By: Fr. Nick Junker (Belleville TEC)
As wonderful and as sublime as the seasons of Lent and Easter are, there’s something nice about settling back into Ordinary time, which we do now for quite a while. You’re seeing the color green for the first time in a while. What do you think of when you see the color green? Hopefully money isn’t the first thing. Think trees, growth, life… Ordinary time is a time of spiritual growth and maturation.
Ordinary doesn’t mean humdrum or uneventful. Rather, think of cycle, think of order, or rather, a normal rhythm. That's what the word ordinarius means in Latin. In Illinois earlier this month, more restrictions were lifted, and we started to return to some sense of normalcy as our post-quarantine lives began. A month later, questions still remain. How will things look differently going to school? Will we be able to keep doing these things now that there is a rise in cases? When can we have TEC weekends again? Things that we previously wouldn’t have thought much of now have new meaning because of the pandemic.
However, as these questions are answered moving forward, things we previously thought of as ordinary are going to be extraordinary. Things will be changed as we go about our lives, as we shop, go to the gym, go to work, and as we come back to Mass whenever the time is right. There’s a good spiritual lesson there.
Ordinary things are not lost on God. Things that may be ordinary to us are special to God. Think of the many examples in the Gospel. Think of how a coin (Mk 12:41) and a mustard seed (Mt 13:31) are used to exemplify simple faith. Something as insignificant as the hairs on our head are counted (Mt 10:30). The Gospel talks about the sparrows that are so cheap you can get two for the price of one (Mt 10:29). Some people are bird watchers, but for most of us, birds are just kind of in the background. You never really notice them until they fly into your window or make a mess of your car. To most of us, birds are these unimpressive, unnoticeable creatures. But God says these creatures are precious to him. What’s ordinary to us is special to God. When we resume TEC retreats, can we carry this spirit with us? "Every weekend is different;" "don't compare;" the team is constantly reminded. Maybe the experience of the past few months can help us to not take things for granted and see that what is normal is also special.
May God give us the grace to live extraordinary lives of holiness amidst all that we consider ordinary.
