The fourth week of Lent is referred to as Laetare Sunday.
Rejoice
The Latin meaning of the word laetare is “rejoice.” This word taken from Isaiah 66:10:
Isaiah 66:10 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; Rejoice with her in her joy, all you who mourn over her—
On Laetare Sunday priest wear rose colored vestments
Those of us who have been honoring our sacrifices during Lent, we’ve made it to the half-way mark. This Sunday, March 10th, is 21 days before Easter.
Spiritual Lent
For me, giving up bread and dessert has been a great sacrifice. I could honesty live on bread alone. Sweets have always been my biggest downfall, but this Lent has given me a deeper spiritual connection. As a result, the temptation for what I have given up is second nature. My prayer life has improved, and exercising daily has helped clear my once-cluttered mind.
Hallow
We can clear our minds through prayer. If we open the door to the Spirit of God and welcome His presence, the Holy Spirit will take over. On my long walks I pray the rosary and listen to the Hallow app. Hallow has been a great instrument in my Lenten journey. I praise God for the collaborated work on Hallow. We all recognize the famous names attached to this app like Mark Walhberg and Jonathan Roumie. But there are so many others, ordinary people like myself, whose contributions have caused me to look deeper into my relationship with God. We grow closer to our Lord when we allow our minds to receive the truth. God is our light, and He teaches us how to be the light to others.
The Light
Sometimes my husband Mike goes to bed before me. To avoid disturbing his sleep, I do not turn on the light. When the moon is hidden from the earth there is no natural light, so I stumble and sometimes bump my head or trip. Darkness can only be dispelled by light. Part of today’s readings were from John 3:16-21, where you can find the renowned verse John 3:16.
John 3:16-21 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
16 For God so loved the world that he gavehis only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. 21 But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
Evil In The World
There will always be evil in this world. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is a perfect example of evil. Anyone who attempts to shed light in his dark world will be assassinated. This evil dictator, before the world’s audience, has blatantly murdered those who do not agree with him. That is how Satan operates: when you are filled with evil, you will never see the light. There are people who prefer darkness to light who live among us. We need to switch on the light for them by expressing God’s love. For a reprobate mind this is the only remedy.
Giving a godly opinion never works for those who choose to live in the dark, because their minds are closed to the truth. It is not our responsibility to win others to Christ, but it is our duty as Christians to continue to love them. Love truly conquers all!
Prayer
Encountering people who do not believe the Word of God and the truth it stands for is part of our daily cross. But one thing is sure: if you are in daily prayer the task becomes less burdensome. Together as Christians we must always defend the Word of God, not twist it to make it conform to our own beliefs. If you are guilty of this behavior, your core beliefs will lack truth and your growth in Christ will be delayed.
One God
We are all made from the same fiber, we belong to the family of God. As long as we follow God’s light we will have peace. Anger overtakes those who want so desperately be heard. They want to change the truth into their beliefs in order to make their sinful behaviors acceptable. You can pass bills, legislate and manipulate laws to make your worldview legal. But in the eyes of God, making sin legal does not change the moral standards of the Bible.
Reconciliation
Last Monday our parish had ten priests hearing confessions. I took one of my grandsons with me. As we waited, my grandson was not sure what he was supposed to do or how to recite the opening prayer. I told him not to worry, because the priest would guide him.
What a beautiful witness to see so many hundreds of people waiting to confess their sins. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is an important part of our Catholic faith. Lent is a period of time where we are to reflect on our lives and to rid ourselves of any unwanted bad behaviors. Nothing is more rewarding than being absolved of your sins. I imagine that choirs of angels are rejoicing in heaven when we confess our sins.
My Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we are a divided nation and the Enemy is rejoicing. Lord, open the hearts of those who are in the valley of decision. Pour Your loving Spirit upon their hearts. May we, Your people, kneel before Your crucified body and weep for our sins. Cleanse us of all our transgressions so that we may celebrate Your Glorious Resurrection. Amen!
The fourth week of Lent is referred to as Laetare Sunday.