Rejoice and Be Glad!

4TH SUNDAY OF LENT

(Laetare Sunday)

[ John 3: 14-21 ]

   JOY in the midst of woes.

The Fourth Sunday of Lent is also called Laetare Sunday. Laetare means ‘rejoice’. The priest wears ‘rose’ vestment which symbolises ‘joy’. Even the entrance antiphon reflects on Isaiah 66: 10-11, “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exalt and be satisfied at her consoling breast.”

In the midst of our sombre Lenten observances, fasts and penances, dear Mother Church calls us to rejoice with great hope and jubilant joy because we are already halfway through the forty days of Lent – Easter is at hand! We, who are as if in the tunnel of darkness, are called to raise our heads high to see the flicker of Christ’ light at the of the tunnel. Our salvation is near. Our salvation is here.

Christ's light in the midst of darkness.

   JOY is not a thing. JOY is in us.

Richard Wayner, a composer and theatre director, wrote, “Joy is not a thing. Joy is in us.”

Christian joy is not a sudden surge of euphoria or a temporal spike in endorphins; rather, it is a conscious decision, an attitude of living – something deep within, concrete and lasting.

Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), explains that: the Christian life is ‘joy in the Holy Spirit’ [Rom 14: 17] for… the (necessary) effect of charity (love) is joy…

Pope Francis continues to point out that: the prophets proclaimed the time of Jesus, in which we now live, as a revelation of joy; Mary, recognizing the newness of Jesus brought, sang, “My spirit rejoices” [Lk 1: 47]; even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself ‘rejoiced in the Holy Spirit’ [Lk 10: 21]. And His joy is contagious, as Jesus was passing by, ‘all the people rejoiced’ [Lk 13: 17].

Saints are joyful and full of good humour.

This Fourth Sunday of Lent, let us never forget Nehemiah’s exhortation [Neh 8: 10]: “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

   The reason to be JOY-full: God loves us!

To put our life and these forty days of Lent into the right perspective again, and to prepare ourselves to make sense of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus our Lord, St John points us once again to the Cross of Christ – the symbol of God’s infinite, immeasurable and unchanging love for us humankind – the constant reminder that ‘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’ [Jn 3: 16].

Since God loves us so much and gives us His Son; and Jesus loves us so much and gives us Himself – we have the reason to rejoice:

   1) God is for us, not against us.

   While many of us choose to believe that God punishes the world with pain, suffering and death … and see that God is more of a foe than a friend, Jesus reminds us that [Jn 3: 17], “God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that through Him the world can be saved.”

   It is true that sometimes God allows us to suffer, but it is always to bring about the greater good – for He is God and He can draw straight with crooked lines. Fr Raniero Cantalamessa beautifully and rightfully shares that, “The cross, does not ‘stand’ against the world but for the world: to give meaning to all the suffering that has been, that is, and that will be in human history.”

   In our moment of darkness, we need to have faith to gaze upon the Crucified Christ to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that light is not an oncoming train’. God does not and will not sabo(tage) us.

   2) As the world changes, the Cross of Christ remains.

   Living in a transient world and a ‘liquid society’, we are constantly challenged by the waves of changes and uncertainties. Even we Catholics ourselves are tempted to think that the Church must ‘modernize’ herself to keep up with changes – to trade our solemn liturgy for more fun and excitement, to compromise the Gospel values to embrace changing world, to change our Sacred Scriptures to be more politically correct… and the list is unending. 

   No, we must remember Jesus does not change Himself to be accepted by the world, but He who is UNCHANGING has come to change the world. In this transient world and ‘liquid society’, there is only one unchanging Truth – the Cross of Christ that continues to stand firm as the world turns. The Cross of Christ is and will always be the reminder of God’s infinite, immensurable and unchanging love for the whole world.

   3) Look to the CROSS, our HOPE is there. [Pope Francis, 5 Apr 2023]

When the world changes, the Cross stands firm. 

   When it seems madness would consume our world, we must seek refuge at the feet of the Crucified Christ – we can always count on His love. And it is good to remember that we are never alone at the feet of the Cross, together with us are Mother Mary and Apostle John (the Apostolic Church). In communion with Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and the Church, we can face any change, challenge and uncertainty with great hope.

Let our fervent prayer be:

   “O Crucified Jesus, come and be the anchor of my life.”

   [Note: This Gospel reflection was adapted from Porta Fidei, Gospel Reflection, 14 Mar 2021.]