|
Saturday, 02 June 2007 |
 So, we are in Ordinary time. What’s so ordinary about “Ordinary time”? In our Roman Catholic Church, we operate on two calendars: we use the calendar that most everyone uses, where January is the first month of the year and December is the last; but we also use a liturgical calendar. In our liturgical calendar, the Catholic New Year begins on the first Sunday of Advent and ends on the Solemnity of Christ the King (the last weekend of November). But why? It’s about a certain Person’s life.
The season of Advent begins our liturgical year. In the four Sundays of Advent, we are invited to think about the “coming of the Lord”, both the historical birth of Jesus of Nazareth (celebrated as the Nativity, on Christ-mass) as well as the end of time, when all will be brought to the Lord in His coming. Every child knows what follows Advent, right? The season of Christmas is a time of celebrating the Incarnation, when God’s Word becomes flesh and blood (incarnate = enfleshed) in the Person of Yeshua. .Jesus of Nazareth. He was promised by the prophets and was given to all.
The seasons of Advent and Christmas have bookends, in the great seasons of Lent and Easter. During the holy season of Lent, the whole Church remembers what sin has done in distorting the beauty of creation, in distorting the beauty of our humanity. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, as we hear the Lord’s call to repent of your sin and believe in the Good News. The holy season of Lent ends with a holy three days, called the Holy Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. After these three days, we celebrate the Lord’s victory of sin and death, in the joy of Easter. Easter season ended last Sunday, with the Solemnity of Pentecost, called the birthday of the Church.
Jesus is promised. Jesus is born. Jesus, perfectly human, is bound in love to our broken humanity and is executed, an innocent man. Jesus dies but is seen alive and glorious. The liturgical season is built around the remembrance of this brother, this Son of God.
But what of the days and weeks and months in-between Advent & Christmas, the time spent in- between Lent & Easter and between Easter and Advent? The “in-between” time is called “ordinary”. The liturgical color for vestments and decoration in Ordinary time is green, the color of life. We are in Ordinary time and need to remember that ordinary time is like ordinary life: it needs to be lived fully, with attention and gratitude.
A few notes:
- Please make sure to take part in the parish survey (see details in the bulletin). I need the advice and counsel of all.
- We are in need of some additional “counters”. .members of the parish that assist in counting the contributions of our community, after the weekend liturgies. Please do think about assisting us in this, and call Bill Marten (our Business Manager) at the parish. We need your help.
- We’re still looking for some parishioners that might want to volunteer their time in the parish office. Let me hear from you!
- Finally, I want to encourage all to keep minds and hearts open to all that God wants to offer us... for the Lord has a plan for this extraordinary parish!
A.M.D.G
Msgr. David Talley |
