Liturgically we begin what the church calls ‘Ordinary Time.’ It has always puzzled me that a season of the liturgical year would be called “Ordinary Time.” It comes from the Latin “Tempus per annum, or time through the year.” Ordinary time are the numbered Sundays between the liturgical seasons of Christmas and Lent, and Easter and Advent. The question is because of the Christmas event, our God becoming one of us the Incarnation, could there ever be a anything ordinary? God becoming one of us! It was through his incarnation, God becoming one with us in all things except sin, that we are now made to be in His Light. That’s nothing ordinary more like extraordinary. Why do you think the misalette tells us to ‘bow’ during the creed when we say ‘For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” I would like to share a humorous story about an antique connoisseur who walked into an antique store. While browsing, he came across an cat drinking milk from a saucer on the floor. The man immediately recognized the saucer as a genuine Ming Dynasty worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here it was on the floor with a cat drinking milk from it. The man figured the shop owner had no clue of its worth. Immediately the man started scheming how to get the saucer for cheap without the shop owner knowing what he was trying to do. He had an idea. He asks the shopkeeper “You know, that’s a very striking cat. I’d like to buy him.” Thes shopkeeper says, “he’s not really for sale.” “I insist,” says the shopper. “Make me an offer” responds the shop owner. “How about $200.00?” “That’s generous but I don’t think he is worth that much” says shop owner. “I insist” says the antique shopper. So he hands him $200 bucks then adds, ‘I’m going to need something to use as a feeding dish. What if I give you another 5 bucks for that saucer on the floor?” “I could never do that” said the shop owner. Why that’s a rare Ming Dynasty and its value is incalculable” BUT, He went on to say, “Amazingly enough, ever since I started feeding my cat out of it, I sold 12 cats so far!” Sometime were tempted to believe that we too are like some ordinary dish on the floor not knowing its real value. Sometime we feel undervalued, under appreciated, and even used. Maybe the problem in our world today is thalt people know the PRICE of everything and the VAUE of nothing! Believe me, there is no such thing as ORDINARY people, ORDINARY DAYS OR EVEN ORDINARY TIME. God’s Incarnation has Done it ALL!
