Ordinary Time
Ordinary Time
Seasons
Besides the times of year that have their own distinctive character, there remain in the yearly cycle thirty-three or thirty-four weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated, but rather the mystery of Christ itself is honoured in its fullness, especially on Sundays. This period is known as Ordinary Time.
Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar, 43
Documentation
- Summary sheet for Liturgy Preparation Groups [in preparation]
- General Norms for the Liturgical Year & Calendar 43–44 [pdf]
- Introduction to the Lectionary [pdf]
- Directory on Popular Piety
5. Ordinary Time
b. Sunday readings
1. Gospel readings
105. On the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time the gospel continues to centre on the manifestation of the Lord, which Epiphany celebrates through the traditional passage about the wedding feast at Cana and two other passages from John.
Beginning with the Third Sunday, there is a semicontinuous reading of the Synoptic Gospels. This reading is arranged in such a way that as the Lord’s life and preaching unfold the teaching proper to each of these Gospels is presented.
This distribution also provides a certain coordination between the meaning of each Gospel and the progress of the liturgical year. Thus after Epiphany the readings are on the beginning of the Lord’s preaching and they fit in well with Christ’s baptism and the first events in which he manifests himself. The liturgical year leads quite naturally to a termination in the eschatological theme proper to the last Sundays, since the chapters of the Synoptics that precede the account of the passion treat this eschatological theme rather extensively.
After the Sixteenth Sunday in Year B, five readings are incorporated from John 6 (the discourse on the bread of life). This is the proper place for these readings because the multiplication of the loaves from John takes the place of the same account in Mark. In the semicontinuous reading of Luke for Year C, the introduction of this Gospel has been prefixed to the first text (that is, on the Third Sunday). This passage expresses the author’s intention very beautifully and there seemed to be no better place for it.
Introduction to the Lectionary (cf. 103–110)
Calendar
Sundays, Solemnities and Feasts of the Lord
Solemnities in Ordinary Time
Solemnities replace the Sunday liturgy in Ordinary Time
- The Most Holy Trinity - Sunday after Pentecost
- The Body and Blood of the Lord - Sunday after Trinity
- Sacred Heart - Friday after The Body and Blood of the Lord
- The Birth of St John the Baptist - 24 June
- St Peter and St Paul - 29 June
- The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 15 August
- All Saints - 1 November
- Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls) - 2 November
- Anniversary of Dedication
- Patronal Solemnity
Holydays of Obligation
St Peter and St Paul, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and All Saints are Holy Days of Obligation.
Feasts of the Lord
When a Feast of the Lord falls on a Sunday it replaces the Sunday in Ordinary Time.
- The Presentation of the Lord - 2 February
- The Transfiguration of the Lord - 6 August
- The Triumph of the Cross - 14 September
- The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica - 9 November
Sundays of Ordinary Time
- Ordinary Time I [Sundays 1–9]
- Ordinary Time II [Solemnities]
- Ordinary Time III [Sundays 8–15]
- Ordinary Time IV [Sundays 16–24]
- Ordinary Time V [Sundays 25–34]
Weekdays of Ordinary Time
- Ordinary Time 1 [Weeks 1–5]
- Ordinary Time 2 [Weeks 6–10]
- Ordinary Time 3 [Weeks 11–15]
- Ordinary Time 4 [Weeks 16–20]
- Ordinary Time 5 [Weeks 21–25]
- Ordinary Time 6 [Weeks 26–30]
- Ordinary Time 7 [Weeks 31–34]
| V1 | V2 | V3 | D1 | D2 | D3 | ||
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| 1. | Solemnities of precept (Holydays of Obligation) |  |
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| 4. | Solemnities not of precept, All Souls | |
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| 7. | Sundays of Christmas and Sundays in Ordinary Time | |
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| 8. | Feasts | |
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| 12. | Obligatory memorials | |
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| 16. | Weekdays in Ordinary Time | |
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| V1 | V2 | V3 | D1 | D2 | D3 |
V1 = Ritual Masses (General Instruction of the Roman Missal [hereafter, GIRM], no. 372).
Masses for various needs and occasions and votive Masses, in cases of serious need or pastoral advantage, at the direction of the local Ordinary or with his permission (GIRM, no. 374).
V2 = Masses for various needs and occasions and votive Masses, in cases of serious need or pastoral advantage, at the discretion of the rector of the church or the priest celebrant (GIRM, no. 376).
V3 = Masses for various needs and occasions and votive Masses chosen by the priest celebrant in favour of the devotion of the people (GIRM, no. 373, 375).
D1 = Funeral Mass (GIRM, no. 380).
D2 = Mass on the occasion of news of a death, final burial, or the first anniversary (GIRM, no. 381).
D3 = Daily Mass for the dead (GIRM, no. 381). When D1 and D2 are not permitted, neither is D3.
Resources
Cycle of Prayer
Ordinary Time: Winter
- Peace on Earth
- especially on the Day of Prayer for Peace (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time)
- Christian Unity
- especially during the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity
- The Sick and those who care for them
- especially on World Day for the Sick (11 February)
- Students and Teachers
- especially on the ecumenical Education Day (3 Sundays before the 1st Sunday of Lent)
- The Unemployed
- especially on the Day of Prayer for the Unemployed (1 Sunday before the 1st Sunday of Lent)
Ordinary Time: Summer
- A Deeper Understanding between Christians and Jews
- Those who suffer Persecution, Oppression, and Denial of Human Rights
- especially on St John Fisher and St Thomas More (22 June)
- Europe
- especially of the feasts of St Benedict (11 July), St Bridget of Sweden (23 July), St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (9 August) who with St Cyril and St Methodius (14 February), and St Catherine of Siena (29 April) are Patrons of Europe
- Human Life
- especially on the Day for Life (1st Sunday in July)
- Seafarers
- especially on Sea Sunday (2nd Sunday in July)
Ordinary Time: Autumn
- The Spread of the Gospel
- especially on Home Mission Day (3rd Sunday in September) & on World Mission Day (penultimate Sunday in October)
- Justice and Peace in the world
- especially on Racial Justice day (2nd Sunday in September) and on Harvest Fast Day (1st Friday in October)
- The Harvest, the Fruits of Human of Work, and the Reverent Use of Creation
- especially on last Sunday in September or whenever Harvest Festivals are held
- All Victims of War
- especially on Remembrance Sunday (2nd Sunday in November)
- Prisoners and their Families
- especially during Prisoners Week (9–15 November) and on the Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their Dependants (3rd Sunday in November)
- Young People
- especially on Youth Day (Christ the King)