ORDINARY TIME DURING WINTER

Year B (Mark)
January 10 – February 21, 2012

Sense of Season

 Besides the times of year that have their own distinctive character, there remain in the yearly cycle thirty-three or thirty-four weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated, but rather the mystery of Christ itself is honored in its fullness, especially on Sundays.  This period is known as Ordinary Time.
General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar (GNLYC), paragraph 43

Ordinary Time provides a welcome opportunity to reflect on the life of Jesus and our vocation as Christians….We can use this time to grow in our understanding of the mystery of Christ.  Over the seven Sundays of Ordinary Time during winter months in this Year B 2012, we will hear from Mark of events in Jesus’ life that reveal how Jesus fulfilled his mission and how he called his disciples to fulfill their mission to be “fishers of men.”

The liturgical term ordinary refers to the ordering or counting of Sunday. This ordering is a recognition of our human need for time to grow in understanding of the mystery of the Incarnation that we have celebrated throughout Advent and Christmas Time.  In Psalm 90, the psalmist prays that learning to number, to count, our days can lead us to wisdom.  It is in this spirit that we understand Ordinary Time:  a period of time to learn more about Jesus’ life, to meditate on the meaning of the Gospel for our lives today, and to practice our Christian mission – nothing short of taking Christ to the world, being Christ in the world.

Ordinary Time is where life is lived the most – 33 or 34 weeks of the Liturgical Calendar each year.  It is here in Ordinary Time that our identity is shaped and expressed.  Here our work and professions serve to build up the world in which we live.  And here we help the kingdom of God to become more of a reality.

adapted from Sourcebook 2012, page 63-65

 Sense of the Readings: 

 If we are to be messengers of the gospel, Jesus wants our ears to be open to obedience. Listening is the first step, but we need to act on what we hear. He may tell us to reform our own lives before we can serve others. We must humble ourselves and acknowledge our need for repentance. When Jesus says, “Come after me!” it isn’t a temporary assignment. It is a never-ending task of loving, healing, and forgiving all we meet.

 Reflections on the Readings–2nd to 7th Sundays in Ordinary Time 2012

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Sm 3:3–10,19; Ps 40:2,4,7–8,8–9,10; 1 Cor 6:13–15,17–20; Jn 1:35–42

If we listen carefully, we can hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us. God speaks in the sacred space where we worship as well as in the holy temple within us. Sometimes we fail to hear God’s voice because we haven’t listened deeply enough. At other times the profane voice drowns out the divine voice. Then we must wait in silence and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” When we listen well, we can declare: “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.”

John the Baptist heard God speak, and it drove him to do strange and wonderful things that seemed foolish to some. Why invite people to repent and then immerse themselves in the muddy waters of the Jordan? But John listened to God’s voice instead of the voices of protest. John not only listened; he looked. As Jesus walked by, John wanted others to see what he saw. “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” Despite our blindness, Jesus sees us. “What are you looking for?” He invites us to come and see for ourselves. It will take a lifetime of listening, seeing, and following the one who calls us.

For Reflection: Do I take time to listen to God’s voice? What is God telling me? How will I respond?

 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jon 3:1–5,10; Ps 25:4–5,6–7,8–9; 1 Cor 7:29–31; Mk 1:14–20

Sometimes when we hear God’s call, we are tempted to run away to avoid doing what God wants. But God does not let us off the hook and pursues us no matter how far we go. “Repent!” God says. Does God mean those other people, those “foreigners” with their strange talk and peculiar ways? We hear God speak again: “Repent!” Can God be talking to us? Perhaps time is running out for us to mend our ways!

John the Baptist heard God’s call, and the path on which God led him wasn’t an easy one. When he wound up in jail, he probably wondered if he was on the right track. But prison walls could not silence the voice of God. Jesus repeated the message to all who would listen: “The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe the good news!” Simon Peter and Andrew answered his call, but it wasn’t without a price: “Leave everything behind and come after me.” Where will this path lead? “Teach us your ways, Lord,” we pray. “Guide us in right paths.”

For Reflection: How might my life be different if I took God’s call seriously? What do I need to do first in order to proclaim the good news to others?

