With our celebrations of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord behind us, we now begin our season of Ordinary Time. Let us not misunderstand the meaning and purpose of this season, for no time is “ordinary” after the manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh. Our lives, like the lives of Mary, Joseph, and the Magi, are fundamentally changed and given a new, fresh, and dynamic direction after our encounter with the Christ child in the manger at Bethlehem.
We are, however, thrust back into the “everydayness” of life and the Monday through Friday routine. Our days of joyful celebrations have concluded and we can perhaps feel a bit let down. The Church, however, breaks us out of such dullness by reminding us that our lives have changed with the birth of Jesus. This mysterious child convicts us, calls us, and challenges us to make a decision about how we are to live. It is no wonder, then, that this season of Ordinary Time presents us with themes of discipleship and vocation. How are we to respond to the reality of Jesus in this new year? How am I to live? What am I grateful for and what have I taken for granted? How can I “make room” for God in my personal and work life? Where is Jesus calling me? Am I ready to respond to Jesus in faith, hope, and love? These are some questions we can ask ourselves as we begin this new year, this new season of grace, hope, and adventure.
While the Christmas season has officially concluded, certain traces of Christmas still linger within the Church’s liturgy. Recall that for centuries the Church has celebrated three “epiphanies” or manifestations of Christ’s divinity: the Epiphany to the Magi, the Lord’s Baptism, and Jesus’s first miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. For centuries Christians have chanted this beautiful antiphon before the Benedictus on the Solemnity of the Epiphany:
Today the Church has been joined to her heavenly Spouse, for Christ has washed away her sins in the Jordan; the Magi hasten with gifts to the royal wedding feast; and the guests are gladdened with wine made from water, alleluia.
For this reason, during “Year C” of our Sunday readings, the Church presents to us St. John’s Gospel recounting Jesus’s miracle at Cana, “rounding out” our threefold celebration of the Lord’s epiphany. Notes of Christmas continue to linger until we reach February 2, Our Lord’s Presentation in the Temple, also known as Candlemas. On that day, marking Jesus’s arrival in the temple 40 days after his birth, we will solemnly bless candles and enroll members into our Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. More details can be found in this week’s bulletin.