Ordinal v Ordinary

Written on the 12th Sunday After Pentecost

As some of you may know, who have been reading this blog and/or know me, I have a bit of a pet peave over calling this season "Ordinary Time."  There are so many feast days which go quite beyond what we, in the 21st Century, would call "ordinary!"  For example, yesterday, August 6th, was the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ - what is so "ordinary" about that?  

ordinary:
1250-1300; Middle English ordinarie (noun and adj.) < Latin ordinārius regular, of the usual order, equivalent to ordin- (see order ) + -ārius -ary

Whereas "ordinal" would remain the more appropriate term:
ordinal —That form of the numeral that shows the order of anything in a series. 

adj. late 14c., from Old French ordinel and directly from Late Latin ordinalis ""showing order, denoting an order of succession," from Latin ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, series" (see order (n.)). Meaning "marking position in an order or series" is from 1590s.

Source:  ordinal. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved August 7, 2016 from Dictionary.com website http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ordinal 
Both words come from the same Latin root - but the suffix -ary (or -ārius) leaves us thinking of "usual" or "common," which was NOT the original intent of the Ordinal Season.  

During "Ordinal Time" or "Counting Time" we count the weeks AFTER a given feast.  There are TWO ordinal times in the liturgical year, the weeks counted after Epiphany, prior to the season of Lent; and the weeks counted after Pentecost, prior to the season of Advent.  We "count" these weeks because they are variable lengths, both dependent upon the date of Easter.  When Easter comes earlier, the counting weeks after Epiphany are fewer and the counting weeks after Pentecost are more and obviously the reverse is true.  

One point in counting these weeks also brings focus back to not only those two great feasts, but also reminds us the whole liturgical calendar revolves around the greatest of feasts - Easter.  We lose the focus on Easter when we 1) just call it "Ordinary Time" and 2) when we combine the two Ordinal Times, for there is no set reference to the holiest of our holy days.  There are always the same number of "counting weeks" when we combine them, and one could suppose that makes the publication of missals and missalettes a bit easier, but for the sake of that "ease" - we have lost so much!

August 15 is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, yet another far from "ordinary" feast which takes place during this season of "counting."

