Laetare!

Mar 11

“Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. ”

— St. Francis de Sales

This weekend is traditionally called “Laetare Sunday.” The Fourth Sunday of Lent received this nickname because the entrance antiphon for the liturgy of the day begins with the word “rejoice.” The full Scripture text tells us: “Rejoice Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning: exalt and be satisfied at her consoling breast (Isaiah 66: 10-11).” “Laetare” means rejoice in Latin. As the first word of the opening chant, it became the inspiration of the liturgy and the challenge for the day.

This year, it seems to be more than a challenge. We may ask how we can rejoice in a world that is in turmoil, with many parts gripped by war, violence, and scarred by unconscionable atrocities.

Besides the war zone in the Middle East, the world continues to watch the horrors that occur daily in Ukraine. We also see the threat of terrorism and extremism in other parts of the globe. In our own country, we witness violence and struggles in our cities and among our own people and our own government. We ask how we can rejoice in a world that is wrecked in so many places by violence, conflict, and hatred.

Yet the middle of Lent reveals a stark reality: we are a fallen race inhabiting a fallen reality, and desperately in need of hope, healing, and resurrection. Christians continue to prepare for Easter peace because the Resurrection of Our Lord is a powerful reminder that God has not forgotten or abandoned his fallen creature, even in a world at war. In celebrating Easter amidst the sin and distress of daily life, Christians proclaim God’s love and commitment to His creation, especially the creatures He has created in His own image.

Finding joy in a broken world is an act of defiance against the forces of darkness. St. Paul tells us that love, peace, and joy are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The famous Protestant theologian Karl Barth once said: “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.”

Amid the suffering and sorrow of this life, Christians can be people of hope. Through the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, God has destroyed all His enemies—including the evil forces at work in the world.

Our sense of hope should spur us to action. Christians must also allow God to make us instruments of His peace. This Laetare Sunday, the proclamation to rejoice is a rallying cry, a call for unity, a statement of protest…a prayer for peace.