Laetare Sunday: Fourth Sunday of Lent

"Laetare Sunday", the Fourth Sunday in Lent, is filled with light and celebrated in joy. At the beginning of the Mass today, the Church commands us: "Rejoice!" (Laetare). The vestments for this day will be rose and flowers may even adorn the Altar!

In England, this Sunday is known as Mothering Sunday, a custom that began during the Middle Ages, because the Epistle for the day said, "But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all" [Galatians 4:26]. The Church is "Jerusalem which is above."

On Lætare Sunday people went to Church where they were baptized (their mother church); and visited their own mothers, as well, often bringing gifts of flowers and simnel cakes (so-called because they were made with fine white flour, or simila.) There are many different recipes for this cake, but all are fruit-cakes covered with almond paste. Mothering Sunday is similar to the American Mother's Day, which is unrelated to Lent and was first celebrated in the 20th century.

During the sixteenth century in England, people returned to their "mother church" for a service to be held on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This was either a large local church, or more often the nearest Cathedral. Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone "a-mothering", although whether this preceded the term Mothering Sunday is unclear. It was often the only time that whole families could gather together.

(Be sure to stop by and check out Jackie's posts to learn more about how she is celebrating this special day at home and with her own mother.)

Why do we rejoice? It's "break-time" from our Lenten journey. Also, this is a special time of hope and joy, as Easter draws near. For more information on Laetare Sunday, go here.

Mediation on John 9: 1 - 41

In the midst of this struggle that does not stop growing, Jesus has a new joy in His heart …Jesus endured this growing hatred, but in his heart there was joy. It was at the moment of greatest struggle that He experienced the greatest joy. Is this not what the Church reminds us of toward the end of Lent by celebrating Laetare Sunday? She wants us to understand this so that there will always be joy in our hearts, a joy similar to the joy that Jesus lived during these last weeks of His earthly life. It is so important that we never lose this joy, never accept to lose it, that, on the contrary, we fight continually to keep it in the fullness of faith, love, and hope. Deeply it is hope that gives joy, and hope must always remain; it should never falter. Through hope one is victorious with the victory of Christ, one anticipates that which will one day be brought to fulfillment and which is already being brought to fulfillment as of now, in love.

Jesus’ heart experiences the Father’s love – a love lived with such great intensity that the Father asks His Son to accomplish what only He can accomplish: the Father asks His Son to bear the iniquity of the world, the iniquity of each person, to accept to bear all of that by being victorious over these struggles and by living this victory interiorly and divinely. Jesus did not need to be reminded of this, but we do: because very easily we let sadness take possession of us and then we fall into despair. If joy remains present one cannot fall into despair.

What is the true source of joy for my life?

~ Excerpted from Daily Lenten Meditations by Father Philippe, O.P., Priest, Philosopher, and Founder of the Community of St. John, collected by the Sisters of St. John