ROSIEST SUNDAE OF LENT

THE ROSIEST SUNDAY OF LENT

A few weeks back, when we gisted on the “No need to Fast on Sundays” topic, I did make mention of a Sunday in Lent that is celebrated in an extra special way, over and above others and stated that we’d leave off the gist of it, for its own time. Well, that time is now, the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Called Laetare, this Sunday, takes the dimension of a celebrity event amongst other Sundays, equal only with another called Guadate, celebrated 3rd Sunday of Advent, the only other liturgical season (though with no fasting) with an equally sober mood as Lent.

But I’d first explain, as some may ask, how come these Two Sundays have a special status, since all Sundays, whether within Lent, Advent or outside of them are supposed to be the same, (save for Easter which is the Sunday of Sundays and from which the rest draw their relevance).

The answer is that on these Two Sundays within Lent and Advent (the seasons that lead up to the Two most important events of Jesus’ life, Easter and Christmas), there’s a preview of the anticipated result of the Lenten and Advent activities and mood;JOY.

So, Laetare, 4th Sunday of Lent is conferred the privilege of showcasing the promises of Easter in terms of its theme and readings which are a departure from the vigorous call to repentance associated with the other days of the season it is in.

Thus, it can be said that in the midst of the severe mortification practices of these Two seasons, the church sees a need to draw attention to the fact that it is not all about gloom and as such, sets up a means to make for a preview of their outcome. This can be considered a move that serves to highlight one of the main goals of Christianity which is the mitigating of the effect of suffering and the dreariness that comes with it because, for all the sombre wait and activities in this period, some sort of assurance is needed that something good that gives reason for celebration is on the way. That is why there is a shift from the usual readings in these periods to those of a joyful tone. So we hear the words of Isaiah 66: 20-11 on Laetare Sunday,

“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,

    all you who love her;
rejoice greatly with her,
    all you who mourn over her.
11 For you will nurse and be satisfied
    at her comforting breasts;
you will drink deeply

and delight in her overflowing abundance.”

For Guadate, St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians 4:4, says,

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, ‘Rejoice” emphasised in Advent Year A – Gaudete Sunday First Reading – Isaiah 35:1-6A, 10: “Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.”

In essence, there is a recess from the sombre to the joyful connoting the possible flip flops that typify a Christian’s life and whether for seeming good or bad, should be met with a positive response and joyful attitude in the journey of life;

According to the National Catholic Register, “…. the admonition to “rejoice.” ” …is surely more than feeling mere emotional joy. The goal is a deep, serene, confident and stable joy of the Holy Spirit”.

so that no matter how bad the situation is, there’s always an inner urge to rejoice while awaiting the assured manifestation of the full effect of the impact of God’s hand in our life. This can only be based on strong faith that ignites the hope that, no matter the sadness, there would surely come comfort and laughter, light at the end of the tunnel, joy in the morning, smiles after sadness, sunshine after rain, singing after weeping, dancing after mourning, and so on, for those who believe.

So, the respective 3rd and 4th Sundays of Advent and Lent with a total of four and Six respectively are set aside to celebrate this joy in expectation of the marvellous deeds of God and the hope for the manifestation of the promised events that the seasons lead to and that is why readings that ejaculate joy are picked for these days but a symbolic imagery (the only times it appears in the year) is used to shore up the spirit of joy evoked by the readings, the liturgical colour; rose.

Mind you, the liturgical colour of both seasons, Lent and Advent, ordinarily is purple, expressing its perculiar theme and mood of soberness, sorrow for sin and repentance and mortification but on these Two Sundays, the liturgical colour of the day changes; the colour the Priest and Altar are garbed in, literally asks for rejoicing as no one and nothing can take away the joy of the Lord which is the strength and mainstay of those who have confidence in His assurance that He will see His people through tough periods as He never leaves His own but cares for and makes provision for them and charts a course to remove them from calamitous situations, even when they themselves might have strayed there.