 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dt 18:15–20; Ps 95:1–2,6–7,7–9; 1 Cor 7:32–35; Mk 1:21–28

The people who heard God speak on their journey through the wilderness were afraid of the demands God made on their lives. They said: “Let us not hear again the voice of the Lord.” Because the people refused to listen, God would raise up a prophet from among their own kinsmen, to whom they must listen. They must not harden their hearts as in the desert.

Jesus came to speak God’s words of healing, justice, love, and peace. He spoke words of deliverance to those constrained by sin. All who witnessed the liberation of those in torment were amazed at the one who taught with the authority of the prophets. Even the demons acknowledged Jesus’s power over the forces of evil.

Paul believed that the time was short for him to proclaim the gospel. Everything, even the dearest human relationships, must be laid aside if they prevented him from obeying God’s call.

For Reflection: Do I listen to the words Jesus speaks in the Scriptures? What am I willing to sacrifice to obey his voice?

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jb 7:1–4,6–7; Ps 147:1–2,3–4,5–6; 1 Cor 9:16–19,22–23; Mk 1:29–39

It is difficult to be faithful to God when our hearts are broken and our troubles seem endless. When life seems joyless and full of drudgery, with no hope in sight, we doubt that we will ever be happy again. Like Job, we may not curse God, but we might regret the day we were born.

God is not indifferent to our pain. If God knows the name of every star in the heavens, then surely God cares for us. Jesus reveals God’s compassion to all who are afflicted. Grasping us by the hand, he raises us up to serve others. Strengthened and revived, we can proclaim the good news of God’s mercy to all.

Paul shared Jesus’s compulsion to spread the gospel. Paul was not a slave; what he had received without cost, he shared freely. He did this by imitating Jesus, who was a servant to all. Preaching the good news does not merit a reward or wages. Whatever we do must be for the sake of the gospel, knowing we will share in its blessings. Can we say like Paul, “This is what I came to do, that I might be a means of salvation for others”?

For Reflection: Do I take pleasure in my ministry, or is it just a chore? What do I need to be renewed?

 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lv 13:1–2,44–46; Ps 32:1–2,5,11; 1 Cor 10:31—11:1; Mk 1:40–45

In Jesus’s time, leprosy was considered a punishment for sins involving speech or language, such as gossip and slander. Since it was thought that persons with leprosy could contaminate others, they were separated from the community for the good of all. We sometimes feel as if we are being punished for our sins. Separated from family and friends, work and worship, we feel like the living dead. Somehow we get the courage to reach out to Jesus, begging like a leper: “If you will to do so, you can cure me!” Then we feel the touch of Jesus and hear him saying, “I do will it. Be cured!” How can we restrain ourselves from telling everyone we meet of the mighty deeds of God?

Paul insisted that everything should be done for the glory of God. Our call is given not for our own sake but for the sake of others. A Christian must be a good example to everyone, especially to the church of God, but even to our enemies. We cannot accomplish this by our own power. We have God’s grace to help us imitate Christ in all we do and say.

For Reflection: Do I pollute my environment by my words and actions? Do I take part in parish penance services to heal my wounds?

 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is 43:18–19,21–22,24–25; Ps 41:2–3,4–5,13–14; 2 Cor 1:18–22; Mk 2:1–12

As soon as word gets around that Jesus is in the house, people gather to be healed. When we are paralyzed by sickness and suffering, we need others to bring us to Jesus. “Your sins are forgiven,” he says. That surprises everyone! But Jesus knows how our sick bodies can affect our spiritual health. To show his authority over body and soul, Jesus says to us: “Rise and walk.” Everyone who hears this good news is astounded and praises God’s mercy.

The prophet tells us: “Remember not the events of the past.” He knows how weary we become when we dwell on our past sins and failures. Burdened with our wrongdoings, we can barely stand let alone walk. But God offers us forgiveness and reconciliation. To this we say, “Amen, yes, let it be so,” to express our confidence that our prayers are heard. The Holy Spirit guarantees that all God’s promises are true.

For Reflection: How does the sacrament of reconciliation help me to stand and walk? Am I willing to overcome obstacles to bring others to Jesus?

