We all have our daily routines. Some may start out the morning with coffee and watching morning TV, while others might immediately jump in the shower. Some may fill their evenings with activities, while others are content to relax at home. These daily routines occasionally get interrupted, but that’s rare for most of us.
In many ways, the Church has its daily routines. Prayer, Masses, meetings and so on. Other than big feasts and celebrations, these routines go on day in and day out regardless of season.
Daily routines in themselves aren’t bad. As human beings, we are creatures of habit, and routines free our thoughts for other, more important tasks and decisions. Most of us don’t have to plan out our mornings, for example, because we do the same things morning after morning.
Last week, after the Baptism of the Lord, we entered into what the Church calls Ordinary Time. This is the period of the liturgical year not covered by Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter seasons. It’s the part of the year where the Church slips into its daily routines without worrying about upcoming major feasts and solemnities.
Ordinary Time is really the reminder that everything in our lives needs to be sanctified, especially the ordinary, routine moments of life. St. Paul reminds us in the second reading this week, “you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy…”.
We have been sanctified by Christ, so we are called to be holy! One important way to do this is to take more of St. Paul’s encouragement that he gives us elsewhere (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18): “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” This is the call of Ordinary Time summed up in a couple sentences.
One saint I personally admire is St. Josemaria Escriva, who founded the movement Opus Dei in Spain. Although he died in 1975, his movement has spread throughout the world based on a simple message: God is calling all of us to be holy and that living our ordinary lives can result in that holiness. Although St. Josemaria goes into great detail of how to answer that call and seek holiness, it basically is summed up in St. Paul’s encouragement to always rejoice and pray unceasingly. I highly encourage everyone to look up his writings online, as many are available for free, and learn from him the path of holiness in our ordinary lives and daily routines.
As Mother Angelica, foundress of EWTN, liked to say, “We’re all called to be great saints. Don’t miss the opportunity!”
