Ordinary Time Returns

The church calendar has transitioned into what we call “ordinary time” following the seasons of Easter and Pentecost. This year, we had only two weeks of ordinary time between Christmas and Lent, meaning special seasons dominated half the year. Now we settle into a longer stretch of green vestments and regular rhythms.

The Value of the Ordinary

Despite its name, ordinary time holds significant value. I confess I appreciate these quieter periods. Constant intensity leads to fatigue and poor judgment. As the saying goes, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The same applies to our spiritual lives.

Life has, for the most part, to be lived normally. We need sustainable patterns, not just peak experiences.

Beyond Crisis Faith

Too often, we maintain communication with God only when crisis strikes. When everything’s going well, prayer becomes an afterthought. When trouble hits, suddenly we’re on our knees.

But God is not just there for crises and important times. A healthy spiritual life means regular engagement, not emergency-only contact.

Think of it like physical health. We don’t wait until we’re seriously ill to think about exercise, nutrition, and rest. We build healthy habits into our daily routine. Spiritual health works the same way.

Little and Often

Little and often works so much better than crisis management.

A few minutes of prayer each day builds a stronger foundation than hours of desperate pleading when everything falls apart. Regular worship connects us more deeply than occasional appearances at Christmas and Easter.

Ordinary time invites us to establish these patterns. Without the pressure of major festivals or the drama of Holy Week, we can focus on sustainable spiritual practices that will sustain us through all seasons.

An Ordinary Invitation

So as we enter this stretch of ordinary time, I encourage you to embrace it. Use these weeks to build rhythms of prayer, scripture reading, and reflection. Connect with your faith community regularly, not just when the calendar demands it.

The extraordinary often emerges from faithful attention to the ordinary. Let’s discover the richness hidden in these regular, everyday patterns of faith.