It is the start of Daylight-Saving Time. After a week of rain here in New York, flowers are blooming, and daylight will linger for a little longer, extending our days. It is a promise that with springtime, the dark days of winter will soon be replaced with light. Today also marks the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Lartare (Rejoice) Sunday. Halfway through the forty days of Lent, the Church rejoices in anticipation of the Resurrection of Our Lord and His promise of salvation. To symbolize this joy, Celebrants may wear rose-colored vestments, and flowers may adorn altars.
The central theme of the readings for this Lartare Sunday is the love, compassion, patience, and sacrifice of God bringing forgiveness and salvation to His people. God is love. He loves all people. He chose to establish a covenant with the Israelites, freed them from slavery in Egypt, and gave them land. Moses taught the people the statutes and decrees that God commanded them to observe. Instead of living in the light, and being the light to all nations, we read in today’s Old Testament selection from 2 Chronicles 36 that “people added treachery to treachery,” practiced abominations, and dishonored God. But God is patient, He sent prophets to the people to call them back to Him, reminding them of their Covenant. Then God sent His Son into the world not to condemn it but to become a sacrificial lamb atoning for our sins. It is not that we, all of us, can do no wrong in the eyes of God. God sees us and knows our faults, shortcomings, and sins. He knows everything we do and fail to do. Yet, He chooses to love us and wants us to have eternal life with Him in spite of our unholiness. Our response to God’s love and mercy needs to be total submission and dedication to Him. Knowing how we, sinners ourselves, are loved and saved by God’s grace, we should also extend that love and grace to each other.
Why has God done all this for us? What is the reason we rejoice on Laetare Sunday? The Apostle Paul tells us it is because God is rich in mercy and has great love for us. “Even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] brought us to life with Christ.” (Ephesians 2:5). It is a blessing to rejoice in.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16, is perhaps the most recognizable verse in all the Gospels, and it summarizes the Good News proclaimed by them. St. John continues to say that Jesus is the light that came into the world, but people preferred darkness over light because of their works of evil.
“God loves each of us in a very intimate and profound way. St. Augustine said: “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” Would you allow God to come closer to you to have a personal relationship with you? Then, step into the light of Jesus and proclaim the Good News to the world.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.
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