The Church’s liturgical year is designed for us to have an encounter with Christ. We begin the year with the Advent/Christmas season which tells us of what led up to the birth of Jesus and what happened during and after. Lent describes the growing hostility to Jesus which led to his eventual suffering and crucifixion. The Easter season describes how the Risen Lord transformed his lost and confused disciples into confident believers through the power of the resurrection. Ordinary time is a journey through the life and mission of Jesus during his public ministry what he said and did. Which brings us to this week — the week between Epiphany (the coming of the magi) and the Baptism of the Lord (which inaugurated the public ministry of Jesus.) Logically we could use this week to reflect on Jesus’ life between his birth and the time he began his mission. Unfortunately, we know very little about those thirty years — just the one incident of the finding in the temple when Jesus was 12 years old. So instead the Church uses texts from the four gospels to set the stage, to provide a brief portrait of what to look for when we launch ordinary time. Today, for example, St. Matthew gives a summary of what Jesus was about. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. We come to know Jesus as someone who teaches, proclaims and heals. Stay tuned as the gospels flesh out the portrait of Jesus.
