Find the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

As we now enter ordinary time in the liturgical year, I wanted to share some thoughts.

The Catholic Church is filled with beauty and tradition around every corner and it’s one of the incredible blessings that comes with being Catholic. Advent, Lent and Easter are such rich spiritual times, filled with tradition and a true presence of Christ. During one season we are preparing for the birth of our Lord. During the other we are preparing for the crucifixion and resurrection of the our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Each season has its own traditions such as lighting the advent wreath or the incredibly somber yet moving Masses of Holy Thursday and Good Friday which culminate in our celebration of Easter. These are truly my favorite times of the year.

However, what about ordinary time? We don’t have many traditions or special Masses celebrated during this time. We’re not really preparing for anything specific. It’s pretty ordinary. So how can we still feel the presence of our Lord during ordinary time? This is the best time of the year to work on seeing Christ’s presence in our daily lives. It’s much easier to feel Him with us during Advent and Lent but it’s in ordinary time where we can really grow closer to God.

It’s in the ordinary, mundane tasks of our daily lives where we can invite Jesus to be with us. It’s during your drive to and from work, it’s in the moment before a presentation or test at school, it’s in the moment you’re cleaning the house, it’s in the moment you’re cooking dinner, it’s in the moment you’re putting your baby to sleep, it’s in the moment you’re spending time with your spouse. It’s in all these moments of our daily lives where we can turn to Jesus and ask him to be with us. It’s in these moments where we can truly seek Him and be made more aware of his constant presence in our lives.

So, during this ordinary time find the extraordinary. Remember God is always with you, even when it doesn’t seem or feel like it. He’s always at work in your life and He can take the simplest, most ordinary tasks or days and make them extraordinary if you’re open to and aware of His presence.