Ordinary Time

This week we begin the season of Ordinary Time. Given the name, many people perhaps think of it as the “filler” of the Gospel. Some may even go so far as to say it is the “boring” parts of the Bible. Ordinary time, however, is anything but ordinary. 

“Ordinary Time” refers to the liturgical season where we focus less on a specific time or event of Jesus’ life and ministry and focus instead on His teachings, miracles and ministry overall. We work through His various sermons; we reflect on the various healings and exorcisms and other miracles; we accompany Him throughout the entire three years of His public ministry. The reason being that Jesus came to teach us how to get to heaven; He came to offer us salvation. Therefore, everything of His ministry is about that. Everything we see in the four Gospel accounts is there to guide us to heaven.

But even then, it is still more than that. Jesus is God; therefore, everything we see in Jesus, everything we hear Him say, see Him do, reveals God to us. Even when we just look at Jesus, we are looking at the face of God. Every moment of the life and ministry of Jesus is significant in that it all reveals something of God to us. Up until that point, God was invisible; He was beyond our comprehension. Now, through Jesus, He has made Himself visible for us. To quote Hebrews: “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son.” 

So “Ordinary Time” is not about anything ordinary; it is about everything extraordinary! The invisible God of the universe is now made visible and tangible for us. We can approach Him, listen to Him, be drawn into His heart. May this season of Ordinary Time be an opportunity for encountering the one true God!