Happy New Year 2024!

Liturgy Geek Time: This weekend (Jan 6/7, 2024), we celebrate Epiphany which, by the way, is not the end of the Christmas season. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the last day of the Christmas season which is... wait for it... Monday.  So, Tuesday, we begin Ordinary time. Maybe you know this already, but the Sunday readings are broken into three years, A, B, and C. With the beginning of Advent, we entered into cycle B. Ordinary time gets its name by the fact that we count the weeks. So this coming week, beginning on Tuesday, is the First Week of Ordinary time and the following Sunday will start the second week in Ordinary Time. Ordinary time is not marked by any distinctive character as are Lent, Easter, Advent, and Christmas for example. Rather, note that in Ordinary Time, the Church sets before us the common life of Jesus (if one could actually say anything is common about Jesus' life). During his life, he taught, effected miracles, and lived among humanity in every way, but sin. The weekday readings are broken into a two-year cycle (Cycle I and Cycle II). Beginning on Tuesday we embark on Cycle II. If one were to go to every Mass every day for three years, a person would have heard 71% of the entire Bible proclaimed to them. So, I guess that means each of us nee to read the remaining 29% on our own. Hey! Maybe that could be your new year resolution. Actually, I would recommend simply tuning into Fr. Michael Schmitz's "Bible in a Year" podcast which will help you walk through the entirety of the Scripture much quickly and with excellent commentary. I cannot recommend it more highly. It's not too late to catch up if you want to start now. Check it out at media.ascensionpress.com/category/ascension-podcasts/bibleinayear/

On a Personal Note: Thank you to all who stepped up to give of yourselves this past Advent and Christmas season! So many people offered their gifts in quiet and unseen ways. You know who you are. Thank you! I want to also thank you for your kind Christmas cards. I typically wait until Christmas Day to open and read them. It has been a wonderful way to receive God's love through you. After all the Christmas Masses were completed on Dec. 24 & 25, I came down with a cold which laid me low for several days afterwards. I'm getting better, though I am surprised how long this cold has drawn out. I know that others have experienced a cold with similar results. This is not uncommon for ministers in this season. It was for this reason many of you may have noted that I did not post my regular Friday Reflection or my regular podcast following the Feast of the Holy Family Sunday. No worries. I they will be back soon.

Personal Social Media: If you are not familiar with my personal media ventures, does it surprise you that a geek like me wouldn't have one, but actually several? If you are curious, feel free to check out frbill.org. There you can listen to my various podcasts, Friday Videos, other YouTube videos, some photography (specifically astrophotography), facebook, X (Formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, Threads, and even a blog. Commonly, I release things from this website before they reach the bulletin (in the case of some of my bulletin articles). But, for most of these, you can simply subscribe to them or "follow" them and you will be alerted to anything new.

May this new year bring you a deeper faith, surprise you by joy, and heal whoever wounds plague you. I desire that for myself. So, let's all pray for each other and help reach out to those who need to hear the Gospel the most.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Holy Trinity Catholic Parish
Beaverton, Oregon

Ordinary Time for Geeks

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend marks the last day of the Christmas season. I hope that it was a time of peace and renewed faith. That means Monday is officially the first day of Ordinary Time. The term “ordinary” comes from the word meaning “to count” which is why we speak of these weeks in terms of their number. It is the longest of all the seasons of the year, though it gets broken up by the seasons of Lent, Sacred Paschal Triduum, Easter, Advent, and Christmas. So, while there are thirty-three or thirty-four weeks in Ordinary Time, it is not contiguous throughout the fifty-two weeks in the year.  In the season of Ordinary Time, there is no focus on the particular aspects of the mysteries of Christ, but rather, “the mystery of Christ itself is honored in its fullness, especially on Sundays (Universal Norms, 43).

During Ordinary Time, the Eucharistic Prayers for Masses for Various Needs and Occasions with its proper prefaces and corresponding intercessions may fitting be used. These Eucharistic Prayers are not used in the seasons outside of Ordinary Time, but rather “in certain situations either as occasion arises or at fixed times.” (General Instructions of the Roman Missal 373). So occasionally, you might hear one of these four Eucharistic Prayers. I find them beautiful, and the change in some of the common wording we are used to bring the congregation (and the presider) to a greater awareness of the prayer being offered. 

In the early Church, there was not a selection of liturgical colors that we have today, therefore the priest likely wore white, the common formal attire of gentlemen in time of the Roman Empire. Pope Innocent III (d. 1216) established our official liturgical colors (De sacro altaris mysterio, Book I, chapter 65). Green as the color for Ordinary Time is supposed to remind us of hope, life, and anticipation—all intended as faith-filled events in our day-to-day experiences,. Some parishioners have often reminded me that green is rather reminiscent of the Oregon Ducks (griin!), the winners of the 2020 Rosebowl! And on that note, I will bring this column to an end.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor