Ordinary Time; Precious Time: Counting the Days

Jules Breton [Public domain], undefined

I happened upon a beautiful post by Jessica Snell at Homemaking Through the Church Year.  As I mentioned in my comment on that post, she gives a perfect description of the atmosphere and direction of Ordinary Time.

While reinforcing the gentle rhythmic disposition of this time of year, that post simultaneously lit a bit of a fire under me.  I had so many things I was planning to write during "the green weeks"...and then yesterday, in the car...it hit me:  We are well on our way to Advent.  I have tarried.  And now...Jessica has so eloquently rung the second bell.  I need to get writing...

For those who do not follow the Western liturgical year, "Ordinary Time" is the "time in between" major holidays in the church calendar. These are the weeks when, in many rites, the church is hung in green.   We call it "Ordinary" not because it is...ordinary...but, because it is "ordinal".  During this time, we are simply counting the days.

As my dear husband and I are becoming increasingly aware that we have reached midlife, we have been doing rather a lot of day counting lately.  As our daughter embarks on adulthood, she is doing a bit of the same.  I suppose that much of life is simply counting days.  It is the use of these "times in between" for preparation and growth, that makes the elevated periods, the periods that we mark as special such as Graduation, Marriage, Childbirth, Grand-parenthood...extraordinarily good, because we have made ready.

So here is to lazy Summer days, decluttering closets, and barbecues on patios.  Here is to counting the days that lead up to the "big days"...because, eventually, we learn that, sometimes, the "little days" are the biggest of all.

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Can Anything Good Come Out of Nazareth? ~ Reflections on this Sunday''s Reading (Anglican Lectionary)

Second Sunday after Epiphany, Year B
You'll find this week's gospel reading at the end of this post.
                    ~~~~~
"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"...

It gets me every time, that line. Popular prejudices almost diverted one as good hearted as Nathaniel, from recognizing the Messiah.

How much more am I predisposed to judgment and blindness?

Nazareth was not a well regarded place.  Surely nothing good, honorable, valuable,...holy...could come from there.

Living in California, we are surrounded by a multitude of cultures and socio-economic groups. Prejudices abound.  I suppose that it is true that every prejudice comes from somewhere...but every prejudice is not validly apply to every member... or perhaps, even most members...of the group against which it is levied.

What good things am I, ...are we, missing by allowing prejudices and assumptions to cloud our vision?

I'm not going to pretend that it is not true that sometimes, generalizations are protective.  There are parts of Los Angeles that I had best not travel in when we head down in that direction, and that is just the truth.  Gang style clothing means something.  It is a dangerous world in which we live, and, egalitarianism is all well and good, when there are not children to protect. But, automatically applying prejudice to individuals without thought, is also a great danger.

I am commanded to love.  Jesus did not spend his time with the upper echelon of society.  He extended his love and service to the lowest of its members.  It's a constant tightrope for me, making safe choices...shielding my daughter from people who will not make the best associates for her...but fulfilling the commandment to love one another.

I suppose part of the answer is that, while Nathaniel made an assumption, he then opened his mind, and found a treasure.  When he discovered that his assumption had been incorrect, he dropped it...and gained the whole world.  So, one had best not drop her assumptions indiscriminately, but, still, drop them hard and fast, after careful analysis, when they need dropping.

The reading this week focuses on the calling of the disciples.  Jesus has been born, he has been revealed to the world, and now he gets to work.  The time is short, and he has much to do.  He calls the chosen to follow him.  He calls...us, to follow him.  It is up to us to drop our preconceived notions...about ourselves, about others, about what it is that we ought to be about...and respond to that call.  There is much to be done friends...let's keep walking!

~~~~~~~~~~

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." ~ John 1:43-51

Pax Christi,
~Michelle

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Time After the Epiphany: Ordinary Time

As much as I love the special "holiday" seasons of the church calendar, there is something restful and reassuring about "Ordinary Time".  We are currently moving through the Season after the Epiphany, which is referred to as "Ordinary Time", not because it is "ordinary", but because it is "ordinal" (we are counting the days as they pass).


Holidays are grand, but it is also nice to pack up the ornaments and put the boxes back up in the rafters. While the High Holy Days inform our walk...our walk is mostly...well, walking.  Day-to-day living is the bulk of our time here, and it can be splendidly peaceful, as well as gruelingly challenging.  Whether we resist it or not, life is mostly "ordinary".  There is something calming about returning to the "work-a-day" world and measuring out our existence in snippets of the commonplace.  I always breathe a bit of a sigh of relief when the hangings and vestments in the Church change to green for Ordinary Time...not because I don't like holidays, but because I enjoy sitting quietly with my Lord when they are over.

The focus in ordinary time is generally on the life and ministry of Jesus.  The weeks of Ordinary Time following the Epiphany might best be focused on discovering Jesus in our own lives (in keeping with the revelation of his Godhood to the nations at Epiphany), and applying the teachings of his life to our daily existence.

An excellent means of drawing close to our Lord in ordinary time is praying the Daily Office.  A convenient way to access the Daily Office is through the Mission of St. Clare (Anglican).  A resource for the Roman Catholic daily office according to the Anglican Use (approved by the Roman Catholic Church) is here. Moving through the Daily Office facilitates both prayer and meditation on scripture.

Another means for meditation upon the life of Christ is through the use of rosary prayer. Beads allow a focal point to keep the mind still during prayer, therefore allowing full focus on our Lord. Use of the Luminous Mysteries is an excellent approach.  They may be prayed using a Catholic rosary, or, for Protestants who seek another option, Anglican prayer beads may be useful.

An Anglican "rosary" contains 33 beads, one for each year in the life of our Savior.  It can be difficult to find a "format" for praying the Anglican rosary, because there is some resistance to suggesting "set" prayers.  However, any set of prayers, including the Luminous Mysteries, can be adapted to their use. Also, there are resources in various locations including here and here. A format for daily meditation on the names of God, by our own beloved Bishop Emeritus John-David Schofield is found here.

 Use of beads is also an excellent avenue for memorization of Scripture.

Whatever your means of drawing closer to our Lord in Ordinary Time, let them be grounded in the Word of God that it may be written on your heart.

Pax Christi,

~Michelle

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