Ordinary Time, Holy Life

Blah! We have moved into Ordinary Time. Christmas is over. The  January doldrums have set in. We are surrounded by the same plain old life and the same plain old people.  

The Super Bowl might break the post-Christmas blahs for football fans. Snow banks can become snow forts for those who like to dig. Otherwise, blah. Where’s the adventure? Where’s the excitement? Those big moments like Christmas and weddings and vacations mark our lives; it’s the six-tiered cake pictures that go into our memory books!

The baptism of Jesus was a big moment. In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist is still talking about it. He is remembering: “I have seen!”  He is telling others about how the dove descended and how the Lord  spoke: “and I have testified!” He is about to send his followers into action. 

Ordinary Time is the time for remembering. Then we put memory into action. Isaiah remembers how God formed him in the womb and called him to a life of prophetic service; therefore, he calls the  Israelites back, to be a holy nation. The psalmist remembers how  God drew him out of a pit of destruction and put a new song in his mouth. Therefore, he wants to follow: “To do your will is my  delight.” 

So how do we work our way through Ordinary Time? We remember. Then we act. Every day is a remembering, followed by the noble adventure of following Jesus. Thus it is the everyday moments that make our lives. We may not have a picture of mom’s oatmeal in our memory books, but it nourished us daily. We may not have a picture of the hug that quieted our tears, but it shaped our soul. Day-to-day personal holiness—the faithfulness, kindness, and honesty of everyday life—that is what history is made of. 

Consider/Discuss 

• We don’t have to achieve holiness all by ourselves; the Holy Spirit is called the Sanctifier for a reason. If we grow attuned to listening to the Spirit, we will be brought to holiness. What do you remember of what God has done for you? How does that spur you to act? 
• Step by step, we are to be transformed into the person of Christ—to be a gift of love to this world. Tell a story of what everyday holiness has looked like in your life. 

Living and Praying with the Word 

God Almighty, you are grand and glorious! We see your grandeur  when we look at the vastness of the stars and the radiance of the  sun. Yet our lives are lived in littleness. Getting out of bed each day,  taking one step after another, we mark the days of our lives. Send us  your grace in abundance so that we will do each little task for love  of you. Let your Spirit rest on us as well and make holy our actions,  even when they lead through the desert.