This Sunday marks the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time. Like all of the other liturgical seasons of the year, Ordinary Time plays a particular role in the Church and in drawing us into the life of Christ. It is not simply the time between important seasons, when nothing else is happening. Rather, Ordinary Time invites us to focus on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
In other words, while Advent is a time of preparation to receive our Lord and Christmas is the celebration of the coming of the Son of God, Ordinary Time is the time when we give our attention on coming to know who Jesus Christ is, what he taught, how he has guided us to live. This is when the readings and Gospels focus us on how to live like Christ.
Sometimes we need reminders that he is not simply the Son of God come to bring salvation to the world and open the gates of Paradise so that we can follow through them. The call to follow him is not only to go in the same direction that he went, but to follow his footsteps, to be perfect as his Father is perfect; he is our model; to live like him in the ways of righteousness; to pray like him, who spoke to God as Father; and to love as he loved.
One of the classic works of the Christian Life is Tomas A Kempis’ Imitation of Christ. In the opening lines of this book he charges the Christian to “Make it your aim to meditate on the life of Christ.” This is the first step to holiness. The first step is not to act like Christ, nor to follow Christ–those invitations come later. The first step is to come to know him and ponder on his life. Then we pray that what we know, we can follow.
Meditating on his life will, by its very nature, lead one to act and to follow. This harkens back to Paul’s well known words that faith without works is dead. It is not the lack of works that causes faith to die, but a true and real faith, cannot help but naturally bear the fruit of good works.
If you are looking for a spiritual book to read, I offer reading the Imitation of Christ. Read it slowly and deliberately, 5-10 minutes a day, or 2 chapters a week, and this will carry you through the year. A number of parishioners are also beginning to read An Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis de Sales.