Ordinary Time

“Ordinary Time Is Anything But Ordinary”

We Catholics have always been told, don’t be fooled by the name—Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary! And it shouldn’t be boring either.

We are in the beginning weeks of Ordinary Time, which began after Pentecost (June 8, 2025) and continues until Advent begins, November 30, 2025. That’s a long stretch, right? Ordinary Time is like spiritual slow-cooking. We’re walking with Jesus in the daily, the routine, the small-but-sacred stuff.

Still when we hear the word ordinary, it doesn’t tend to lend itself to jumping out of bed and becoming a saint. Ordinary sounds more like folding laundry or cleaning the house.

So, what can we do to make the ordinary special?

This is prime spiritual growth season. There are no extra candles to light, no ashes on your forehead, just the question: How can I be more like Jesus today, right where I am? Sharing faith during Ordinary Time doesn’t require a megaphone or a theology degree. You just start living like someone who believes this actually matters:

• Pray to continually grow in love and deepen your relationship with God.

• Invite a friend to daily Mass and follow it up with coffee. (Or hot chocolate for me.)

• Offer to pray for someone. Then actually do it. Follow up later—“Hey, how did that go?” 

• Read a religious book instead of just scrolling before bed.

And how long is Ordinary Time? It is actually the longest liturgical season in the Church, and it is split into two chunks. We are technically in the second part, following Pentecost. The first part starts after the Baptism of the Lord (mid-January) and goes until Lent begins.

All told, it adds up to 33 or 34 weeks of green vestments, Gospel readings full of Jesus doing cool things, and a whole lot of “time to grow.” That’s more than half the year! Which tells me God really values this so-called “ordinary” stuff.

What does it boil down to? Ordinary Time is where the spiritual rubber hits the road. It’s where faith becomes habit, and habit becomes holiness. It’s long, yes. It’s low-key, sure. But it’s rich with opportunity. Take advantage of it!

So here I am: an ordinary Catholic, in Ordinary Time, trying to do the extra-ordinary—like love God with my whole heart, love my neighbor, pray for my enemies, and hopefully, just maybe, become a little more like Jesus.

Green is the color of growth. So let’s grow. And be Disciples who Make Disciples!