Spiritual Life | Catholic Faith | prayer
Let's celebrate Ordinary Time! It's the liturgical period in between the more illustrious seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. It offers Catholics a unique opportunity to grow in faith and holiness through the ordinary rhythms of daily life. These periods are times when we can deepen our relationship with God and integrate our faith more fully into every aspect of our lives. The simple and seasonal day-to-day routines below can motivate you to make the most of Ordinary Time!
Embrace Daily Prayer and Reflection
Start and end with prayer. Begin each day with a morning prayer and end each day with a reflection of conscience. As stated many times elsewhere, I recommend the Magnificat devotional, a monthly subscription for a hand-size booklet with daily morning, Mass, and evening prayers as well as monthly themes, editorials, and meditations. Another easy and quick way to fit in regular prayer is to follow a novena (there are several every month). A novena is only nine days long and often comes with specific prayers for a particular request.
Seasonal Living
Celebrate feast days: Ordinary Time includes many significant feast days of saints and other leaders in Catholic tradition. If you have spent any time around my website, you know that I have a deep connection to celebrating these feast days. It is like remembering family members who came before you, providing you with a life experience for you to learn from and reflect on. You can incorporate these celebrations into your home by learning about the saints, cooking special meals (my favorite!), or engaging in acts of service inspired by their lives.
Your Daily Activities
Mindful meals: Daily meals can be just as special as those we prepare for on Sundays or major holidays. Being grateful for the food you have, making healthy choices, and sharing meals with your loved ones can occur regularly. A great place to start is bringing back the Family Dinner, and if you already have it in place, think of ways to make it more meaningful. Put away the phones, turn off the TV, and have a conversation. It doesn't have to be anything grand — talking about our days is a great place to start, and usually takes up the entire meal time anyway!
Cultivating Relationships and Community
Hospitality: Open your home to friends, family, and those in need. I fondly remember a time when family, friends, and neighbors would ring a doorbell on a random weeknight, unannounced, just for a visit. We loved these moments! Nowadays, it seems taboo to do so. As Catholics, we are often called to lead, and practicing hospitality through invitation can be a way to live out the Gospel message of love and service.
We can host simple gatherings, offering a warm and welcoming space for others. We can be brave and ring a doorbell, offering a homemade dish or fresh vegetables from the garden, for no other reason than to do just that!
Simple Living
Simplify your life. Ordinary Time reminds us to focus on what truly matters. Without a large event or feast to focus on, we have the opportunity to turn inward. Ideas that come to mind are decluttering your home, making do with what you have, and living more simply. It can be rewarding to find out that we usually have much more than we need! For extra motivation, we can use these times to pare down our lives in preparation for more festive seasons to come.
How Do You Celebrate Ordinary Time?
Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary when approached with intentionality and faith. By following these simple and seasonal living tips, we can transform our daily lives into a continuous act of worship and devotion. Embracing prayer, community, personal growth, and creation, we can find holiness in the ordinary and deepen our relationship with God throughout the year.