St. Joseph as a Model
As the Christmas season has now come and gone, we find ourselves in the in-between time of the two great seasons of the church - Christmas and Lent/Easter. Between these great seasons, we are left with what can feel like an awkward moment of Ordinary Time. The 'high' of excitement from Christmas is coming down and we await the liturgical excitement of Ash Wednesday, our beloved penitential practice for the 40 days and the liturgical change that lent brings. The excitement of the seasons comes from the breaking of the ordinary; a change in the status quo, and a deepening in our closeness to God. But, we are left now with a valley of liturgical normalcy, so how do we make the most of it? What we have before us is an existential challenge to keep close to God, and keep cognizant of the spirit of each season, even that of Ordinary Time. God's grace is on full display through the incredible events of Christmas and Easter, but we would be wrong to ignore that same grace duri...