What to do? What to do? Oh, what are we to do? Our yearly conundrum strikes afresh! Is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord the First Sunday of Ordinary Time and thus no longer in Christmastide or is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord the conclusion to Christmastide with Ordinary Time resuming on Monday? But then why is the following Sunday, The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time?
Our Church is always so logical and correct, except when she isn't:
12 comments:
As said earlier, I was taught Christmastide ended with the octave of Epiphany, and the Christmas Cycle (known by whatever local name) continued up until Septuagisima Sunday, which makes it pretty simple. For me, actual Christmas proper ends with the Epiphany octave. Then it more still a Christmas season until it ain't, and Lenten season commences.
Ordinary time, or more correctly 'tempus per annum' recommences on the Monday following the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Since Sunday is the first day of the week, then it follows that it is the first Sunday of ordinary time.
Mr Nolan, that makes sense except it does not...if Ordinary Time recommences on Monday, then Ordinary Time recommences on Monday, and not Sunday.
If it recommences on Sunday, then it recommences on Sunday and should state that.
I do not have a lectionary and so have no idea what it says, photos too small on my phone, but going by your description, we have an internal logical fallacy. It must be one or the other and cannot be both.
Neither can a day within Ordinary Time be within Christmas, they are mutually exclusive by definition. Either way you slice it, you have a paradox. Or a pair of nonsense.
Maybe it is “a partridge in a pear tree” time?
More as a pair of cuckoos.
If one takes the time to look in the front section of the Missal, they will find: UNIVERSAL NORMS ON THE LITURGICAL YEAR AND THE CALENDAR
These two paragraphs are found there:
38. The Sunday falling after January 6 is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
44. Ordinary Time begins on the Monday which follows the Sunday occurring after January 6 and extends up to and including the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent; it begins again on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday and ends before First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of the First Sunday of Advent.
During these times of the year there is used the series of formularies given for the Sundays and weekdays of this time both in the Missal and in the Liturgy of the Hours (Vol. III-IV).
Since the table of the Word of God and the other table of the Eucharist are equal, the Roman Missal and the Lectionary should combine forces and get together on when Ordinary Time begins.
Sunday, Evening Prayer is the mark for me from Christmastide to Ordinary Time. Basically when I switch volumes. So it is both Baptism of the Lord/Christmastide and then later, 1st Sunday of Ordinary Time.Though in my private devotion, I keep Christmastide till Feast of the Presentation.
Had Bouyer's 'trio of maniacs' not buggered up the calendar for Xmastide we would not be having this conversation in the first place.
Well, JR, thanks for clearing up that the Sunday was not in Ordinary Time, and that Ordinary Time indeed commenced on Monday.
Now, since that is the case, please explain how the following Sunday is the second Sunday of Ordinary Time.
With that little trifle licked, we will have this all cleared up and I will be able to explain it to inquirers, and myself.
Still leaves me floundering on explaining why Christmas suddenly no longer has 12 days to them, when we are supposedly the guardian of ancient practice and tradition, and the one and only original real deal, but, can't have everything, right?
Anonymous at 5:13 PM: Some things are just a mystery.
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