In just nine days we arrive at Ash Wednesday. This sacred day marks the beginning of Lent and the suspension of Ordinary Time.

What is Ordinary time? Ordinary time is observed in two segments, from the Monday following the Baptism of Our Lord up to Ash Wednesday, and from Pentecost Monday to the First Sunday of Advent. The combined length makes it the greater part of the liturgical year.

What makes it “Ordinary”? The term, like so many in Catholicism, comes from the Latin – ordinalis – which refers to ordered numbers in a series. The weeks in Ordinary Time are numbered and represent the ordered life of the Church. The Gospel which begins Ordinary Time will present either John the Baptist’s acknowledgment of Christ as the Lamb of God or Christ’s first miracle, the transformation of water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Ordinary Time indicates the time of Christ’s ministry, the time he walked among us as the Word Incarnate.

But is that all there is to “ordinary”?

Last month I became an Extraordinary Minister of Communion to the Sick. That means that as a lay representative of the Church, I can administer the Eucharist to those who are unable to attend mass. I perform this ministry in local nursing homes. The first time I heard my official title, I had to chuckle. The definition that comes to my mind when I hear the word “extraordinary” is the one most common in modern usage: that which is beyond what is usual; exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree.

I certainly don’t feel uncommon or exceptional when I take the Eucharist to the seniors suffering from dementia or physical deterioration. I feel humbled by their trust, their gratitude, and their faith. Even those who are not able to consume the communion wafer will grasp my hand for prayer. One elderly gentleman won’t let me leave without giving me a kiss on the cheek. I feel less like I am dispensing a sacrament to them and more like I am receiving grace from them.

And I realize that in the Church, the term Extraordinary Minister refers to a lay person, one who is not ordained, one outside or additional, having a special, often temporary task or responsibility. But I have to admit, the secular definition gives me something to which I can aspire.

So does Lent. In the 40 days that we meditate on the Passion of Our Lord, we are called to look at our lives in a way that is beyond the usual. The ending of Ordinary Time propels us into a season when we contemplate the most extraordinary love and sacrifice imaginable. I’m glad I have 40 days to focus on something that is exceptional to that amount and degree. I only hope I can even begin to wrap my heart and mind around it.

Wishing you a space for grace in your life today,
Kate