God has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11
Living in our corner of the world, we are highly attuned to the four seasons of the year and often live by Mark Twain’s quote, “If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.”
Seasons also refer to stages of life…. chapters in our journey… and periods in our relationship with God. Some are filled with light and joy, others are dry or marked with storms. The challenge for us is to recognize that every season is intended to shape us and prepare us for new growth. The word Amen offered in prayer means “let it be”.
The Church has six liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Sacred Paschal Triduum, Easter, and Ordinary Time, which is divided into two sections.
Because the term ordinary often means something that's not special or distinctive, many people think that Ordinary Time refers to parts of the Church’s calendar that are unimportant. Ordinary Time is not so named because it is common, but rather because the weeks are numbered, or ordinaled. On the contrary, it is the part of the year in which we are invited to deepen our relationship with Jesus, to grow in knowledge of him, to stretch ourselves in our service of him. It is a time of watchfulness and expectation of the Second Coming of Christ.
The normal liturgical color for Ordinary Time—for those days when there is no special feast—is green. Again, the green vestments and altar cloths are not meant to indicate plainness, but rather the period in which the Church founded by the risen Christ and enlivened by the Holy Spirit began to grow and to spread the Gospel to all nations.
So, let us take our cue from the green of the Church, and use this season to grow, to transform our lives, and to be expectant of joyful comings. Let us focus on caring for our own body, mind, and spirit, as well as holistic health of others in the Body of Christ.
To see upcoming opportunities to do that, check out our website's Events section or Get Involved tab to learn about all the ministries looking for volunteers.
And if sticking close to home is more comfortable for you at this time, consider watching our streamed Saturday 4pm Vigil Mass and viewing some of our online prayer services. Remember that our Pastoral Visitation Ministry will make home visits to the elderly, sick, or homebound to bring the Eucharist, perform the Anointing of the Sick, or just check in on our neighbors. To make arrangements, please contact Kate McGrath, Pastoral Associate, via email or at 781-598-4313 x224.
Visit our website's online resources and apps pages for more resources to deepen your relationship with Jesus and connect with your faith community. Also, check our Spotify channel for music to accompany you through your day and through your moods.
https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/ordinary-time-its-not-easy-being-green-but-we-need-it/29596/
https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/making-the-ordinary-extraordinary
https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/find-the-extraordinary-in-ordinary-time
https://www.sadlier.com/religion/blog/ideas-for-making-catholic-ordinary-time-extraordinary
https://teachingcatholickids.com/ordinary-time-extraordinary-time-for-your-family/