Finding the Extraordinary in Ordinary Time

The Christmas season is officially over, and as we reluctantly pack up our decorations and trudge forwards, back into the mundane of the everyday, the Church moves forward too. It is now that we leave a season of rejoicing, and enter back into Ordinary Time.

I’ve always struggled with Ordinary Time. Shoved in between Christmas and Lent, Easter and Advent, Ordinary Time feels a bit like those final, stale pieces of a Thanksgiving feast that no one wants to eat. Nestled beside the emotional highs of suffering and joy, the mundane tends to lose its luster. After all, who wants to choose the ordinary?

In actuality, most of our lives occur within this space — and that’s okay. Our Church gives us Ordinary Time, not as leftovers, but as a season in its own right — full of meaning and power and grace.

There is a special kind of beauty to be found here. This beauty isn’t glamorous, it doesn’t sparkle, and it isn’t trussed with wrapping paper and bows. But it is beautiful just the same. It is the beauty of a messy house, with cheerios on the floor and laundry piled in the corner, full of laughing, smiling faces. It is the beauty of sleepless nights, of studying till our eyes are heavy, or rocking a tiny creature to sleep for the umpteenth time. It is the beauty of arriving home after a long day of work, of walking through the threshold and sighing a deep breath of relief. It is the beauty of tiny, ordinary, fleeting moments.

The liturgy reflects this. While the Sundays of Christmas and Easter, Lent and Advent, walk us through the birth, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Sundays of Ordinary Time bring us through the life of Christ. During Ordinary Time, Jesus walks with us through the everyday. He eats and drinks, laughs and cries, works and rests. He spends time in prayer, and time with friends. During Ordinary Time, God teaches us how to be human by humbling himself and living as human himself.

The word “ordinary,” in Ordinary Time doesn’t mean what you think. It actually comes from the Latin, ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series. The weeks in Ordinary Time are numbered … thus the name. Despite this, I find the “accidental” meaning to be rather apt. Ordinary Time reminds us that religion isn’t just something that is left at the door of the church. Our Catholic identity should be something that infuses and transforms every aspect of our lives — especially those ordinary, day-to-day moments. Christ desires to be with us, not just in times of sorrow or times of celebration, but in ordinary times as well. In fact, I would argue, it is during those times that we most deeply encounter him.

According to the USCCB, “Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation.” It is during this time that we take what we have learned from the penitential, celebratory, and contemplative seasons, and apply it. It is during Ordinary Time that our faith is strengthened, tempered with fire and sharpened with cold steel.

But how do we live within the spaces of Ordinary Time? How do we find the extraordinary in the everyday? After the magic of Christmas fades, how do we rediscover that magic, hidden in the mundane? How do we find joy while trudging through the murk?

Participate in the feast days of the Church

There are feast days throughout the year, not just around Christmas and Easter. These feast days celebrate the kaleidoscope of Saints that have colored the Church throughout the ages, and are a perfect way to learn about the men and women who have successfully travelled the straight and narrow way. Celebrating feast days during Ordinary Time not only give us a small break from the monotony of daily life, but also helps to give us perspective by allowing us to peek into the daily lives of the saints. Here’s a hint — they weren’t all glamorous. In fact, the day-to-day lives of most of the Saints were every bit as ordinary as our own.

Slow down. Be intentional about “smelling the roses”

It’s easy to get lost in the grind. Wake up. Go to work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. As easy as it is to let time slip by unnoticed, we need to be intentional about slowing down and really noticing the little details in our life. After all, every second is brand-new … something that has never before happened in history — and once they have passed we will never get them back. This doesn’t mean that we should become worried and obsessed with the ever-passing of time — but it does mean that we should at least pay attention to it.

Memorize the feeling of paper beneath your pen, the smell of a loved one’s hair, or the sound of your newborn baby crying. Those moments may feel unremarkable now, but someday they will be.

Go to daily Mass — or at least read the daily readings

Our Church runs on a four year cycle. This means that if you attend Mass every day for four years, you will have read the entire bible. How cool is that? Attending daily Mass — or even just reflecting on the daily readings on your own time — is a beautiful way to celebrate everyday life. Doing this allows us to witness more of Jesus’s life, as well as the lives of the men and women of the Old Testament.

Challenge yourself daily to grow closer to Sainthood

As Catholics, Sainthood should be our ultimate goal — and saints are made in the everyday. Challenging ourselves to grow in holiness doesn’t mean expecting perfection. It doesn’t even mean daily growth. The Saints themselves weren’t perfect, after all.

What it does mean is being intentional about growing towards perfection. It means taking a deep breath, and starting over — not at New Year’s, or tomorrow, or next month, but at every moment. It means engaging in the struggle, fighting the good fight, and pushing forward against laziness, distraction, or procrastination — towards the truest version of ourselves. Towards the person we dream to be.

Some days (or weeks, or months!) we may take more steps backwards than forwards, and that is okay. Celebrate your victories, learn from your failures, practice forgiveness … and let God do the rest.

Practice gratitude and reflection

Keeping a gratitude journal, or journaling to reflect on our day, is a great way to stay present and process all the ups-and-downs, the joys and sorrows, that are hidden within our day. Focusing on gratitude reminds us to be thankful for everything God has given us, and allows us to choose joy despite hardship. Reflection, meanwhile, helps us learn from our mistakes, remember little moments that might otherwise be forgotten, and clear our minds of clutter.

You don’t need to keep a journal — I personally find it helpful, but struggle with being consistent — spending time in prayer or silent thought can work just as well. The important thing is to find what works for you, and stick to it.

In today’s world, obsessed with picture-perfect moments and curated Instagram-lives, ordinary can feel difficult. We’ve become addicted to feelings, to entertainment and to novelty. In the end, however, it is the ordinary moments that are often the most powerful of all.