Calling this season "ordinary" is not to say that it is unimportant, lackluster, or boring. Its name shares a root with the Latin term ordinalis, meaning "numbered." Each Sunday is designated a number that is counted from Sunday to Sunday.

Ordinary Time began on Tuesday, January 10, this year, and continues through Tuesday, February 21, the day before Ash Wednesday. It will resume when the Easter season ends. In total there are 34 weeks of Ordinary Time. Depending on the date of Ash Wednesday, the number of weeks in Ordinary Time prior to Lent is different each year.

The 34 weeks of Ordinary Time mark the movement of time as the salvation story unfolds through the year. These first weeks of Ordinary Time help us reflect on what it means to follow Christ and to answer God's call. 

This Liturgical Year is Cycle A of the three-year cycle. Matthew's gospel is proclaimed on many of the Sundays and weekdays of this cycle. There is no attempt to render an historical, chronological depiction of the life of Christ from his birth to his death. Rather, the intent of the readings is to reveal the entire mystery of Christ.