Dear Friends,
Well, our parishes have taken down and put away our precious Christmas decorations. Christmas ended last weekend celebrating the Baptism of the Lord.
It was wonderful to have Lucas Cutter’s baptism during the 8:45 mass! What a precious gift not only to his family but to all of us! His faith filled family is an inspiration and a testimony to ourselves why our communal family is so important!
I share a few pictures. Even as our liturgical season moves on so does Santa’s clothes at the dry cleaners!
Ordinary Time.
Well the new church year began on November 28, 2021 with our First Sunday of Advent. The Advent Season moved us four weeks later into our Christmas/Epiphany Season. As mentioned above, the Christmas Season officially ended with the Baptism of Jesus.
Now, we go forth in what is referred to Ordinary Time. It is the longest of all church seasons. It doesn’t happen continuously but will have an interruption on March 2nd when Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten pilgrimage.
As quoted from the ORDO, the Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist, “Besides the times of the year that have their own distinctive character, there remains in the yearly cycle thirty-three or thirty-four weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated, but rather the mystery of Christ itself is honored in its fullness, especially on Sundays. This period is known as Ordinary Time” (Universal Norms,43)
So, even though we find ourselves in Ordinary Time it nonetheless calls us by our Baptism, to be extraordinary sisters and brothers of Jesus in acknowledging our awareness of His life and movement with each and every one of us! Remember last weekend hearing You are wonderfully made? You are my beloved? I hope so and now, we take that awareness as we continue to marvel in the profound love the Lord has for each and every one of us!
Let us continue to gather in prayer with one another. Let us continue to be fed by the very bread of life, Jesus Christ. Let us nourish our physical and spiritual lives that we go forth proclaiming the goodness of the Lord.
So, onward in Ordinary Time and with a resolve to be vibrant disciples loving one another as He loves us!
Blessings,
Father Rob