Living Liturgically

FR. JAMES ROME has been a priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux for two years and has a passion for serving his people. He currently serves as Administrator of Holy Savior in Lockport.

I really don’t know when I came to realize that if everything is special then nothing is special, a truly logical realization. If special means “unique” and “extra important,” then by definition not everything can be special. I was sure I wasn’t the first person to draw this conclusion and a quick internet search led me to a Catholic businessman named Patrick Lencioni who said, “If everything is important then nothing is.”

If everything is important, special, or extraordinary, then nothing is important, special, or extraordinary because that would defy their definitions. Therefore, even though we read and study about the life of Jesus Christ within the liturgical year, not every day can be declared extra-ordinary.

When Holy Mother Church implemented the current Liturgical Calendar, She did not mean ordinary as defined by Webster, “a common quality, rank, or ability.” In the Church’s context “ordinary” comes from the Latin term ordinalis, meaning “numbered” or “ruled,” which refers to the ongoing and rhythmical nature of a time period. In other words, just like everyday life, there is a rhythm to the days, weeks, and seasons of the year.

Though we look forward to special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and holidays, those important, special, or extraordinary days really don’t define who we are. We are what we do every day! Our everyday feelings become thoughts, those thoughts become desires which become actions, our actions become habits, and our habits become the essence of who we are. So if your goal is to get to heaven, your status as a Catholic Christian is actually more dependent upon how you respond to Ordinary Time rather than Extra Ordinary Seasons.

Christianity is living in communion (common-union) with Jesus every day and not just in special seasons. Living as Christians only during Advent and Lent is not enough, neither is participating just on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation. Ordinalis means the ongoing rhythm of life. Jesus displays His ongoing rhythm of life during Ordinary Time. We spend up to thirty four weeks in the year examining the ongoing rhythm of Jesus’ life in order to better mimic it.

If Lent and Advent are times for breaking bad habits, think of Ordinary Time as an opportunity for starting and forming good habits, especially habits that will define you as a joyful, peace filled, and holy disciple of Jesus Christ. Here are some ideas of habits to adopt:

• Practice Gratitude: Try starting each day by thanking God for four ordinary things. The four things I thank God for are: 1) clean running water 2) a fully stocked refrigerator 3) long hot showers and 4) a warm soft bed. Joy finds its roots in gratitude and appreciation. When one realizes every ordinary thing is grace, that is, a gift from God, it’s hard to not be content and at peace.

• Receive Reconciliation: Yes, Advent and Lent are special preparatory times that remind us of the need to be reconciled to God, but all can surely utilize the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least monthly and immediately after the presence of mortal sin. I cannot think of a more beneficial, ordinary habit for a Christian who desires heaven.

• Attend Daily Mass: Try once a week and take it from there. Mass not only avails one to the Holy Body & Blood of Jesus, but it is also an opportunity for daily scripture study along with infinite opportunities for individual living and deceased souls to receive grace. Daily Masses are generally shorter and often also offer opportunities to recite the Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy with others in public.

• Join a Small Group: Take part in or even start a small group. Bible studies, reading about the lives of the Saints, listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast, or studying the parts of the Mass are all topics of interest to the faithful who are just waiting to gather and learn as part of their ordinary lives.

• Develop Personal Formation: Finally, a Christian with heaven as a goal should be spending quality prayer time with family and especially catechetical time with young children and grandchildren. If you don’t teach them every day Christian habits, who will?

Let’s embrace the Ordinary Times of Jesus’ life because without them, we could never experience those important, special, and extraordinary times of Jesus’ birth, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension we call the Paschal Mystery.