The Anderson-Alexandria Pastorate

We are now in Ordinary Time, which continues until Lent begins, then resumes again after Pentecost, the end of the Easter Season. 

It’s called Ordinary Time, not in the sense of normal or standard, but in reference to ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc. (The corresponding numbers of one and two are called cardinal numbers.) So Ordinary Time is when we count our Sundays through the year from beginning to end. 

Now, watch this: This Sunday is the SECOND SUNDAY of Ordinary Time. Last week was the FIRST WEEK of Ordinary Time. But there is no FIRST SUNDAY of Ordinary Time. Why? The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was the last Sunday of the Christmas Season, and the First Week of Ordinary Time began the next day, Monday. (Don’t think too hard about this or you will get a brain cramp.) 

You may have noticed that during Ordinary Time, we generally hear from the same Gospel every Sunday throughout the whole year. (This includes much of the seasons of Lent, Easter, Advent, and Christmas, too.) 

This year, we hear from the Gospel of Luke. Last year, it was mostly Mark (with some readings from John inserted during the summer), and next year, we will hear from Matthew. John’s Gospel does not have its own year, but don’t feel bad for John! His Gospel is used liberally during Lent, Easter, and Christmas, all three years! 

Each year, we progress through the designated Gospel from beginning to end. But we don’t cover every chapter and verse of the Gospel. Elements that are unique to a particular Gospel, like the Good Samaritan parable in Luke, are emphasized during that Gospel’s designated year. Over the three years, similar or identical stories among the three Gospels are usually told only one time, to avoid duplication. 

You may also have noticed that the first reading has some connection to the Gospel, a common image or idea. During Ordinary Time, the first reading is always from the Old Testament, and on each specific Sunday, that reading in some way foreshadows the Gospel. 

It’s not always possible to make that explicit connection in the homily, so a good spiritual practice is to prayerfully read the Mass readings on your own, during the prior week, and make those connections yourself! 

I haven’t mentioned the second reading, and I’m out of space! One of these days…..! 

Fr. Tom Metzger