The Liturgical Year (Traditional)
DAY on the Liturgical Calendar

FIRST READING GOSPEL READING  (with links
to Nadal's Gospel Illustrations
)
First Sunday of Advent Rom 13:11-14a Luke 21:25-33
Second Sunday of Advent Rom 15:4-13 Matt 11:2-10
Third Sunday of Advent Phil 4:4-7 John 1:19b-28
Ember Wednesday in Advent  Isa 2:2-5  &  Isa 7:10-15 Luke 1:26-38
Ember Friday in Advent  Isa 11:1-5 Luke 1:39-47
Ember Saturday in Advent Isa 19:20-22;  Isa 35:1-7;
Isa 40:9-11;  Isa 45:1-8;
Dan 3:47-51, 52-56;  2 Thess 2:1-8
Luke 3:1-6
Fourth Sunday of Advent 1 Cor 4:1-5 Luke 3:1-6
Christmas Vigil (12/24) Rom 1:1-6 Matt 1:18b-21
Christmas: First Mass at Night Tit 2:11-15 Luke 2:1-14
Christmas: Second Mass at Dawn Tit 3:4-7 Luke 2:15-20
Christmas: Third Mass in Daytime Heb 1:1-12 John 1:1-14 &
Matt 2:1-12 (post-communion)
St. Stephen (12/26) Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-60 Matt 23:34-39
St. John (12/27) Sir 15:1-6 John 21:19-24
Holy Innocents (12/28) Acts 14:1-5 Matt 2:13-18
Sunday in Octave of Christmas Gal 4:1-7 Luke 2:33-40
St. Thomas Becket (12/29) Heb 5:1-6 John 10:11-16
Sixth Day in Octave of Christmas (12/30) Tit 3:4-7 Luke 2:15-20
St. Silvester (12/31) 1 Pet 5:1-4, 10-11 Matt 16:13-19
Circumcision of the Lord & Octave of Christmas (1/1) Tit 2:11-15 Luke 2:21
Holy Name of Jesus
(Sunday between Circumcision and Epiphany, or 1/2)
Acts 4:8-12 Luke 2:21
Vigil of Epiphany (1/5) Gal 4:1-7 Matt 2:19-23
Epiphany of the Lord (1/6) Isa 60:1-6 Matt 2:1-12 - second plate
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
(Sunday in the Octave of Epiphany)
Col 3:12-17 Luke 2:42-52
Weekdays after the First Sunday after Epiphany Rom 12:1-5 Luke 2:42-52
Octave of Epiphany / Baptism of Our Lord (1/13) Isa 60:1-6 John 1:29-34
Second Sunday after Epiphany Rom 12:6-16 John 2:1-11
*Third Sunday after Epiphany Rom 12:16c-21 Matt 8:1-13 - second plate
*Fourth Sunday after Epiphany Rom 13:8-10 Matt 8:23-27
*Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Col 3:12-17 Matt 13:24-30
*Sixth Sunday after Epiphany 1 Thess 1:2-10 Matt 13:31-35
Septuagesima Sunday 1 Cor 9:24-27; 10:1-5a Matt 20:1-16
Sexagesima Sunday 2 Cor 11:19-33; 12:1-9 Luke 8:4-15
Quinquagesima Sunday 1 Cor 13:1-13 Luke 18:31-43 - second plate
DAY FIRST READING GOSPEL READING
Ash Wednesday Joel 2:12-19 Matt 6:16-21 - second plate
Thursday after Ash Wednesday Isa 38:1-6 Matt 8:5-13
Friday after Ash Wednesday Isa 58:1-9 Matt 5:43-48; 6:1-4
Saturday after Ash Wednesday Isa 58:9-14 Mark 6:47-56
First Sunday in Lent 2 Cor 6:1-10 Matt 4:1-1 - 2nd plate - 3rd plate
Monday after First Sunday of Lent Ezek 34:11-16 Matt 25:31-46
Tuesday after First Sunday of Lent Isa 55:6-11 Matt 21:10-17
Ember Wednesday in Lent Exod 24:12-18  &  1 Kings 19:3-8 Matt 12:38-50
Thursday after First Sunday of Lent Ezek 18:1-9 Matt 15:21-28
Ember Friday in Lent Ezek 18:20-28 John 5:1-15
Ember Saturday in Lent Deut 26:12-19;  Deut 11:22-25;
2 Macc 1:23-26, 27;  Wis 36:1-10;
Dan 3:47-51, 52-56;  1 Thess 5:14-23
Matt 17:1-9
Second Sunday in Lent 1 Thess 4:1-7 Matt 17:1-9
Monday after Second Sunday of Lent Dan 9:15-19 John 8:21-29
Tuesday after Second Sunday of Lent 1 Kings 17:8-16 Matt 23:1-12
Wednesday after Second Sunday of Lent Esther 13:8-11, 15-17 Matt 20:17-28
Thursday after Second Sunday of Lent Jer 17:5-10 Luke 16:19-31 - 2nd plate - 3rd plate
Friday after Second Sunday of Lent Gen 37:6-22 Matt 21:33-46 - second plate
Saturday after Second Sunday of Lent Gen 27:6-40 Luke 15:11-32 - second plate
