Ordinary Time, sometimes called the Time of the Church, is the longest season in the Roman Catholic liturgical year, encompassing the periods outside the major seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. It is a season of spiritual growth, reflection, and living out the Christian faith in daily life, guided by the teachings and ministry of Jesus Christ. Despite its name, Ordinary Time is not "ordinary" in a mundane sense; rather, it derives from the Latin tempus per annum (time through the year), counted in an ordered sequence of weeks.
Time of Year
Ordinary Time spans two distinct periods in the liturgical calendar:
First Period: Begins after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (the Sunday following the Epiphany) and continues until the day before Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent. This typically covers January and February, depending on Easterβs date.
Second Period: Starts after Pentecost Sunday and extends until the First Sunday of Advent, typically running from late May or early June through late November or early December.
Together, these periods account for the majority of the year, totaling 33 or 34 weeks, depending on the timing of Easter and Advent. Ordinary Time resumes where the Easter season ends, following the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and pauses for the preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent, reflecting the Churchβs rhythm of celebration and growth.
Observance
Ordinary Time represents the Churchβs life beyond the high feasts of Christβs birth, death, and resurrection. It focuses on the ministry of Jesusβhis teachings, parables, and miraclesβas recorded in the Gospels, encouraging the faithful to deepen their discipleship and apply their faith in everyday life. In the Roman Catholic Church, the liturgy during Ordinary Time includes:
Sunday Readings: A three-year cycle (Years A, B, and C) of Gospel readings, with Year A featuring Matthew, Year B Mark (supplemented by John), and Year C Luke. These are paired with Old Testament readings and epistles, offering a continuous narrative of Christβs life and mission.
Weekdays: A two-year cycle of readings provides additional Scripture for reflection, emphasizing growth in understanding Godβs word.
Feasts and Memorials: Ordinary Time includes celebrations of saints and other liturgical feasts (e.g., the Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi), which may take precedence over the regular Sunday or weekday liturgy.
Unlike Advent or Lent, Ordinary Time has no overarching narrative or penitential focus. Instead, it is a season of steady progress, where the Church reflects on Christβs public ministry and the Spiritβs guidance after Pentecost. It invites the faithful to live out the mysteries celebrated in the major seasons, growing in holiness through prayer, charity, and service.
Symbolic Color
The liturgical color for Ordinary Time in the Roman Catholic Church, as prescribed by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, reflects its purpose as a season of growth.
Green: The Color of Life and Hope
Green is the symbolic color of Ordinary Time, worn by priests in vestments and used in church decorations throughout the season. Green symbolizes life, hope, and spiritual growth, evoking the image of flourishing plants and the steady nurturing of faith. It represents the Churchβs ongoing mission to grow in holiness and spread the Gospel, rooted in the teachings of Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Green remains the dominant color for most Sundays and weekdays, except when white, red, or other colors are used for specific feasts or memorials (e.g., white for the Blessed Virgin Mary, red for martyrs).
Catholic Traditions and Significance
Ordinary Time lacks the dramatic rituals of Lent or the festivity of Christmas, but it is rich in its simplicity. The faithful are encouraged to deepen their prayer life, attend Mass regularly, and practice virtues in daily routines. Key feasts within Ordinary Time, such as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (the Sunday after Pentecost) and the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi, typically the second Sunday after Pentecost), enrich the season with moments of theological depth. The rhythm of Ordinary Time mirrors the Churchβs ongoing journey, fostering a lived faith between the major liturgical peaks.
Theologically, Ordinary Time reflects the βalready and not yetβ of Christian life: the Kingdom of God is present through Christβs ministry and the Spiritβs guidance, yet the faithful await its fullness at the Second Coming, anticipated in Advent. It is a season of discipleship, where the lessons of Easter and Pentecost are put into practice.
Ordinary Time in the Roman Catholic Church, spanning from after Pentecost until Advent (with an earlier segment between Epiphany and Lent), is a season of growth, reflection, and faithful living. Clothed in green, it represents the majority of the liturgical year, inviting the Church to mature in Christβs teachings and embody the Gospel in daily life. Through its steady rhythm, Ordinary Time bridges the major seasons, offering a time to flourish in the Spiritβs grace.
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