March 30, 2025・4th Sunday of Lent – Laetare Sunday （C）

Joshua 5.9a,10-12・ Psalm 34.2+3,4+5, 7+8・2 Corinthians 5.17-21・Luke 15.1-3,11-32

The season of Lent this year continues to tackle on God`s mercy and love. Today`s readings however gives us more details of what envelops this unending mercy and love of God to us. Our basic catechesis tells us about estrangement (separation/alienation) from our loving God when we commit a sin. We aim to reclaim that alienation through daily conversion of heart. Therefore we are called to understand that the invitation to repent awaits and promises reconciliation. We can clearly find the message of reconciliation in Christ. In Christ, we become new creations.　God reconciled us to Himself in Christ. Let this be the basis in our daily effort to change for the better and grow in faith.

We are specifically invited by our Gospel reading today to be fully aware of areas of our lives which are ruled by negative forces such as greed and injustice, aggressiveness, vindictiveness and violence, anger, hate and indifference, and resentment. All these forces at the end are tiresome and do not bring true peace. We are therefore called to composure and serenity and to thankfulness to all what God has done and has forgiven for us and for others.

We are now on the 4th Sunday and 4th week of Lenten reflections and recollection. Fourth Sunday of Lent is also called “Laetare” Sunday. It can be compared and equated to the “Gaudete” Sunday of Advent season. So we have “today,” as a time for joy and hope within Lenten Season. The joys and hopes of the 4th Sunday of Lent therefore are based on the compassion and mercy we continually receive from our Lord. We rejoice because of the unending mercy and love of God, with “thousand hopes” that through our daily intention/motivation to repentance, we will be able to live more compassionate and merciful to our own selves and to others.

Let us again include in our community prayer today those who are patiently waiting to receive the sacrament of baptism on Easter Eve. May they also truly recognize God who reconciled us to Himself in Christ.