Extraordinary Moments in Ordinary Time Reflection By Theresa McHugh

The weather has me questioning the calendar-is this “April the sequel”? No, it is in fact June, but Mother Nature has been giving off those chilly damp vibes that has me wondering just when we can see the long-awaited extended days of sunshine and warmth. And the Church calendar has me questioning something too. How can I make this “Ordinary” time extraordinary? I don’t mean ordinary in the context of mean what it normally means: commonplace, mundane, or unexceptional.

For some of us, at least now we have more time, at least theoretically, to grow and mature in our faith precisely because things have settled down and we can allow the practices and insights of those special seasons of Advent and Lent to percolate within us. What I believe defines us as Christians, is less about how we respond to extraordinary situations and more of how we respond to things on a day-to-day basis.

During our past Lenten Evening of Prayer, our theme focused on the “in-between”. That is a great correlation to Ordinary Time. It is meant to be the time that we get to know Jesus; that we get to soak in the “in between” story of His time on Earth, to learn and follow His teachings in our daily lives, to grow as His followers, and to become better able to give witness to His Good News in our everyday lives.

In using my own life as a reference, I contemplate on what I am “in-between” and how I can make use of this time in suspension in extraordinary ways. One way to continue to deepen my faith is through the Gospel readings each Sunday, focusing on Jesus’ message. Hearing Jesus describe the Kingdom of God invites me to examine my own images of God. As He heals countless people from all walks of life, I can examine those relationships in my own life that need healing. While He perform in credible miracles, I look inward to discover the parts of myself in need of transformation. In this way, Jesus’ day-to-day life during his ministry affects my own every day experiences. Every season is filled with God’s grace. Our challenge is to cooper
ate with that grace so that our ordinary lives will be filled with God’s extraordinary love for up.

How will you make this season extraordinary?