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3/10/2024 - 4th Sunday of Lent
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LENT IS GOD’S INVITATION TO REALIZE AND REJOICE AT GOD’S LOVE FOR THE HUMANITY IN AND THROUGH THE PERSON OF JESUS
Generally, Lent is associated with gloom, grief, sorrow, sadness etc. Every ardent disciple is expected to participate in the Passion of Jesus, through fasting, penance and special prayers like the Way of the Cross, which is an essential component of Lent. But we also need to remind ourselves that they are only means, not the ends. These Lenten practices point out our refusal and rejection of God’s love and our embrace of self-love and love of the world, with the hope that we realize our sinfulness and return to the Lord, rejoicing in His abundant love for us. This is exactly the purpose of Lætare (Rejoice) Sunday! God so loved us that he sent His only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). That is why, in today’s liturgy, the Church invites us in the middle of the penitential season of Lent to rejoice: "Rejoice, Jerusalem! Be glad for her, you who love her; rejoice with her, you who mourned for her" (Entrance Antiphon -- Isa 66:10-11).
As all roads lead to Rome, so too do all human endeavors ultimately seek happiness. Despite humanity's conquests of space, the moon, and numerous seemingly impossible projects, mankind has not fully succeeded in decoding the DNA of true happiness, despite our best efforts. People have somehow come to realize that the happiness derived from material conquests and achievements is only transient and ephemeral. We understand that true happiness often seems to be perpetually elusive .
But for a disciple of Jesus, Lent provides immense opportunities to find the source of true happiness, inviting disciples to realize that true happiness is found only in the agape love of Jesus who says: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
One afternoon, a dad discovered to his dismay that the kitchen he had worked so hard to clean only a few hours before was now a terrible wreck. His young daughter had obviously been busy “cooking,” and the ingredients were scattered, along with dirty bowls and utensils, across the counters and floor. The dad was not happy with the situation. Then, as he looked a little more closely at the mess, he spied a tiny note on the table, clumsily written and smeared with chocolatey fingerprints. The message was short—“I’m makin sumthin 4 you, Dad”—and it was signed, “Your Angel.” In the midst of that disarray, and despite his irritation, joy suddenly sprang up in his heart, sweet and pure. His attention had been redirected from the problem to the little girl he loved. As he encountered her in that brief note, he delighted in her.
Just as the realization of the pure love of the little daughter filled the heart of the dad with immense love, in this Lenten season, we also need to realize that God is “making something for me” through my relationship with Jesus. That same sense of joy can be mine through my loving relationship with Jesus. That same love that Jesus used to conquer the world by going to the cross and successfully overcoming sin and death is the same love that produces the joy that I can have to deal with anything that can happen to me in my life.
Lasting Joy is a product of the realization of God’s love. Yes, this joy is eternal because it is based on the character and nature of Jesus. Jesus is the source of my joy because He loves me so much that He stretched out His hands on the cross to reveal to us the depth and breadth and length of His love! In an old Dennis the Menace cartoon, Dennis and his little friend Joey are leaving Mrs. Wilson's house, their hands full of cookies. Joey says, "I wonder what we did to deserve this." Dennis answers, "Look, Joey. Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we're nice, but because she's nice."
St Philip Neri said that true and intimate joy is a gift of God, the product of a good conscience, of the rejection of external vanities, and of the contemplation of the highest truths. He often said, "Scruples and melancholy, get out of my house."
When the source of joy is the agape love, it is so contagious that we spontaneously help others also realize a lot of happiness, by reducing suffering in their lives through our joyful, kind and understanding interactions with them. This joyful attitude captures the true spirit of Lent.
May this Lætare (Rejoice) Sunday help us experience the immeasurable love of God, turning our hearts into wellsprings of joy!
∎ Fr Anil Pudota, SJ