Ordinary Is Needed

Ordinary Time offers us many possibilities to grow in our faith; take a look at a few ideas from Deanna Bartalini.

Ordinary sounds so basic, maybe a bit boring and uninspiring. If we are to believe all we see on social media, ordinary is not what we are after in our lives. We are looking for extraordinary. I disagree. Ordinary Time gives us time to pause, re-focus, and shift things around if needed. Right now, we are in Ordinary Time in the Church year.  

What is Ordinary Time? 

This is one of the seasons in the Church’s liturgical year. We have various liturgical seasons, just as there are natural seasons. The 2024-25 liturgical year began on December 3, 2023, the first Sunday of Advent, and ends on November 30, 2024. Ordinary time happens twice each year: between Christmas and Lent and again between Easter and Advent. Right now, we are deep into Ordinary Time. And yet, the readings the Church gives us for this time are rich, full of the teachings and healings of Jesus. There is nothing boring about this time.  

How to grow during Ordinary Time 

During other seasons, it is clear what we are meant to do. Advent and Lent are times to prepare for Jesus’ action in the world. Christmas and Easter are times of celebration. Our Church, as one body, is focused on the same thing.  

This season, Ordinary Time, can allow us to focus more on what we need in our spiritual lives.  

An Ordinary acrostic 

In my post last month, I wrote about trying to do something creative now and then. Allow me to present to you an acrostic using the word ordinary:   

Opportunity: a time to grow in our spiritual life 

Renewal: this can be a time of renewing our faith or certain practices that have been helpful in the past 

Dig: take a look and learn about our faith, dig into a specific book of the Bible, a saint, or a new prayer practice 

Immediate: focus on now, not the next event, but what is happening now 

Needed: we need this time to maintain, to be on an even keel 

Accounting: what is working, what is not working in your spiritual life 

Rest: rest, simply rest in a way that restores and rejuvenates you 

Yearning:  to deeply desire more in your spiritual life 

As you look at the list of words, what resonates with you, or possibly startles you into realizing what you need to start moving forward rather than stagnating?  

I spent a long time convincing myself that I needed do to it all, at the same time, and then life would fall into place. In other words, life would behave according to my terms. (Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be young again, but I’d want to know the life lessons I’ve learned through the years.) 

Try something new during Ordinary Time

This season will end in three months. That is 90 days, time enough for new habits to take root and old ones changed or discarded. Here are some spiritual practices you may want to try: 

• Memorize a new prayer or Scripture verse.
• Listen to some great Catholic podcasts: check out this list of CatholicMom contributors who have podcasts and the CatholicMomcast.  
• Read a book about making your life holy. I recommend Habits for Holiness by Father Mark Mary, CFR.
• Pray a Scriptural Rosary.
• Pray Evening Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours.
• Commit to reading the daily Mass readings and a Scripture reflection. 
• Fast once a week from a certain activity: watching tv; scrolling social media.
• Incorporate silence into your prayer time.
• Read one book of the Bible straight through, underline what strikes you, and write down your thoughts.
• Do a nightly Examen. I like this app.   

If you have another idea or are looking for something else, drop a note in the comments.  

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Copyright 2024 Deanna Bartalini
Images: Canva

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