Nothing Ordinary about Ordinary Time

January 13, 2016

                                                                                 Year of Mercy

          Doesn’t seem like “ordinary time” to me!

With the conclusion of the glorious Christmas season last Sunday, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we return in our Catholic calendar to Ordinary Time.

Hardly! . . .There’s a lot going on these days!

This Friday is the birthday of a prophetic pastor and preacher, the Reverend Martin Luther King, and will inspire numerous prayer services and occasions of reflection and recommitment;

The following Friday, January 22^nd, brings the somber and sad anniversary of Roe v. Wade,          the tragic decision of our Supreme Court which mocks the Reverend King’s call to protect the civil rights of all, even the pre-born baby.  Hundreds of thousands of us will pray, march, and lobby in D.C. that day, and all of us will recommit ourselves to the pro-life vocation;

Then there’s the traditional Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18 – 25, founded by one of our own, the now Servant of God, Father Paul Watson of Graymoor;

Don’t forget the Feeding Our Neighbor Campaign, co-sponsored by Catholic Charities, to kick off the weekend of January 23-24;

Catholic Schools’ Week, January 31 – February 6, allows us each year to highlight and promote our splendid Catholic grade and high schools;

And I’ll head off to Cebu, in the Philippines, with a sturdy group of Pilgrims for the International Eucharistic Congress, January 24-31.

Nothing “ordinary” at all this time of the year.