We find ourselves in the midst of a short, seven-and-a-half-week stint of Ordinary Time. It can seem like we are somewhat lost in time – no longer in the Christmas season and not yet in the throes of Lent. How can we not grow stagnant in our walk of faith during this time?
A friend once told me that Ordinary Time was his favorite season of all. He shared that, just as the liturgical color green indicates, Ordinary Time is a season of growth. As we muddle through the mundane, tackle the trivial and battle the boredom, we are invited to continue blossoming and blooming.
In today’s first reading, Saul finds himself in a jealous rage and wishes to extinguish David, while David’s men encourage him to obliterate Saul. But when afforded the opportunity to retaliate, he refused to lay a finger on the Lord’s anointed one. He acquiesced to God rather than anger.
Jesus puts the actions of David into words, saying: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you… Do to others as you would have them do to you…and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” Sounds selfless and saintly and… super hard. To act in a way that gains no reward, not even a tiny bit of dopamine, sounds just horrible.
Yet we live for the promise of a different kind of reward together: “Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Highest… gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down and overflowing…” So let us shake off the ordinariness of this time and dive into the growth, so that our heavenly reward may be overflowing.
Tami Urcia, Diocesan Publications