash Wednesday when the liturgical season of Lent begins, followed by the Easter season. Ordinary Time resumes on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday, the end of the Easter season. This second period of Ordinary Time is considered as the longest liturgical season, as it continues until the Advent season begins again.
It is important to note that the second period, or part, of Ordinary Time follows the celebration of Pentecost. This challenges every believer to do God’s work as the gift of the Holy Spirit moves us to be the “salt and light” of the earth. The Spirit does for us and the Church what Jesus did for his disciples — he left them with his love, fire and Spirit to share with the world. During Ordinary Time, the priestly vestments and the church décor changes into green, which is the liturgical color of this season. Green is the color of life and hope, ushering us towards conversion, maturation and quiet growth, spiritually.
In Macao and in some other parts of the world, the second period of the Ordinary Time occurs mostly in the warmer months and during the school holidays. Although we cannot go somewhere to escape the summer heat because of the pandemic, the season may prompt us to link our daily prayers with our families and with the enjoyment of nature. It is a great opportunity to pray outdoors when taking a walk. It is the time to wake up early and enjoy the sunrise while having the Morning Prayer (Lauds). We can incorporate a family prayer time, such as the Rosary, on outings and get together.
Ordinary Time is also a great time to explore the lives of the saints on their feast days. As we follow the saints’ feast days and share their stories with our children, we can find significance in their lives that can be related to our own.
This longer part of Ordinary Time ends with the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, traditionally called the Feast of Christ the King. We reverence our Lord as the King of all, and pray that all on earth may praise him as we prepare for his coming in the season of Advent, as we look forward to journeying with God on another cycle of grace and life.
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