Sinking into Ordinary Time

One of my favorite parts about being Catholic is the rhythm of the liturgical calendar. For the past few years, as we've been homeschooling and trying to live our faith in our daily lives, I've turned to the liturgical calendar to light the way.

We started out celebrating Advent and Lent, separating those seasons out as "special." Christmas and Easter already had their "special" category, even just in our secular celebration of those seasons; we merely added a more faith-filled component to those celebrations.

But Ordinary time? What to do with Ordinary time?

To be honest, until these past few weeks, I never fully appreciated the deep beauty of Ordinary Time.

For the first time I can ever recall, I was completely ready to take down all the Christmas decorations. We waited until January 9 to do so, but it was a full week after I "felt" ready. I have spent these past two weeks reveling in the simpleness, the plainness, the "ordinariness" of our home. It is so peaceful, to be rid of all the excess.

I've been organizing and cleaning, dropping bag after bag at Goodwill and into the recycling bin, reclaiming my space.

For the first time, I am understanding that this is necessary: the break between the celebratory seasons (for yes, even Lent is "celebrated" ... marked as different). I need the plain to appreciate the decorated. I need the quiet to appreciate the noise. And I need the emptiness to appreciate the overflowing.

This January, this worn-out Mom is sinking into Ordinary Time just as gratefully as I sink into my comfy bed after a long, hard day.