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| Liturgical Calendar |
10 Jan 2022 -1 March
2022
-Brian Mendonça
(2 Cor. 6:2)
The last of the kul
kuls are now being eaten with a sense of nostalgia for the Christmas
season. It is back to terra firma once again. It is back to Ordinary
Time.
The term Ordinary
Time has special significance in the way the liturgical year is arranged in the
Catholic faith. We have just finished the season of Christmas and we are now
entering another period.
Ordinary Time is the
period excluding the season of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. The colour
for this season is green – which is why the priest wears green vestments for
Mass.
The term
‘Ordinary’ is in no way intended to devalue this season. Stemming from Latin,
it simply means that this time is ‘ordered.’
I leaf through God’s
Word 2022 with readings, psalms and reflections for the new year. The pages
in Ordinary Time are distinguished by a green border. The first page marking
the first week of Ordinary Time is on Monday 10th Jan 2022. This is
because Ordinary Time begins on the first Monday after the first Sunday after 6
January.
The green-bordered
pages go right up to Tuesday 1 March 2022, marking the 8th week in
Ordinary Time. After this date the pages are bordered in purple signifying the
start of the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday on 2 March 2022.
During Ordinary Time the First Readings in the first part – till 1 Feb 2022 - are primarily from the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. We read how Saul follows the donkeys of Kish to be chosen as prince of Israel by Samuel. We have a ringside view of how the boy David - the future king of Israel - hurls a stone to fell the Philistine Goliath.
In the second part the First Readings are
largely from 1 Kings. Isaiah – so prominent in the season of Advent and
Christmas – takes a backseat. The prophets Nehemiah and Jeremiah make a brief
appearance.
In the scripture
of Ordinary Time, Jesus sets about fulfilling his mission on earth; he picks up
his disciples as he passes alongside the sea of Galilee; he commands the
unclean spirits; he heals his disciple Simon’s mother-in-law.
During Ordinary
Time Jesus mingles with the marginalized, the leprous, the possessed. He
exposes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. His behaviour was quite extraordinary.
In fact they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’ (Mark 3:21)
In the gospel of 7
Feb he foresees his coming arrest and execution. He cautions his disciples, Beware
of men, for they will deliver you over to councils and flog you in their
synagogues. (Mat.10:22)
Finally in the
Gospel reading of 28 Feb Jesus gives them the commandments. Do not murder;
do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not
defraud; honour your father and mother. (Mark 10:19)
In Ordinary Time
we live joyfully as we are witness to the life of Christ and his working in our
lives. As the psalmist sings in the psalm for 10 Jan.: How can I repay the
Lord / for all his goodness to me? (Ps.116:12) Untrammelled by the
observances of Lent or Christmas, we can deepen our faith by diving into
scripture. We can use this quiet time to discern God’s purpose in our lives.
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