WHAT IS “ORDINARY TIME”? Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on that Monday) after the Sunday following Jan. 6 and continues until the day before Ash Wednesday, inclusive. It begins again on the Monday after Pentecost and ends on the Saturday before the First Sun- day of Advent.

Baptism of the Lord

As soon as Jesus was baptized he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him.

And a voice spoke from heaven, “This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.” Matthew 3:16-17

Baptism of Jesus, Br. Emmaus O’Herlihy.

Ordinary Time is the season of the Church year when Catholics are encouraged to grow and mature in daily expression of their faith outside the great seasons of celebration of Christmas and Easter and the great periods of penance of Advent and Lent.

Ordinary Time is a time to deepen one’s prayer life, read the Scriptures, unite more deeply with the Lord in the Eucharist, and become a more holy and whole person.

Ordinary Time is a period when average people like you and me strive to become the extraordinary messengers of the Gospel that we have been commissioned to be through our baptism.

Ordinary Time is this day, this moment. Now.