SND BLOGS

Catholic Faith Corner

Living in the Light
of Jesus Christ

Sea of Galilee at Sunrise

Catholic Faith Corner

Living in the Light
of Jesus Christ

Ordinary Time in the Church Year (or Extraordinary)

thAccording to the Church calendar, this is the first week in Ordinary Time. The weeks are referred to by ordinal numbers, which is why they are called ordinary. There are 34 of them. In the usual sense of the word ordinary, these weeks are not special seasons like Advent or Easter. But is any week actually “ordinary”? Considering that out of the zillion or so planets and other things floating in the limitless universe, our little planet daily sustains our lives, I’d say that any week is extraordinary. The fact we human beings can think, create, imagine, choose, and love, unlike other creatures such as the billions of insect species, I’d call that extraordinary. Every morning that we wake up to a new day and find our earth still here and not destroyed by wayward asteroids, the supervolcano sleeping under Yellowstone National Park, or a nuclear disaster is extraordinary.

On a personal level, we are alive and breathing because in God’s design a particular man and woman met and their union culminated in our birth and our genes donated from each partner make us who we are each day.  That’s extraordinary. We dwell in bodies in which blinking keeps eyes lubricated, stomachs digest food, and hearts send oxygen to cells, and so many other marvelous things go on without us even being aware of them. That’s extraordinary. Each day (whether it has a special title or not) affords us twenty-four hours in which anything could happen and in which we could do anything. How extraordinary is that? Unless we are hermits, every day we encounter and interact with beings like ourselves. They enlighten us, help us, encourage us, love us, and challenge us. If that’s not special, what is?DSCN1355 copy

On the spiritual plane, too, every day of ordinary time is extraordinary. God is an abiding presence around us and within us. Far from being an absentee landlord, he loves us like a father or mother and gives us grace to help us make our way to heaven. Moreover, Jesus lives in our churches and daily sacrifices himself on our altars. We can even consume God. That is so stupendous that writer Annie Dilliard said we should wear crash helmets to church.

Every day is extraordinary—even those drab winter days with gray clouds and dirty snow. Every day is reason to celebrate . . . and be grateful.

What makes your ordinary days extraordinary?

2 Responses

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest posts

Awarded Top 100 Catholic Blog

Meet Sr. Kathleen

Jesus depends on us to spread the Good News of God’s love, offering the world hope and joy. Mary Kathleen, a Sister of Notre Dame from Chardon, Ohio, responds through writing, speaking, giving retreats, and teaching. Her motto, adopted from Eddie Doherty’s gravesite, is “All my words for the Word.”

About Catholic Faith Corner

A warm welcome to Catholic Faith Corner! May my reflections help you know and live the Catholic faith, inspire you, and touch your heart. I hope you subscribe here and occasionally comment on my posts.

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Loading

A Child’s Book
of Psalms

Here is a simple version of verses from favorite psalms, followed by a one-line prayer. Colored photos enhance the 24-page booklet.

Featured Book

Totally Catholic! A Catechism for Kids and Their Parents and Teachers

This award-winning book is being used in classrooms and by RCIA groups.

Visit My Book Store

Sister Kathleen has more than ninety books published and has worked on six textbook series. Several of her books have garnered awards from the Catholic Press Association and Multimedia International. You can buy from Amazon, but purchasing books directly from her earns more for her community.