third plage - fourth plate
Third Sunday in Lent Eph 5:1-9 Luke 11:14-28
Monday after Third Sunday of Lent 2 Kings 5:1-15 Luke 4:23-30
Tuesday after Third Sunday of Lent 2 Kings 4:1-7 Matt 18:15-22
Wednesday after Third Sunday of Lent Exod 20:12-24 Matt 15:1-20
Thursday after Third Sunday of Lent Jer 7:1-7 Luke 4:38-44
Friday after Third Sunday of Lent Num 20:1-3, 6-13 John 4:5-42 - second plate
Saturday after Third Sunday of Lent Dan 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 John 8:1-11
Fourth Sunday in Lent Gal 4:22-31 John 6:1-15 - 2nd plate - 3rd plate
Monday after Fourth Sunday of Lent 2 Sam 3:16-28 John 2:13-25
Tuesday after Fourth Sunday of Lent Exod 32:7-14 John 7:14-31
Wednesday after Fourth Sunday of Lent Ezek 36:23-28 & Isa 1:16-19 John 9:1-38
Thursday after Fourth Sunday of Lent 2 Kings 4:25-38 Luke 7:11-16
Friday after Fourth Sunday of Lent 1 Kings 17:17-24 John 11:1-45 - 2nd plate - 3rd plate
Saturday after Fourth Sunday of Lent Isa 49:8-15 John 8:12-20
Passion Sunday I Heb 9:11-15 John 8:46-59
Monday after Passion Sunday Jonah 3:1-10 John 7:32-39
Tuesday after Passion Sunday Dan 14:27, 28-42 John 7:1-13
Wednesday after Passion Sunday Lev 19:1-2, 11-19, 25 John 10:22-38
Thursday after Passion Sunday Dan 3:25, 34-45 Luke 7:36-50
Friday after Passion Sunday Jer 17:13-18 John 11:47-54
Saturday after Passion Sunday Jer 18:18-23 John 12:10-36
Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday II) Exod 15:27; 16:1-7;
Phil 2:5-11
Matt 21:1-9 - 2nd plate - 3rd plate
& Matt 26:1-75; 27:1-66
Monday of Holy Week Isa 50:5-10 John 12:1-9
Tuesday of Holy Week Jer 11:18-20 Mark 14:1-72; 15:1-46
Wednesday of Holy Week Isa 62:11; 63:1-7  &  Isa 53:1-12 Luke 22:1-71; 23:1-53
Holy Thursday - The Lord's Supper 1 Cor 11:20-32 John 13:1-15 - second plate
Good Friday - The Crucifixion Hosea 6:1-6  &  Exod 12:1-11 John 18:1-40; 19:1-42
Holy Saturday - Easter VigilNote: In 1951, the number of OT readings at the Easter Vigil was reduced from twelve to four, retaining only # 1, 4, 8 (v. 1 dropped), and 11. Thus, only four readings were prescribed between 1951 and 1969:
  1) Gen 1:1--2:2
  2) Exod 14:24—15:1a
  3) Isa 4:2-6
  4) and Deut 31:22-30.
1)  Gen 1:1-31; 2:1-2
2)  Gen 5:32—8:21 (excerpts; 48 vv.)
3)  Gen 22:1-19
4)  Exod 14:24-31; 15:1a
5)  Isa 54:17; 55:1-11
6)  Baruch 3:9-38
7)  Ezek 37:1-14
8)  Isa 4:1-6
9)  Exod 12:1-11
10)  Jonah 3:1-10
11)  Deut 31:22-30
12)  Dan 3:1-24
NT:  Col 3:1-4
Matt 28:1-7 - more plates
DAY FIRST READING GOSPEL READING
Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of the Lord 1 Cor 5:7-8 Mark 16:1-7 - more plates
Monday in Octave of Easter Acts 10:37-43 Luke 24:13-35
Tuesday in Octave of Easter Acts 13:16, 26-33 Luke 24:36-47
Wednesday in Octave of Easter Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 John 21:1-14 - second plate
Thursday in Octave of Easter Acts 8:26-40 John 20:11-18
Friday in Octave of Easter 1 Pet 3:18-22 Matt 28:16-20
White Saturday (in Octave of Easter) 1 Pet 2:1-10 John 20:1-9
Low Sunday or White Sunday (Octave of Easter) 1 John 5:4-10 John 20:19-31
Second Sunday after Easter 1 Pet 2:21-25 John 10:11-16
Third Sunday after Easter 1 Pet 2:11-19a John 16:16-22
Fourth Sunday after Easter James 1:17-21 John 16:5-14
Fifth Sunday after Easter James 1:22-27 John 16:23-30
Rogation Days (Mon-Wed before Ascension) James 5:16-20 Luke 11:5-13
Vigil of the Ascension Eph 4:7-13 John 17:1-11
Ascension of the Lord (Thursday) Acts 1:1-11 Mark 16:14-20 - second plate
