Understanding the Liturgical Year

Today, we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, the closing of the Christmas Season. We began the liturgical year when we celebrated the Advent Season in early December. Advent is our preparation for the Second Coming of Christ as we anticipate the celebration of His first coming among us as a baby. Then, the Christmas Season’s celebration of the Incarnation and Nativity of Christ renews our faith that God “took on flesh and dwelt among us.”

Although the Baptism of the Lord closes the Christmas Season it is only the second event in the Church’s liturgical cycle that highlights the “manifestation” or the “showing” of God’s power among us. Epiphany was the first event which celebrated that Christ is the “light for the nations and the glory of His people Israel.” The third manifestation event will be celebrated next Sunday when we recall Jesus’ first public miracle at the Wedding Feast at Cana.

Then on Monday, January 13th, we enter into the longest liturgical cycle of the year: Ordinary Time. These days are anything but ordinary in our understanding of the term. The word, “ordinary,” comes from the same root as “ordinal” or “ counted.” Hence, we have the Second Sunday in Ordinary time, the Third Sunday in Ordinary time, etc. In this cycle, the Church reflects on the everyday life and ministry of Jesus – His relationships, His miracles and His teachings.

Ordinary Time is divided into two parts: the weeks before Lent and the weeks after Pentecost. Dividing these weeks into two parts are the 40 days of Lent and the 50 days of Easter. These two seasons, Lent and Easter, comprise the “Great 90 Days” in the Christian calendar. Our celebration of Easter ends with the celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles at Pentecost. Following Pentecost Sunday, we return to the “counting” of days and weeks before Advent. With the return of Advent, the Church’s liturgical cycles begin again.

To understand the liturgical year gives us the opportunity not only to orient ourselves to the seasons but also helps us enter more deeply into the Pascal Mystery – the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. His mission of salvation is the Church’s history, Her present moment and Her completion at the end of time. May the next days be anything but ordinary for us as we are called to grow in holiness and follow in the footsteps of the Savior.