Saint Perpetua Catholic Church
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Ordinary Time: Summer
A Sense of the Season
What do the words Ordinary Time mean? Dorothy Day said, “The words ‘Ordinary Time’ in our prayer books put me in a state of confusion and irritation. To me, no time is ordinary.” She was right. The Ordinary in “Ordinary Time” refers to ordinal—counted—time, not to a lack of something to celebrate.
When we gather every Sunday, we celebrate the mystery of Christ in all its aspects. Sunday is our original feast day. Christians have gathered every Sunday—the day of Christ’s resurrection, the first day of the week—ever since there were Christians.
When we gather on Sundays in Ordinary Time, as always, we hear the scriptures proclaimed. The church reads straight through “the gospel of the year,” – this year Luke - each week often picking up where we left off last week. The first readings, from the first testament of the Bible, have been chosen for their relationship to the gospel passages.
At the heart of our Sunday celebration is the Eucharist; that is, we do our thanksgiving. We praise and thank God for all creation; we pray for the whole world, as we remember Christ’s life, death and resurrection. We share the bread and wine, the body and blood. We are sent forth to be the body and blood of Christ in our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our towns, our cities, our country, our world.
Copyright © 1997, Archdiocese of Chicago. Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago IL 60622-1101; 1-800-933-1800. Text by G. Thomas Ryan.
The Parish and School community at St. Perpetua in Lafayette, California, actively welcomes all who seek contemporary spiritual growth, who thrive in a warm and friendly environment, who find meaning in compassionate and caring outreach to others, and who enjoy celebrating the love of Christ present at our masses and our many social activities.