What happens in less than two weeks? It will be the first day of summer. We know that the year is divided into four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall/autumn. There are many “seasons” we divide time into. Before long it will be “campaign season.” Another season might be “Christmas Season.” Many “seasons” come to mind.

The church divides the year into seasons also. The United Methodist Church website describes the year. “The Christian year includes two central cycles focused on major events in the life of Christ: the Christmas cycle (Advent-Christmas-Epiphany) and Easter cycle (Lent-Easter-Pentecost). Each of these seasons begins with a time of preparation and anticipation followed by a time of celebration. A season designated as Ordinary Time follows each cycle.”

The word “ordinary” here does not mean “routine” or “not special.” The word “ordinary” as used here comes from the ordinal numerals by which the weeks are identified or counted, from the 1st week of Ordinary Time in January to the 34th week that begins toward the end of November.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops tell us “The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time take us through the life of Christ. This is the time of conversion. This is living the life of Christ. Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ.”

We are now in the second period of Ordinary Time, living the life of Christ. A lot is happening in Sunday’s gospel reading. The call of Matthew, the raising of a synagogue leader’s daughter, and the healing of a woman with hemorrhages. The reading starts with a “what does he think he’s doing?” moment. Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners.

Join with us as we go through “Ordinary Time” and journey with Christ in his life.