By Sister Connie Harkin, SSND
In life, we experience four seasons regardless of our geographic location – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Then in our faith life, we experience six Liturgical Seasons, all of which are extraordinary!
We begin with Advent – a time of remembering and anticipating the birth of Jesus – Emmanuel - God with us.
During Christmas, we rejoice in the Word made Flesh who shared our humanity.
A period of Ordinary Time follows now (and again after Easter), with readings about Jesus' life and teachings, primarily from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The Season of Lent reminds us of our need to examine the ways we may have fallen in our attempts to follow Jesus and His Good News.
Holy Week follows, commemorating the final week of Jesus' life.
Entering the Easter Season, we have renewed hope in God’s merciful love! Jesus never left us alone, as He had promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Pentecost fulfills Jesus' promise with the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles were now empowered to go forth and spread the Good News. (We, too, have received the same Spirit at our baptism, which calls us to be “missionary disciples”.)
As Ordinary Time begins again after Pentecost, we grow in awareness of the life and ministry of Jesus.
We listen to accounts of teaching, healing, and forgiving as He encountered multitudes (the multitudes now include us).
The Gospel readings throughout Ordinary Time hold messages for us, through which the Holy Spirit can guide us.
We are not alone, but have the best companion, Jesus. Listening and even conversing with Him is an option for us, wherever we find ourselves! What a consolation!
