We are in the last full week of Ordinary Time. In a lot of ways the church already has its head and heart in Lent (more about that soon). These days are often regarded merely as an “in-between” time. We are getting over the high intensity seasons of Advent and Christmas. We look ahead to Ash Wednesday and Lent. So, we often treat Ordinary Time as a respite in which nothing happens.
I want to take exception to that view. This time is bracketed by the two great theophanies of The Baptism of the Lord and The Transfiguration. In each of these events God speaks from heaven and affirms that Jesus is God’s son. In the intervening weeks, the church considers scripture lessons that demonstrate that the disciples of Jesus — and the population in general — have a lot of questions about who Jesus is and what his role might be.
The great themes of this season are the presence of light and the mission of the church. As the light of the Star of Bethlehem led the Magi to the presence of the one born king of the Jews, so this time emphasizes the church’s task of sharing the light of Christ’s mercy with a creation that is desperately in need of grace.
I frequently speak of such times as being kettles that sit on their own bottoms. The significance of these days is not dependent on what has gone before, or upon what follows. Ordinary time has its own revelation to those attuned to the light.
The peace of the Lord be with you.
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