The End of the Christmas Season and the First Week of Ordinary Time: Jan. 7 - 13, 2007
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Authors
Alexander, Andy, S.J.
Issue Date
2007-01-07
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en_US
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Abstract
A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean." Mark 1:40-41
The First Week in Ordinary Time|In most of the world the the Christmas Season closes with two major feasts, the Epiphany of the Lord on January 6, followed by the Baptism of the Lord, on Sunday, January 7th. In the US those two feasts are shifted back a day: the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on Sunday and the Baptism of the Lord on Monday, January 8th. The Epiphany of the Lord celebrates the light that has come into the darkness of the world and that our salvation was made known to the Gentiles. The Baptism of the Lord is another epiphany. The divine voice from heaven manifests, reveals, points Jesus out as God's "beloved Son.|The end of the Christmas Season marks the beginning of Ordinary Time in the Church calendar and with the Baptism of the Lord, we now enter into the First Week in Ordinary Time. The term Ordinary doesn't mean that the life of the Church is ordinary but that it is Ordinal or "counted." We will mark our liturgical year by counting 34 weeks of Ordinary Time, interrupted only by the Lent/Easter seasons. When the liturgical year ends next November with the 34th Week in Ordinary Time, it is followed by the First Week in Advent.|During the weekdays, we begin a four week cycle of readings from Paul's Letter to the Hebrews. This is Paul's longest letter to any community.|For the next seven weeks, until the beginning of Lent, the weekday gospels are from Mark's Gospel. Mark offers us a look this week at the beginning of Jesus public ministry. He drives out evil spirits, heals the sick and forgives sins to the skepticism of the scribes. Jesus extends an invitation to the despised tax collector, Levi: "Follow me."|On the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are offered a hopeful reading by the prophet Isaiah to the beleagured people of Israel: "Nations shall behold your vindication, and all the kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD." In Paul's Letter to the Corinthians, he teaches about the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. No one receives them all but everyone has some of them, which include knowlege, faith, the gift of healing or discernment of spirits.|John's Gospel tells of Jesus' first public miracle at the wedding feast at Cana. He deflects his mother when she tells him the bride and groom have run out of wine but she understands what her son needs. "Do whatever he tells you" she instructs the servants. Jesus has them draw water which is changed into wine. "Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him."
Daily Prayer This Week|In this first week of Ordinary Time, we might find ourselves feeling a little let-down after the Christmas season, especially in parts of the world where it seems cold and dark most days. This is where we can ask for the grace to let the stories of the gospels come alive in our hearts.|The stories from Mark's gospel offer a vivid look into the life of Jesus and his followers on such a human level. Many are stories of healing and Saturday brings Levi/Matthew and us an invitation from Jesus to "Follow me."|The invitation to healing we are offered can be a part of our own reflection as we begin a new year and want to somehow "fix" what is broken in us. The healing happens if we allow Jesus into our hearts and lives.|As we look at our lives we may find a loneliness or separation from people in our family or others. We have parts of our lives that are dark and embarrassing and seem unchangeable. It is into this very darkness and discomfort that Jesus is moved with pity for us, stretches out his healing hand to usand says- "I do will it. Be made clean."|We can hear the call of Levi/Matthew as a clear and personal call to us from Jesus who already knows us and our failings and yet asks us to be with him. We can hear this invitation more clearly if we can be touched with awareness of our own failings and understand more deeply how much we need a savior in our lives. It is then that our hearts open to accept this invitation.|We can pray to Jesus this week for the strength to be healed of the patterns and habits of our lives that so often turn us away from him and ask for the grace to make a new beginning in our lives. If we can sit with our hands open in humility, we can accept that we can't do this on our own, but know in our hearts that with the help of God, nothing is impossible.
The First Week in Ordinary Time|In most of the world the the Christmas Season closes with two major feasts, the Epiphany of the Lord on January 6, followed by the Baptism of the Lord, on Sunday, January 7th. In the US those two feasts are shifted back a day: the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on Sunday and the Baptism of the Lord on Monday, January 8th. The Epiphany of the Lord celebrates the light that has come into the darkness of the world and that our salvation was made known to the Gentiles. The Baptism of the Lord is another epiphany. The divine voice from heaven manifests, reveals, points Jesus out as God's "beloved Son.|The end of the Christmas Season marks the beginning of Ordinary Time in the Church calendar and with the Baptism of the Lord, we now enter into the First Week in Ordinary Time. The term Ordinary doesn't mean that the life of the Church is ordinary but that it is Ordinal or "counted." We will mark our liturgical year by counting 34 weeks of Ordinary Time, interrupted only by the Lent/Easter seasons. When the liturgical year ends next November with the 34th Week in Ordinary Time, it is followed by the First Week in Advent.|During the weekdays, we begin a four week cycle of readings from Paul's Letter to the Hebrews. This is Paul's longest letter to any community.|For the next seven weeks, until the beginning of Lent, the weekday gospels are from Mark's Gospel. Mark offers us a look this week at the beginning of Jesus public ministry. He drives out evil spirits, heals the sick and forgives sins to the skepticism of the scribes. Jesus extends an invitation to the despised tax collector, Levi: "Follow me."|On the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are offered a hopeful reading by the prophet Isaiah to the beleagured people of Israel: "Nations shall behold your vindication, and all the kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD." In Paul's Letter to the Corinthians, he teaches about the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. No one receives them all but everyone has some of them, which include knowlege, faith, the gift of healing or discernment of spirits.|John's Gospel tells of Jesus' first public miracle at the wedding feast at Cana. He deflects his mother when she tells him the bride and groom have run out of wine but she understands what her son needs. "Do whatever he tells you" she instructs the servants. Jesus has them draw water which is changed into wine. "Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him."
Daily Prayer This Week|In this first week of Ordinary Time, we might find ourselves feeling a little let-down after the Christmas season, especially in parts of the world where it seems cold and dark most days. This is where we can ask for the grace to let the stories of the gospels come alive in our hearts.|The stories from Mark's gospel offer a vivid look into the life of Jesus and his followers on such a human level. Many are stories of healing and Saturday brings Levi/Matthew and us an invitation from Jesus to "Follow me."|The invitation to healing we are offered can be a part of our own reflection as we begin a new year and want to somehow "fix" what is broken in us. The healing happens if we allow Jesus into our hearts and lives.|As we look at our lives we may find a loneliness or separation from people in our family or others. We have parts of our lives that are dark and embarrassing and seem unchangeable. It is into this very darkness and discomfort that Jesus is moved with pity for us, stretches out his healing hand to usand says- "I do will it. Be made clean."|We can hear the call of Levi/Matthew as a clear and personal call to us from Jesus who already knows us and our failings and yet asks us to be with him. We can hear this invitation more clearly if we can be touched with awareness of our own failings and understand more deeply how much we need a savior in our lives. It is then that our hearts open to accept this invitation.|We can pray to Jesus this week for the strength to be healed of the patterns and habits of our lives that so often turn us away from him and ask for the grace to make a new beginning in our lives. If we can sit with our hands open in humility, we can accept that we can't do this on our own, but know in our hearts that with the help of God, nothing is impossible.
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University Ministry, Creighton University.
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These prayer guides may not be sold or used commercially without permission. Personal or parish use is permitted.