Things You Might Not Know About Ordinary Time

As we return to Ordinary Time this summer, we are invited to seek the Lord in our daily lives.

This season is the longest of the liturgical seasons, in which we are invited to sit at the feet of Jesus. As the disciples pondered the Father’s directive “Listen to Him”, we too are invited to listen to Jesus’ words in our daily lives.

Ordinary Time + ESS

Here are some other things about this season that you might not know:

  1. Green’s not the only color you’ll see. We’re familiar with the greens that mark these months, symbolizing growth and new life. But you’ll notice your priest in some other things, too — red for remembrance of martyrs and gold for Solemnities!

  2. The word “ordinary” represents many things. “Ordinary” can inspire us to look for God in the mundane (which is beautiful!). “Ordinary”, in this context, actually comes from the Latin term ordinalis, meaning 'numbered' or 'ruled'. The word refers to the ongoing and rhythmical nature of the season, much like our everyday lives.

  3. The Gospel readings focus on Jesus’ ministry. During this stretch of the liturgical year, the Gospel readings at Mass pull largely from the Gospel of Mark. We focus on Jesus’ ministry (his teachings, healings, etc.) in order to orient our own lives to living as He did.

Getting to know the season can help us enter more deeply into it spiritually. Our prayer is that we can all be present, faithful, and joyful during this time of growth!

We made this free download for you to easily schedule things like Adoration, Mass, and prayer time into your week during Ordinary Time.