Background of SeasonThe word ‘ordinary’ in Ordinary Time refers to ordinal or counted time (Brisbane Catholic Education [BCE], (n.d.). Ordinary Time occurs in two sections; however, it still constitutes one season within the liturgical year (BCE, n.d.). The first section of Ordinary Time begins on the Monday following the Christmas season, which ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Bennett, 2013). This section lasts through to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of the Lenten season. Ordinary Time then resumes again after the Easter season on the Monday after Pentecost, and continues until evening prayer on the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent.
In comparison to Christmas and Easter time, which highlight the central mysteries of the Paschal Mystery, Ordinary Time has its foundations in the public ministry of Jesus (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB], 2014). Ordinary Time celebrates the life of Christ and is the time for conversion where the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are caught up in Christ (USCCB, 2014). Ordinary Time is a time to listen to and reflect on the scriptures and what they teach about being people of God, to celebrate the Paschal Mystery as the core of Christian faith, and to give thanks for the many blessings given by God. During this season, the readings focus on Jesus’ early ministry of teaching and healing, and the gathering of disciples (Bratcher, 2013). Ordinary Time is the period in which God reveals to us the face of Christ through the eyes of Matthew, Mark and Luke (Verna, 2006). In this way, it is though the evangelists are our guides, as they lead us deeper into the mystery of the mission of Christ in the world (Verna, 2006). |
Symbols, objects and actions associated with Ordinary Time
Ordinary Time is often described as an ‘Experience of Journey’, a time for growth and maturation. The Church seasons are celebrated with traditional colours that evolved in the early Roman Catholic Church (Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut [EDC], 2014). The colour that is used on the altar and on the priest’s vestment during Ordinary Time is green. Green is a sign of hope or triumph of life over death, similar to re-growth in spring time (EDC, 2014). During this season, Priests often wear green vestments or alternatively white vestments with green stoles to symbolise growth and faith. In addition to this, the greenery/floral arrangements within Churches are minimalistic, reflect the colour of the season and symbolise that we are tending new growth. Altar/votive candles are also used throughout Ordinary Time and are symbolic of Jesus Christ, which has clear links to the key messages of the season.
The symbol for Ordinary Time is called a ‘Chi Rho’, as seen below. The Chi Rho comprises the first two letters of the Greek word for Messiah (Escobar, 2013). Christos – the letter Chi looks like the letter ‘X’, and the Rho looks like the letter ‘P’. In the times of persecution of the early Church, this abbreviation became a symbol representing Jesus Christ (Escobar, 2013). The Sundays of Ordinary Time embody the ancient tradition of the Church’s celebration of the Lord’s Day before the development of the cycle of solemnities and feasts (Verna, 2006). Thus, in this season, the Church celebrates the mystery of Christ not in one specific aspect but in all its aspects. Sundays are the distinguishing mark of the Christian Community. For believers, every Sunday of this season acts as an echo of Easter Sunday. |