You may sometimes hear a reference to Ordinary Time in discussions of the liturgical calendar, or at the beginning or end of a significant church season. In the simplest sense, Ordinary Time is the regular part of the year; the regular Sundays that pass in between the important ones. However, the ordinary nature of these days is not the reason for this season’s name. More on that in a moment.
In the liturgical calendar, Ordinary Time takes place between the major seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. It is the longest season in the church year, lasting 33 or 34 weeks depending on how the holidays fall on the calendar, but it is divided into two parts:
- Part I begins after the Epiphany on January 6th and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.
- Part II begins the Monday after Pentecost and ends on the First Sunday of Advent.
The term “ordinary” comes from the ordinal numbers that identify each week of Ordinary Time. In this period we celebrate Jesus’ teachings and ministry, and reflect on how to live as Christians. The goal of Ordinary Time is to order one’s life to Christ’s.
The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green, which symbolizes life, hope, and anticipation. As you see in the photo below, the sanctuary is decorated with green paraments. Paraments (from the Latin word “parare” meaning, “to decorate”) are the cloth hangings and ornaments used to decorate the altar, pulpit, lectern, and other areas of the worship space. Here at Saint Peter, these items are created, maintained, and displayed by the Altar Guild and Liturgical Arts.
Note that pastors also wear vestments associated with the season. This is also true of the vestment worn by lay assistants who typically read the prayers of the day during services, among other duties.
