This portion of the Season of Ordinary Time runs from Monday, January 14 through Tuesday, February 5, 2008, a mere 23 days.
This period of Ordinary Time covers the time between the Christmas and Lenten seasons, a time of quiet while creation enjoys a period of cold and rest in anticipation of the renewal of spring.
Ordinary Time begins on Monday, January 14, 2008 after a break of six weeks for the seasons of Advent and Christmas. We will celebrate the first to the fourth week of Ordinary Time during this time, with the fourth week being interrupted for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Ordinary Time will return after the Easter season on May 12.
During this brief season, there are no holy days of obligation nor are there any feasts that fall on a Sunday. There are no solemnities during this period this year, although the patron saint of the parish may be marked during this season as a solemnity. There is an important feast, however, the Presentation of the Lord, celebrated on February 2. Another feast, the Conversion of Saint Paul, is on January 25. The patron of a diocese is celebrated as a feast if it falls during this time.
The Sunday readings this year come from Cycle A, which features a continuous reading of Matthew’s Gospel (except for the second Sunday, January 20, which features John’s Gospel). The first readings throughout the season are chosen to complement the Gospel. The second readings will feature a tour through 1 Corinthians.
The weekday readings this year come from Year 2. These first weeks of Ordinary Time feature the beginning of Mark’s Gospel. The first readings will be from 1 and 2 Samuel.
The liturgy also allows for two very popular blessings in this period. On February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, candles are blessed. On February 3, Catholics are treated to the famous Blessing of Throats in honor of the Feast of Saint Blaise, which may be tricky since the third falls on a Sunday this year.
Outside of the liturgy, there are a number of observances at this time of the year. In the United States, there is National Migration Week (January 6-12), National Vocation Awareness Week (January 13-19), the Day of Prayer and Penance for Life (January 22), and Catholic Schools’ Week (January 27-February 2). International observances include the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25) and World Day for Consecrated Life (February 2 worldwide; February 3 in the United States).
