Ordinary?

We have entered into “Ordinary Time” in the Church. Ordinary Time is broken into two parts with the seasons of Lent and Easter in the middle of it. When we think of ordinary, we think of something that is just plain or regular, but what it means in the Church is that it is not one of the “Special” seasons like Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. It is a season of growth and of work. The readings of Ordinary Time focus on the mission and work of Jesus in the world. What his actions were and why they are important to us. In the past few weeks, we have prepared for his coming in Advent and received him in the Christmas season. In a few more weeks, we will prepare for his Passion and burial in the season of Lent and then we will celebrate his Resurrection in the Easter season.

So, in Ordinary Time we focus on the three years of his ministry and his works. We are reminded of how the Apostles and the disciples of Jesus witnessed the incredible things that he did and how they grew in faith. This is the reason that the color for the season is green; it is to remind us of how we are to continue to grow in our faith so that we can grow towards Christ. Each season of the Church has a purpose, preparation, celebration, or growth, and in Ordinary time, we get down to the work of living our lives as Christians and so grow in our own faith.

So, what are some of the ways that we can grow in our faith? The first way is to practice our faith by the coming together in the community at the Mass even in these challenging times. In the Mass, we receive the Eucharist, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ and that is the food that will allow us to grow. Another way that we can be fed and grow in faith is prayer and Scripture. What better way to get to know Christ than to get to know the works that he did in the lifetime that he spent walking on this earth with us. He truly wants to show us the path, so that we can follow it to the same end he did and that is in the Resurrection! Something else that we can do to grow is to get to know the Saints and how they lived in their growth of the faith. A vast majority of the saints did not live their lives in a perfect way. They made mistakes. Some were not very good people at some points in their lives. Remember, even one of the great Scripture writers, St. Paul, was someone who persecuted the disciples of Jesus and even agreed to the execution of St. Steven.

There are so many ways that we can get to know God better each and every day. If we allow ourselves to keep being fed in our faith, we will continue to grow as followers of Christ, and with God’s grace, to enter into that Kingdom of Heaven that he prepares for us.

God bless,
Fr. Ken