Sunday in the Octave of Ascension 1 Pet 4:7b-11 John 15:26-27; 16:1-4
Saturday Vigil of Pentecost 1)  Gen 22:1-19
2)  Exod 14:24-31; 15:1
3)  Deut 31:22-30
4)  Isa 4:1-6
5)  Baruch 3:9-38
6)  Ezek 37:1-14
NT:  Acts 19:1-8
John 14:15-21
Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:1-11 John 14:23-31
Monday in Octave of Pentecost Acts 10:34, 42-48 John 3:16-21
Tuesday in Octave of Pentecost Acts 8:14-17 John 10:1-10
Ember Wednesday of Pentecost Acts 2:14-21  &  Acts 5:12-16 John 6:44-52
Thursday in Octave of Pentecost Acts 8:5-8 Luke 9:1-6
Ember Friday of Pentecost Joel 2:23-24, 26-27 Luke 5:17-26
Ember Saturday of Pentecost Joel 2:28-32;  Lev 23:9-11, 15-17, 21;
Deut 26:1-11;  Lev 26:3-12;
Dan 3:47-51, 52-56;  Rom 5:1-5
Luke 4:38-44
Feast of the Most Holy Trinity (First Sunday after Pentecost) Rom 11:33-36 Matt 28:18-20
Weekdays after First Sunday after Pentecost 1 John 4:8-21 Luke 6:36-42
Corpus Christi (Thursday after Trinity Sunday) 1 Cor 11:23-29 John 6:56-59
Sunday in the Octave of Corpus Christi
(Second Sunday after Pentecost)
1 John 3:13-18 Luke 14:16-24
Sacred Heart of Jesus
(Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi)
Eph 3:8-12, 14-19 John 19:31-37
Sunday in the Octave of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
(Third Sunday after Pentecost)
1 Pet 5:6-11 Luke 15:1-10
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Rom 8:18-23 Luke 5:1-11
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Pet 3:8-15a Matt 5:20-24
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Rom 6:3-11 Mark 8:1-9 - related plate
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Rom 6:19-23 Matt 7:15-21
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Rom 8:12-17 Luke 16:1-9
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Cor 10:6-13 Luke 19:41-47 - related plate
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Cor 12:2-11 Luke 18:9-14
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost 1 Cor 15:1-10 Mark 7:31-37
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost 2 Cor 3:4-9 Luke 10:23-37
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Gal 3:16-22 Luke 17:11-19
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Gal 5:16-24 Matt 6:24-33
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Gal 5:25-26; 6:1-10 Luke 7:11-16 - related plate
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Eph 3:13-21 Luke 14:1-11
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Eph 4:1-6 Matt 22:34b-46
Ember Wednesday in September Amos 9:13-15  &  Neh 8:1-10 Mark 9:16-28
Ember Thursday in September Hosea 14:2-10 Luke 7:36-50
Ember Saturday in September Lev 23:26-32;  Lev 23:39-43;
Micah 7:14, 16, 18-20;  Zech 8:14-19;
Dan 3:47-51, 52-56;  Heb 9:2-12
Luke 13:6-17
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Cor 1:4-8 Matt 9:1-8
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost Eph 4:23-28 Matt 22:1-14
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost Eph 5:15-21 John 4:46b-53
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost Eph 6:10-17 Matt 18:23-35
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost Phil 1:6-11 Matt 22:15-21
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost Phil 3:17-21; 4:1-3 Matt 9:18-26
*Twenty-fourth & Last Sunday after Pentecost Col 1:9-14 Matt 24:15-35
DAY FIRST READING GOSPEL READING
http://catholic-resources.org/Lectionary/Roman_Missal.htm





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