A Time for Many Things

This year we have a longer time of the “Ordinary Sundays” between Christmas-Epiphany and the beginning of Lent at the beginning of March. These are the so-called Sundays-in-Green, when we notice that the vestments and liturgical appointments are green. The name “ordinary” is a misnomer, for all Sundays are graced moments when the Lord shows himself to us as always in the readings, the music, and the actions of the Eucharist.

The name “ordinary” is somewhat of a cataloging device for the lectionary and prayer selections during those times of the liturgical year outside of the major liturgical solemnities and seasons. Checking the duration of Advent-Christmas-Epiphany, and the soon-to-be-celebrated Lent-Easter-Pentecost Seasons, the space of these festive times is about six months of the year. This leaves the Sundays which follow the major Seasons to have continuing readings and prayers.

This Ordinary Time is kind of a breather time when we have more spiritual and liturgical leisure to explore our faith and God’s revealing ways among us. The invitation is to go a little slower liturgically and and somewhat less intensely in our personal prayer time. The green color speaks of life and hope in the diversity of our experience of God among us.

The Word of God
As in all liturgical seasons, the Word of God is central to God’s revelation to us and of our response to that spoken and celebrated Word in the Assembly. We have time, for example, to prayerfully consider some basics presented in Mark’s Gospel. Spoken to us in the Word are notions basic to who Christ is and who we are as disciples. We continue to read of vocation, discipleship, the Kingdom of God proclaimed with authority by Christ and enacted powerfully by him.

Mark presents us with Jesus as the holy One of God, who announces the Kingdom and invites his disciples to follow him. Jesus is presented as the servant of the Kingdom, who lays down his life in death for his disciples and is raised up. The disciple is invited to take up the cross daily. The disciples

in Mark’s gospel struggle to understand who Jesus is with the implication that we too are asked to follow and to pursue the insight of who Jesus is in his words, his miracles, and in his call to mission.

Vocations
We’ve read about the call of the disciples and about their response. The call was a simple, come-and follow. The response was unquestioning. The disciples are presented as leaving their nets, their occupational security, and their familiar relationships. They don’t question why or how or where their call will lead them. They leave all and follow the Lord unreservedly. The call to discipleship is absolute and without compromise.

We might think about vocation and discipleship, whether we are called to be single or married, ordained or non-ordained. The “ordinary” call of the Christian disciple is to follow the Lord. It is not a call to lead or to be sure and certain. We are called to follow the Lord, the Teacher, and we are invited to be students of the Kingdom. Like the disciples we learn along the way.

In living out our baptism, each believer is called. When does the call come? When did we hear the call? Called to marriage, how has the original invitation been nuanced in the lived experience of our life with the Lord? Or called to priesthood or diaconate, where have we encountered the Lord? Celibate, married, virgin, or chasted Christian – is the Lord at the center of our life?

In Service to the Kingdom
All of us are called particularly and individually to the service of the Kingdom. We are called to the preaching and sharing of the Word. We are called to the feeding of the poor and needy. How do we help each other discern the Lord’s call in our lives? Within the Kingdom and within the Church on the way to the Kingdom, how can we call each other to the diverse needs and ministerial roles of service? Some time might be spent in inviting each other to serve one another. We might do well in graciously receiving the service of others on our behalf. All of us together, baptized and called, support the work of the Kingdom as members of the Church on its mission journey.

CDH