Letter from the Pastor
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January 15, 2023We have begun what is known as the Winter Ordinary Season in the Church’s liturgical year. Ordinary Time is one season, which has two parts. The first part begins right after the Epiphany and runs until the day before Ash Wednesday. The second part begins the Monday after Pentecost and runs until the First Sunday of Advent. This part is typically about twice the length of the first. The term ‘ordinary’ comes from the Latin term ordinalis, meaning ‘numbered’ or ‘ruled’.
The 33 (or 34 depending on how the feasts fall) weeks of Ordinary Time contain all the stories concerning our Lord’s earthly ministry: the miracles, the parables, the calling of the Twelve, the Sermon on the Mount, etc.
The readings at Mass have a certain arrangement. The readings can help us appreciate the movement of the season and to use them to grow in our relationship with the Lord by hearing the good news of the Gospel.
The arrangement of the readings for the Mass is in such a way that we hear most of the entire Bible over a three year Sunday period (Year A, B and C) and over a two year Weekday period (Year I and II).
The Sunday Gospels are laid out so that we read through St. Matthew (Year A), St. Mark (Year B) and St. Luke(Year C) taking us through the life of our Lord, as presented by the Evangelist. The First Reading is from the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), which has a connection with the Sunday Gospel. When we are preparing for Mass, read the Gospel first then see the connection to the First Reading, then re-read the Gospel a second time, the connection helps us. The Second Reading on Sunday is taken from the letters of the Apostles St. Paul and St. James. These readings are usually continuous so that we can get a good sense of the letter written to the particular Church. These readings, however, are not linked to the Gospel.
The weekday Gospel is arranged so that we read St. Mark's Gospel first, then St. Matthew and finally St. Luke. The First Reading during the weeks of Ordinary Time are not related to the Gospel. They are arranged so that we can experience a great amount of Scripture, over a two-year period.
Once we understand how the scriptures are arranged for the Sundays and Weekdays of Ordinary Time, we can use our missalettes, to look ahead at what is coming. So, this Liturgical Year 2023 which began on the First Sunday of Advent is YEAR A for Sundays and YEAR I for weekdays.
Like all liturgical seasons, Ordinary Time is meant to be lived! Through the readings at Mass we spiritually participate in the everyday life of the Lord. So use your holy imagination to reflect on the daily life of Christ. Imagine Him doing the simple things: eating, walking, enjoying His friends, life itself and praying. Then become a bystander to the Gospel story. Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary. But the true power of the season is only unlocked if you live it!
Baptistery
Our new baptistery has been completed. We were waiting for the marble to arrive. The marble, cremo delicato was quarried in Italy. It is a white Carrara marble with slight grey and dove-grey veining. It is a pure white crystalline marble, which makes it a very bright marble. It is the same type of marble that was used for our altar and pulpit uniting all three: Baptism, Eucharist and the Word of God.
The marble worker, Joe Giovetta, is from New Jersey; his work can be seen in the churches and cathedrals throughout our country. His father from Italy was a marbler before him and his brothers.
I invite you to come and look at the baptistery. You will see underneath the top, the beveled marble by hand and chisel, no machines. It is the old world mentality that only God will see it, for it was done for His greater honor and glory, and never the workers. Thank you, Joe, for your gift to our parish and the work of your hands.
Traditionally the baptistery is eight-sided. It symbolizes the “8th day” when our Lord rose on the eighth day, the day after the Jewish Sabbath, a new life, a new beginning. The number eight recalls Noah and the ark and how eight people were saved by water, also Jewish boys were circumcised 8 days after their birth. We are reborn on our “8th day”, the day we were baptized through water and the Holy Spirit.
