Ordinary Time
Ordinary Time of the 2026 Liturgical Calendar is
January 12th through February 17th (Weeks 1 to 6) and
May 25th through November 28th (Weeks 8 to 34)
When Is Ordinary Time?
Ordinary Time refers to all of those parts of the Catholic Church's liturgical year that aren't included in the major seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.
Ordinary Time thus encompasses two different periods in the Church's calendar, the time after the Christmas season and the time after the Easter season.
The Church year begins with Advent, followed immediately by the Christmas season.
Ordinary Time begins on the Monday after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which is the end of the Christmas Season. This first period of Ordinary Time runs until Ash Wednesday when the liturgical season of Lent begins.
Both Lent and the Easter season fall outside of Ordinary Time, which resumes again on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday, the end of the Easter season. This second period of Ordinary Time runs until the First Sunday of Advent when the liturgical year begins again.
Not So "Ordinary"
Because the term ordinary in English most often means something that's not special or distinctive, many people think that Ordinary Time refers to parts of the calendar of the Catholic Church that are unimportant. Even though the season of Ordinary Time makes up most of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church, the fact that Ordinary Time refers to those periods that fall outside of the major liturgical seasons reinforces this impression. Yet Ordinary Time is far from unimportant or uninteresting.
Ordinary Time is called "ordinary" not because it is common, but simply because the weeks of Ordinary Time are numbered. The Latin word "ordinalis", which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word "ordo", from which we get the English word, "order". Thus, the numbered weeks of Ordinary Time, in fact, represent the ordered life of the Church—the period in which we live our lives neither in feasting (as in the Christmas and Easter seasons) or in more severe penance (as in Advent and Lent), but in watchfulness and expectation of the Second Coming of Christ.
For Catholics, Ordinary Time is the part of the year in which Christ, the Lamb of God, walks among us and transforms our lives.
What color is used during Ordinary Time?
The normal liturgical color for Ordinary Time, for those days when there is no special feast, is green. Green vestments and altar cloths have traditionally been associated with the time after Pentecost, the period in which the Church founded by the risen Christ and enlivened by the Holy Spirit began to grow and to spread the Gospel to all nations.
What do the Gospel readings tell us during Ordinary Time?
The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time take us through the life of Christ. This is the time of conversion. This is living the life of Christ.
Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ.
The goal, toward which all of history is directed, is represented by the final Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials during Ordinary Time, Weeks 10-34
MEMORIAL OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
The Immaculate Heart of Mary signifies the great purity and love of the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary for God.
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
The Transfiguration of Jesus is one of the key events in Jesus’ life. Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke to the Lord about His upcoming death. This feast day is celebrated on August 6th.
SAINT AUGUSTINE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Saint Augustine of Hippo is perhaps the greatest Christian philosopher of Antiquity and certainly the one who exerted the deepest and most lasting influence. His memorial is celebrated on August 28th.
FEAST OF SAINTS MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAFAEL, ARCHANGELS
The three archangels whom the Church honors by name are Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael. We celebrated their feast day on September 29th. Saint Michael the Archangel is the Patron Saint of our Parish.
