Ordinary Time and Epiphany

The Season after Epiphany (6 January) is the season of Ordinary Time, which includes four to nine Sundays, depending on the date of Easter. It is ordinary in that it stands between the two great christological cycles of Advent-Christmas-Epiphany and Lent-Easter-Pentecost and has no central theme. This is a season when we celebrate Jesus Christ 'shown forth' or 'manifested' (epiphanised) to all humankind as Saviour of the World. The focus is on the stories of Jesus' early life, the visit of the wise men, the baptism and the wedding feast at Cana. The liturgical colour is white for the first Sunday, symbolising the baptism of the Lord, and last Sunday (Transfiguration Sunday), followed by green the subsequent Sundays, symbolisng growth and spring.