Weekly Reflections first published in Ministry & Liturgy Magazine, November 2011. Text by Kay Murdy.
© 2011 Resource Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission under License# 6394

 The Cloud of Witnesses — Saints of the Season  

Two saints from this season will be chosen to display on our icon stand in the Gathering Space.  Some material about their lives and a prayer to pray with each will be placed there as well.

 Sense of Environment

During the liturgical year the Church unfolds the whole mystery of Christ, from his incarnation and birth through his passion, death and resurrection to his ascension, the day of Pentecost and the expectation of his coming in glory.  In its celebration of these mysteries, the Church makes these sacred events present to the people of every age.

The tradition of decorating or not decorating the church for liturgical seasons and feasts heightens the awareness of the festive, solemn, or penitential nature of these seasons.  Human minds and hearts are stimulated by the sounds, sights, and fragrances of liturgical seasons, which combine to create powerful, lasting impressions of the rich and abundant graces unique to each of these seasons.

Built of Living Stones #122, 123

The use of living flowers and plants, rather than artificial greens, serves as a reminder of the gift of life God has given to the human community. 

From Built of Living Stones #129

 The images of light shining in darkness and self-sacrifice are strong common denominators throughout winter.  This imagery suggests that we need not be too quick to say farewell to the lights of Christmas.  Bear in mind that Ordinary Time is not really a church season; it is a time between seasons.

It is simply not that critical in the worship environment to highlight the distinctions between the Christmas season and Ordinary Time.  Instead, perhaps worship during these winter weeks can be a bit like Candlemas [February 2], reflecting the great mystery we celebrated at Epiphany and moving us toward the great mystery we will be celebrating at Easter.

To Crown the Year, page 267

 We prepare our Worship Space environment in a way that calls our attention to the important symbols in our Eucharistic liturgy and the other sacraments:  the assembly, altar, ambo, chair for the presider, and the font.

• Let go of the Christmas environment gently, leaving elements that support Ordinary Time during winter.  Candles will be white, rather than gold, but we will keep the extra candles and the U-shape that gather us around the altar in the glow of the light the candles provide.
• It is good to be mindful that the windows in our Worship Space offer living images of the changing seasons.  During these weeks of winter, we will see the tree branches – bare, snow- or ice-clad – still or moving with the wind that our loving Creator provides.
• The environment during Ordinary Time should not attempt to compete with the abundance of Christmas, and at the same time, it should not rival the austerity of Lent.

Sense of Music

 Pastoral musicians take a special leadership role in building up the Church, the “sacrament of unity” (CSL, 26).  One way to do this is by creating a common repertoire of music so the assembly may enter fully into the liturgy.  Sing to the Lord:  Music in Divine Worship encourages this:  “Familiarity with a stable repertoire of liturgical songs rich in theological content can deepen the faith of the community through repetition and memorization” (STTL, 27).

Sourcebook 2011, page 69

Music and Ordinary Time:  The purpose of liturgical music is not to entertain us, but to help us surrender to the transforming action of the liturgy.  During Ordinary Time the liturgy pulls us into the paschal mystery journey of ongoing Christian living.  The liturgical music we sing during this period is meant to help us deepen our understanding of and participation in that journey.

Living Liturgy 2009, page 46

 The weeks of Ordinary Time between the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent are crucial to bringing us back to ground level—musically as well as in other ways—and allowing us to rest there a bit before entering into our Lenten fast.  Let these weeks be a period of familiarity and respite, with ample opportunity for the people to sing music and acclamations they know.

Remember, it is through us that the Word continues to be made flesh.  Careful choice of song texts for entrance, presentation of the gifts, and Communion can serve to deepen the assembly’s appreciation of the Word of God that is proclaimed as we journey through the liturgical year.  Our hearing of the Word calls us to participate in Jesus’ mission, to do as Jesus did.  Songs about the call to discipleship and songs that speak of how encounter with Christ transforms us and changes our lives will support the prayers and readings of these early weeks of Ordinary Time.

These six weeks can be held together musically by both the common Mass setting and perhaps the repetition of a common gathering or communion song.  Consider introducing a new song, such as “Enter the Journey” for gathering, and using it for all six weeks.

It will be good to continue building the parish repertoire of psalms.