Go Green…Spiritually!

We’re moving from winter into spring – warm days, bright sunshine,
and everything is really, really green. Soon it will be summertime –
time for delicious home-grown vegetables from a local garden, to
trees growing fresh leaves and branches, to our lawns growing tall
and lush, and constantly needing cut!
In our hemisphere, the summer months correspond with the season of
Ordinary Time on the liturgical calendar, a time of year not marked by a specific
season or festival such as Advent or Easter.
The name “Ordinary Time” may sound a bit boring to us, but it can actually be
a wonderful time of rest, renewal and continued growth in the Christian faith. The
season of Ordinary Time runs from the Sunday after Trinity Sunday (occurring in
May or June) until Christ the King Sunday in November. This season is represented
by the color green symbolizing ongoing growth and development in the Christian
faith.
Ordinary Time is a great time of year to commit to a Christian practice, such
as prayer or fasting. Or delve deeper into the Bible, either by studying a biblical
theme or reading a particular book of the Bible. It is also a great time to continue
practices, such as weekly worship, acts of service, giving, or taking a time of
personal Sabbath rest. To make the most of Ordinary Time, think of one activity you
can do to strengthen your commitment to Jesus Christ and set aside specific time to
engage regularly in it over the course of the summer. With regular practice, these
activities will open up space in your life for God to do extraordinary things. So, go
green during Ordinary Time, and you will find that your faith will be anything but
ordinary.