In a word, Laetare Sunday is regarded the star Sunday of Lent together with it’s counterpart, Guadate of Advent (on which a signal mode is turned to too, in order to give off light that takes the edge off the dreariness of a long expectation that point at the event it leads to, Christmas) reminding us that since the means to our salvation is reposed on the assured love and mercy of God, we can’t help but rejoice.

How then does the starring of Laetare and Guadate make them the ROSIEST in their seasons.

Haven established that severe soberness is observed in these Two seasons in order to enhance focusing on the preparation for their main events and (with this being tougher in Lent due to fasting), even though, in and out of season there is no fasting from food on Sundays, it goes without saying that beyond being able to feast on Sundays all year round, there is still a pervasive sobre air on Lenten and Advent Sundays seeming like a carry over from the weekdays mood, dragged into the the feasting mood of the Sundays of these seasons, more so as the readings are a pointer to the following week’s continued sober mood, they keep the mind ever focused on the general theme of mortification of the season and understandably so, considering the readings taken, of Lent, from the book of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet mourning over sin committed by the people and warning of grave repercussions, from Job in his misery over the powerlessness of man over fate and fortunes and from Jonah, crying for repentance and that of Advent where you have the weary voices of expectation from Isaiah crying and foretelling of the long awaited Messiah who would bring light to the people.

These two Sundays become a relief to peek into the joys of the feasts they herald and the good that await the effort being put in by God’s people to make the coming feasts worthily celebrated.

So then, it can be said that a lot of joy, such that as is palpable and makes for a kind of pre-event celebration of the Rejoicing Sundays, so named for the main days of Rejoicing that they herald, is in the air on these Two Sundays.

The theme on these Sundays is in the‘Rejoice, again I say Rejoice “ mantra.

However, looking around, especially in these times in our clime, the reality on ground seems to mock the practicality of this call for rejoicing in a situation where there evidently. Except done mechanically, there is no overt or covert reason to do anything in the semblance of rejoicing.

These days, hunger is the buzz word and anger brews fast almost tearing guts apart! Wherever is the joy to be found?!!Yet, the Lord says again, rejoice. Yes, rejoice, and not because you don’t have reason to do otherwise but because the word of God says in Psalm 119, that in tine of distress, a thousand would fall on your left, ten thousand on your right but like the rock of Gibraltar, you’d remain standing both materially and spiritually. Distress pervades the country but the children of God will survive. Why? They stand on the strength joy and on the promises of God, KNOWING, BELIEVING that as long as he gives life, there’s hope.

Was it not God that sent the raven the stingiest of animals to take food to Elijah in the desert and did they not get manna from the sky in the desert? Rejoice, trust and hope in the lord for as long as one’s bit is done, the bible reassures of being conquerors who would help the weak to stand, who have more than enough so as to give to others to lend nations until our master comes to confirm his rule in our lives and then take over our rulership in our nation and indeed in our world and if you believe, his resurrection power would confirm this in your life at Easter and this is my prayer for all, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Take note that the people ask in the responsorial Psalm – Psalm 146: “Lord, come and save us.” But the Lord points out in the
Second Reading – James 5:7-10: “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.” and in the
Gospel – Matthew 11:2-11: “Our lord says they should go and tell John the miraculous things they are and hear, what you hear but then again, he asks for patience because ‘blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

This is the Guadate theme as contained in the 3rd Sunday of Advent Year A and the National Catholic Register aptly states that it is to “help us consider the signs of our salvation. In the first reading we foresee a land where our king rules in justice. In the second reading we are encouraged to be patient. In the gospel Jesus tells us we must look at what we see before us and decide what we believe”

Perhaps, it would be a disservice if this article ends without mentioning the best example for us, of one, who even in the worst of times, the most difficult ever in the history of man, still found the strength and exercised her will to carry out this injunction of always rejoicing in God; our Lord’s mother.

Check out how she accepted, without complaint in what I would call her ‘fate’ in the prevailing circumstances of her time when she not only faced infamy but death for the perceived inglorious act of becoming pregnant outside of wedlock and also had the heart to give her fiat, ‘let it be done to me according to your word’ and later going on in faith to compose the best SONG OF REJOICING, ever: