MAY 20 PENTECOST SUNDAY
Solemnity
Acts 2:1-11/1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Gal 5:16-25/Jn 20:19-23 or Jn 15:26-27; 16:12-15 (63)

21 Mon The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (Seventh Week in Ordinary Time)
Memorial
Gn 3:9-15, 20 or Acts 1:12-14/Jn 19:25-34 (572A)

22 Tue Weekday
[Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious]
Jas 4:1-10/Mk 9:30-37 (342)

23 Wed Weekday
Jas 4:13-17/Mk 9:38-40 (343)

24 Thu Weekday
Jas 5:1-6/Mk 9:41-50 (344)

25 Fri Weekday
[Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church;
Saint Gregory VII, Pope; Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin]
Jas 5:9-12/Mk 10:1-12 (345)

26 Sat Saint Philip Neri, Priest
Memorial
Jas 5:13-20/Mk 10:13-16 (346)

Ordinary Time

The Easter season ends with the Feast of Pentecost and we begin ordinary time in the church year. Unlike other feasts, Pentecost has no octave; ordinary time is its octave. Most of the church year is ordinary time; most of life is ordinary too, but the Spirit’s there just the same.

“Their message goes out to all the earth.” In the Easter season Peter, Paul and the others venture from Jerusalem to Asia Minor and to Rome, empowered by strong winds and tongues of fire. Now it’s our turn. The Spirit can bring us to the ends of the earth, but the Spirit’s in the few steps we take every day, though we’re hardly aware.

We tend to minimize ordinary life. Ordinary, nothing’s happening, we think. Yet, day by day in ordinary time the Risen Lord breathes his peace on us and shows us his wounds. Every day he breathes the Spirit on us. No day goes by without the Spirit’s quiet blessing.

This year we begin ordinary time remembering Mary, the Mother of the Church. “The Mother standing beneath the cross (cf. Jn 19:2-5), accepted her Son’s testament of love and welcomed all people in the person of the beloved disciple as sons and daughters to be reborn unto life eternal. She thus became the tender Mother of the Church which Christ begot on the cross handing on the Spirit…

“Christ in turn in the beloved disciple chose all disciples as ministers of his love towards his Mother, entrusting her to them so that they might welcome her with filial affection. As a caring guide to the emerging Church Mary had already begun her mission in the Upper Room, praying with the Apostles while awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14).  In this sense, in the course of the centuries, Christian piety has honoured Mary with various titles… 

 This celebration will help us to remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored to the Mystery of the Cross, to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed ,the Virgin who makes her offering to God.’’  (Congregation of Divine Worship, 2018)

We begin ordinary time on Monday with Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Church.

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