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What is Ordinary Time?

The Latin Tempus Per Annum ("time throughout the year") is rendered into English as "Ordinary Time." Many sources, online and in print, suggest that Ordinary Time gets its name from the word ordinal, meaning "numbered," since the Sundays of Ordinary Time, as in other seasons, are expressed numerically. However, others suggest the etymology of "Ordinary Time" is related to our word "ordinary" (which itself has a connotation of time and order, derived from the Latin word ordo). Ordinary Time occurs outside of other liturgical time periods, periods in which specific aspects of the mystery of Christ are celebrated. According to The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, the days of Ordinary Time, especially the Sundays, "are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects."

Ordinary Time, depending on the year, runs either 33 or 34 weeks. When it runs 33 weeks, one of the numbered weeks is omitted. The number that gets omitted is the one that would normally be scheduled to be observed after Pentecost Sunday. For example, in 2010, there were 9 weeks of winter Ordinary Time, so logically, the 10th Week of Ordinary Time should be scheduled after Pentecost. However, because there are only 33 weeks of Ordinary Time in 2010, the 10th week is skipped, and actual numbered week observed is the 11th week of Ordinary Time.

Basically, Ordinary Time encompasses that part of the Christian year that does not fall within the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter. The Catholic Church celebrates two periods of the year as Ordinary Time. The first period begins after the Feast Baptism of the Lord (the Sunday after The Epiphany) has ended. Some interpret this to mean that Ordinary Time begins on Sunday night, while others, including The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, specifically mention the first period of Ordinary Time beginning on the Monday after the Baptism of the Lord. Either way, the point is the same. The next Sunday is still reckoned "The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time," because it is the Sunday of the second week in Ordinary Time. The reckoning can be confusing, and has many asking "what happened to the first Sunday in Ordinary Time?" This first period of Ordinary Time runs until the Tuesday evening before Ash Wednesday. The Second period of Ordinary Time runs from the Monday after Pentecost until Evening Prayer is said the night before Advent begins. This includes Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday of Ordinary Time. In some denominations, the Sundays of the second period of Ordinary Time are numbered "Sundays after Pentecost."

Ordinary time does not need to be "ordinary," and is not meant to mean that somehow we get a break from the Liturgical Year. The opposite is true: Ordinary Time celebrates "the mystery of Christ in all its aspects." Many important liturgical celebrations fall during Ordinary Time, including, Trinity, Corpus Christi, All Saints, the Assumption of Mary, and Christ the King. In addition, the Church continues to celebrate Saints days and other events such as The Octave of Christian Unity. The major feasts, when occurring on a Sunday, trump the regular Ordinary Time Sunday lessons and liturgy. In the American Catholic Church, Corpus Christi is usually transferred to a Sunday, so often there are fewer than the 33 or 34 Sundays labeled "Sundays of Ordinary Time," although these Sundays still fall within Ordinary Time. We also may remember and celebrate the parts of Jesus' life that were ordinary, much like our own lives. The color of green is appropriate because it is the most ordinary color in our natural environment.

A Prayer for Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus
I know that all human relations take time
if they are to grow and deepen.
This is also true of my relations
with You, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
which must grow over the course of my life.
However, this growth is not automatic;
time alone means nothing
unless I add earnest efforts to it.

You have inspired Your Church to set aside special times
when this growth can develop more intensely -
the special seasons of the Church Year.
If I fail to move toward You during these times,
I waste precious opportunities
and endanger my spiritual life.
Help me to take them seriously
and make a real attempt to use them well,
so that I may grow into the person
You want me to be. Amen!
New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book

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We, the laity, and clergy of The Diocese of California American Catholic Church, commit ourselves:

To seek the Unity of God’s love and wisdom for All, believing that God’s Spirit will complete what was prayed for by Jesus and the subsequent work done “by human hands” in his name.

To service of others in whatever ways present themselves to us as individuals and as a community, believing that God’s Spirit moves continuously throughout creation, and the gifts, talents and opportunities we embrace and share.

To creating community among ourselves in order to better discern and nurture God’s call and our ability to minister.

To build communities, formal and informal, in the world that exemplify the Good News message of hospitality and welcome, regardless of the realities of people’s past, present or future.

To break down artificial barriers, welcoming to the Gospel and ministry all people of good will. This is particularly to be expressed in our openness to share ordination, once a call has been tested, with women as well as men, with married as well as single persons, and regardless of a candidate's sexual orientation or gender identity. We are not limited to any ideology, worldview or philosophy other than those proscribed and prescribed by the Gospels, recognizing Jesus’ proclamation of Truth, Justice and Compassion for all, and his practice of radical table hospitality and communion.