Collect Fourth Sunday Lent -Laetare Sunday

WHAT IS LAETARE SUNDAY?

The Mass Collect Prayer Year C Icon

The Collect for the 4th Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday) is as follows:

O God, who through Your Word

reconcile the human race to Yourself in a wonderful way,

grant, we pray,

that with prompt devotion and eager faith

the Christian people may hasten

 toward the solemn celebrations to come. 

  REFLECTION QUESTIONS                                        

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflections questions emerged:

1. What value do I place in my life of Christ's death and resurrection?
2. What does it mean to me to be a catholic/ Christian?
3.  What is my level of devotion and faith? How will I improve it this coming week?
4.  How will I celebrate the solemn celebrations this year?
5.  Am I eager to celebrate resurrection at Easter or do I think of it as just another feast?
6.  What steps will I take to be reconciled to God this week ( eg Sacrament of Reconciliation).

GOSPEL REFLECTION

The Prodigal Son

The Gospel is from St. Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. This reading recounts the parable of the Prodigal Son, one of Jesus' most beautiful parables. It teaches us once more that God is a kind and understanding Father. The son who asks for his part of the inheritance is a symbol of the person who cuts himself off from God through sin. "Although the word 'mercy' does not appear, [this parable] nevertheless expresses the essence of the divine mercy in a particularly clear way" (John Paul II, Dives in misericordia, 5).

Mercy as Christ has presented it in the parable of the prodigal son — has the interior form of the love that in the New Testament is called agape. This love is able to reach down to every prodigal son, to every human misery, and above all to every form of moral misery, to sin. When this happens, the person who is the object of mercy does not feel humiliated, but rather found again and 'restored to value'. The father first and foremost expresses to him his joy, that he has been 'found again' and that he has 'returned to life'. This joy indicates a good that has remained intact: even if he is a prodigal, a son does not cease to be truly his father's son; it also indicates a good that has been found again, which in the case of the prodigal son was his return to the truth about himself" (Dives in misericordia

LAETARE SUNDAY

                      How is your Lenten journey progressing?

Are you feeling weary and ready for a little break?

In Lent, we have the tradition to have a mid-Lent break, (the half way point of Lent), which is known as 'Laetare' Sunday derived from the latin 'to rejoice'. Liturgically we break away from the Lenten penitential spirit of the purple vestments to the wearing of rose-coloured vestments by the priest and/or deacon.  These rose-coloured vestments are only worn twice a year, so from a practical perspective, some parishes do not have a set, but use lighter purple vestments.

The fourth Sunday of Lent is also known as 'let up Sunday' because we 'let up' on our Lenten penance. It can be a timely reminder for those of us who may have struggled through Lent so far.  I remember thinking during one of my disastrous Lents that  we had reached the midpoint, and I had not got started. I remember another Lent going well up to Laetare Sunday- I had a break on that day and could not get started again. 

 I have to say that my Lent has not been what I had hoped for this year again. I started off on Ash Wednesday well and then it has been downhill from there. I have not been well actually and the pain has been very difficult to bear. It has only been this last week that I have started to feel better again. So the first 3 weeks  have been a wipe out for Lent for me.  I am not good with paid- my threshold for coping with it is not great.  I did my best I suppose but as far as meriting any graces or coping with it for Lent..i have to rely on God's mercy to make that call.

Also during this time I had lost some weight. I have struggled with my weight most of my life so to shed even a few pounds is hard work.  Anyway I was making great progress and I thought I was at last beating it. Alas no, all of a sudden..bang.. I have almost put on all the weight I lost.

of course Lent is not about losing weight. I know that.. However I am just sharing with you a big struggle I have in my life. I have to say I was more focused and I was trying to offer up my temptations to eat for a friend of mine who is in difficulty- so every time I wanted to go to fridge for ice cream (it has been hot in Australia) or a drink, I thought of my friend's difficulty and stopped myself from having the ice cream or drink.  So the message is that when we include others in our thoughts and be motivated by their struggles, our own seem a lot less.  I will keep you posted on how this goes for the rest of Lent now that I am not in physical pain myself.

 It is an excellent time to review how our Lenten journey and tweak it accordingly.  Never too late to start and/or start again.For me, this year it will be really starting because the first 3 weeks have been a wipe out.

Anyway, enjoy Laetare Sunday- we can all do with a break but for people like myself, do remember to get started again afterwards!!!!