After the joyful festivities of the Christmas Season, we enter into Ordinary Time in the life of the Church. During these so-called Ordinary Sundays we learn from the Gospel readings all about Christ’s ministry - what His teaching was and all about the miracles He performed. Fittingly, both John the Baptist and Jesus share the focus of the Gospel for this first Sunday in Ordinary Time. John’s mission of preparing “the way” for Jesus gradually fades away as he proclaimed the presence of Jesus – “Behold the Lamb of God… Behold the Light of the World!”
The beginning of this new season welcomes opportunities to reflect on the life of Jesus and our vocation as Christians. The Ordinary Season invites us to enter and to take stock of our relationship with Jesus – to learn more about Him and His life, to meditate on the meaning of the Gospel for our lives today and to proclaim His presence through our words, deeds, and actions to the world.
It is precisely the Ordinary Time where life is lived the most. It is here that the relationships are formed that lead to celebrations to make them very special and most significant. It is here that our identity is shaped and expressed. It is here that our work and professions serve to build up the world in which we live to be a better place. It is here that the Kingdom of God must become more and more a reality. It is here that we truly realize that although an Ordinary Time, with the presence of God and our desire to be more and more authentic disciples of Jesus becomes very much an “extraordinary” time in our lives.
On Saturday, January 18
th, we began the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”. Since 1926, every year the Catholic Church sets aside a special time to focus upon prayer of unity among Christians. This year’s theme is, “They Showed Us Unusual Kindness.” (cf. Acts 28:2). Today as we celebrate the Ecumenical Sunday, as we continue our special prayers “that all may be one... that the world may believe” (John 17:21), we are offered great opportunities to pray with hope for Christian Unity, so that our actions and prayers embody the true peace, reconciliation, and unity which is to be found where God dwells.
January 22
nd, in the United States of America, is the 47
th anniversary of one of the most “absurd” decisions of the Supreme Court on abortion– Roe vs. Wade. The day is a Day of Penance for Violations to the Dignity of the Human Person and Prayer for the Full Restoration of the Dignity of Life. Today we pray for an end of destruction of human life due to abortion. We pray for the innocent lives lost to abortion. We pray for the families of the unborn and all who suffer from the act of having an abortion.
This weekend, we welcome Fr Pervaiz who will be with us for a month as Fr Xaviour goes to visit his family in India. I wish safe travels to Fr. Xaviour and an enjoyable time with his family and a time of relaxing, and this time to visit with old friends to Fr Pervaiz.
The beginning of Ordinary Time offers a great opportunity to re-discover the gift of our faith, to experience the “holy moments” in our lives.