“Ordinary Time”

by Ellen Richardson,

Co-chair of Adult Religious Education

As Father Pat reminded us last week, we are once again called to the observance of “ordinary time” in the Church calendar. At the urging of Pope Benedict, we also continue the celebration of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul. These two observances come together next week as the Church celebrates the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul on January 25^th. As a parish, we are preparing for that feast with the observance of a Novena in Honor of St. Paul. The words of St. Paul will be with us in both feast time and ordinary time as we listen to the readings of the liturgy. Almost every Sunday of the year we are challenged to listen attentively to Paul’s words, and to explore the full dimensions of what the death and resurrection of Jesus mean for men and women of all ages.

Fully one third of the New Testament is comprised of the letters ascribed to St. Paul. When he wrote the letters, Paul did not have the foggiest idea what would become of them. The letters were sent to the early Christian communities to address problems and questions in the churches. They were sent because Paul could not get there in person. He wrote because he was worried about his friends. He wrote in response to real concerns in real parishes. Paul was no ivory-tower scholar or sage; his insights were the result of his own struggles and from working with people in their daily efforts to live the mystery of salvation.

The Church tells us that the letters of St. Paul are inspired. While that teaching is reassuring, it does not make the letters easy to read. Paul’s style is foreign to modern readers; his rhetoric is often contentious, if not downright belligerent. He had little tolerance for those who did not see things his way. This often led to huge struggles with those who disagreed with him, including Peter, Barnabas, and Mark. He became a figure of controversy and misunderstanding in the early Church. In spite of all this, he has many admirers. His zeal, his asceticism, his clarity, and his faith became a model and an inspiration for missionaries, teachers, and others down to our present day. Passages from his letters are quoted by Christians and non-Christians alike.

In all his writings, Paul reminds us of the essential truth of our faith: God’s all-powerful love that overcomes the powers of sin and death. This is the message of God who is “the God of peace” (Rom 15:33), “reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor 5:19.) Paul saw that the greatest gift of the resurrection is love; a love that is “patient… does not seek its own interests, … it… hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13:4-7.) Love reaches out beyond what can be seen and touches the mystery of God in itself. When the perfection of love comes, “…then I shall know fully as I am fully known” (1 Cor 13:12)

What a powerful message to sustain us in the “ordinary times” of our days!

Thank You

My sincere thanks to all of you for the wonderful 70^th Birthday and 45^th Anniversary of My Ordination celebration.

I am grateful for all the prayers, gifts, cards, notes and kind words in honor of these special occasions in my life. I am blessed to be a part of this wonderful Parish. May God bless you….

“…And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

~ Fr. Pat