Book: The Liturgical Home - Ordinary Time
- aparentspilgrimage
- Jul 11
- 3 min read
Author: Ashley Tumlin Wallace
Category: Discipleship / Liturgical Living
What is it about?
Part of Ashley's The Liturgical Home series, this book focuses on the season of Ordinary Time in the Church year and how to incorporate its rhythms into our own homes.
The book begins with an overview of the seasons of the Church year before focusing on Ordinary Time as a season of discipleship, where we are formed through rhythms of prayer. Ashley shares ideas for celebrating the season as a whole, as well as suggestions for marking particular feast days and saints' days.
Seasonal traditions include using the colour green wherever possible as a reminder of growth and renewal, and making the most of a season that is generally less busy with feasting and fasting than Christmas, Easter, Advent, or Lent. She even includes weekday collects that can be prayed throughout the season.
For special days, Ashley explores occasions such as the Nativity of St John the Baptist, Trinity Sunday, St Peter and St Paul, and the Feast of the Holy Cross, to name just a few. For each one, she gives a brief overview of its significance, practical ideas for celebrating it at home, devotional material to use on the day, and recipes linked to particular feasts.
The whole purpose of the book is to engage our whole being and all our senses as we enter into the season and live out the Gospel.
Why we recommend it
This book is an excellent introduction to Ordinary Time and to following the rhythms of the Church year at home. Ashley Wallace is a homeschooling mother of four with plenty of experience of living this out with young children. She is also Anglican, which is refreshing, as many books on liturgical living tend to come from Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox perspectives. I find those traditions helpful and interesting, but they often require a greater awareness of the theological differences before adapting ideas for my own family.
It is an easy and enjoyable read, and it has certainly left me wanting to explore the rest of The Liturgical Home series.
Key takeaways
Ordinary Time is a season of growth in discipleship, not simply a gap between major festivals.
Small, repeatable rhythms can help shape faith in everyday family life.
Feast days provide natural opportunities to teach the Christian story throughout the year.
Prayer, food, colour, and hospitality can all become ways of living out our faith.
Liturgical living doesn't need to be complicated to be meaningful.
Best for
Parents who want to weave faith naturally into everyday family life while connecting with the historic Church.
Families beginning to explore the Church year and liturgical living.
Grandparents, godparents, children's leaders, and youth workers looking for practical ideas.
Anyone wanting a simple Anglican introduction to celebrating Ordinary Time at home.
Pilgrims at Home takeaway
This book has helped us create enjoyable family rhythms and activities. One of our favourites is making simple tents from rectangular biscuits and a little melted chocolate for St Paul. (You only need a tiny amount of chocolate!) It has also given us something to look forward to on Christ the King Sunday—the last Sunday before Advent—when we plan to make our own Christmas pudding together as a family.
Questions to reflect on
How could our home reflect the rhythms of the Church year more intentionally?
Which feast day or saint's day would be the easiest place for us to begin?
What simple rhythm of prayer could we introduce during Ordinary Time?
How can everyday activities, such as meals, crafts, or hospitality, help us grow as disciples of Christ?
Put it into practice
Choose one feast day this month and celebrate it using one idea from the book.
Introduce a simple daily or weekly prayer rhythm for your household.
Add a touch of green to your home as a reminder that Ordinary Time is a season of spiritual growth.
Cook one of the recipes together and use it as an opportunity to talk about the Christian year.
You can find The Liturgical Home: Ordinary Time here:
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