After the celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we begin the Ordinary Time of our liturgy. Ordinary Time refers to those periods that fall outside of the major liturgical seasons and they are not ordinary at all. It does not mean that it is not important. Ordinary Time is called “ordinary” because the weeks are numbered. The Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word ordo, from which we get the English word order. Thus, the numbered weeks of Ordinary Time, represent the ordered life of the Church — the period in which we live our lives neither in feasting (as in the Christmas and Easter seasons) or in more severe penance (as in Advent and Lent), but in watchfulness and expectation of the Second Coming of Christ. Therefore, Ordinary Time is the part of the year in which Christ, the Lamb of God, walks among us and transforms our lives. There’s nothing “ordinary” about that!
The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green which refers to spiritual growth. It means movement of time towards its fulfillment and that fulfillment is Jesus who is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. God is the author of time.
Sunday is the sacrament of redeemed time and like all sacraments it is simultaneously a point of arrival and departure for Christians on their way to the fullness of the kingdom. Celebration of Sunday is the identifying mark of the Christian community which comes together, remembering that on the first day of the week the Lord of life was raised up and creation came at last to completion. That is why every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord who defeated evil, sin and death forever. Thus, Ordinary Time is faithful, prayerful and active vigilance for the Glorious Coming of the Lord.
