Laetare Sunday

Laetare, Jerusalem, "Rejoice Jerusalem! Be glad for her, you who love her; rejoice wih her, you who mourned for her, and you will find contentment at her consoling breasts" (cf Is 66:10-11). We are half-way through Lent, and are anticipating the joyful celebration of Easter and our complete reconciliation to God through Christ. So we recite in today's Entrance Antiphon. So did we sing in the Latin Introit, a beautiful chant announcing that Jerusalem's (our) struggles were nearly over and we could find contentment as would a child at his or her mother's breast. It's more than just a halway mark of our Lenten prayers, sacrifices and alsmgiving, indeed, it is a call for us to make a further push to be reconciled to God in all things. "Whoever is in Christ is a new ceation: the old things have passed away; behold new things have come. And all this is from God,..." (1 Cor. 5: 17-18). This is the new order we celebrate.
Those of us who have been following Cental Catholic's Boys Basketball team experienced a moment of tremendous elation last night as they capped the season with the State Championship by one point in a game that went beyond thrilling. Joy and celebration filled the DCU Arena. Our Easter joy should even exceed that high level, and will, if we pay attention in the next three weeks to what we are celebrating on that great day. The joy of Laetare Sunday anticipates it, and urges us to focus on it. May our participation at Mass today and our personal prayers be filled it.
Bro. Rene