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As we conclude the Christmas season, Tina Mayeux ponders the significance of everyday moments and the fruitfulness of Ordinary Time.


Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory. (Dr. Seuss)

 

I find this to be absolutely true, especially with the many precious memories we have been blessed with in the raising of our children. Many times, when we look back, it is the ordinary events and moments of our lives that we remember with fondness and gratitude, especially as a parent. The treasured memories we hold dear are often of the routine, everyday occurrences with our children. I often recall the bliss of rocking my firstborn daughter, Mary Elise, to sleep in her new nursery, accompanied by the gentle sound of classical music in the background. I am sometimes moved to laugh out loud when I remember my second child, Kate, falling asleep at the most inopportune times and places; for instance, at the dinner table, face-first in her plate, with a half-eaten Cheeto in her mouth. And memories of our youngest, Genevieve, center around the joy of observing her boundless energy, either trying to keep up with her as a preschooler while she zoomed around the neighborhood on her scooter or watching her compete in basketball games or soccer matches. These ordinary moments are ones that we will remember fondly when we look back on our lives once our little ones are grown.

 

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This week marks the conclusion of the festivity and celebration of the Christmas season and the beginning of Ordinary Time in the liturgical year. On Sunday, we celebrated the Epiphany, followed by the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord yesterday. At Mass, we observe a return to the liturgical color of green, which represents hope and growth in our spiritual lives.

As we enter into the normalcy and regularity of Ordinary Time, it is consoling to remember that Jesus is encountered not only in the extraordinary feasts and celebrations of Christmas and Easter. Rather, He is also present to us in our day-to-day duties and the mundane events of our lives. This period of Ordinary Time can be a time of great grace and blessing, and we can grow in our relationship with Christ by remaining aware of His presence and action in our lives.

In the Gospels, we find that Jesus’ public ministry did not take place until the final few years of His life. Most of Jesus’ time was spent in hidden obedience and service to Mary and Joseph. The lesson we can draw from this is that our everyday, routine activities, many of which are hidden and unrecognized, are important and hold immense value, as the early life of Jesus must have held in the Father’s eyes. Moments which may seem unimportant and insignificant at the time are valuable opportunities to grow in grace and union with the Lord and to deepen our love for Him. Time is precious, and these moments can become priceless treasures when we do our best to use them wisely, aware that they will become the memories of tomorrow.

On the first Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis reminded us that we should be preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ, not only during Advent and Christmastime, but at all times, with these words,

Let us bear this in mind: God is hidden in our life, he is always there—he is concealed in the commonest and most ordinary situations in our life. He does not come in extraordinary events, but in everyday things; he manifests himself in everyday things. He is there, in our daily work, in a chance encounter, in the face of someone in need, even when we face days that seem grey and monotonous, it is right there that we find the Lord, who calls to us, speaks to us and inspires our actions.

 

 

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Ordinary Time can be a time of great grace and blessing, and we can grow in our relationship with Christ by remaining aware of His presence and action in our lives. #catholicmom

 

When we look at the end of Christmas from this perspective, we realize that entering into Ordinary Time can be an exciting and fruitful period of growth in union with Jesus and a new beginning in our spiritual lives. Having just celebrated the New Year, many of us have made resolutions or promises to ourselves to improve or change something about ourselves or to grow spiritually. By reflecting on Pope Francis’ words, we remember that Christ is present at every moment of our life, and we can ask Him to help us in our efforts at improvement and growth.

By finding Christ in the ordinary, everyday events and activities of our life, we can trust that these moments will be grace-filled encounters with Him and may become treasured memories in the future.


Copyright 2023 Christina Mayeux
Images: copyright 2018 Holy Cross Family Ministries, all rights reserved; Canva