-Brian Mendonça
It was refreshing to hear that there is a Sunday
reserved for rejoicing in Lent. Laetare Sunday, as it is called, is the fourth
Sunday of Lent. It comes in the middle of Lent and is 21 days before Easter.
The priest can wear rose coloured vestments, if available, instead of purple.
Flowers may also adorn the altar.
Its origins lie in Isaiah 66:10 in the Bible. A new life is prophesied for Jerusalem. In
Latin the verse reads:
Lætare Jerusalem:
et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam:
gaudete cum lætitia, qui in tristitia fuistis.
["Rejoice, O
Jerusalem:
and come together
all you that love her:
rejoice with joy,
you that have been in sorrow.]*
The faithful are encouraged to relive biblical history. They are urged to take heart amid their Lenten observances
that the sadness of the season has a silver lining of joy. Holy Week is
approaching and in Christ’s death they will be redeemed.
The gospel of the day is commonly known as the story of the lost son
(Luke 15: 11-32). Fr. Caetano Fernandes, opened his discussion of the gospel
reading with an anecdote. When a group of children was asked, ‘So, which
character in the story felt most hurt?’ one child raised his hand and said,
‘The fatted calf.’
The reading had an analogy.
Some students in class did not present themselves for evaluation for the
exam on the appointed day. So the teacher decided to consider them absent for
the exam. The students approached the teacher later and asked to be evaluated
on the following day. The teacher advised them to obtain permission from a
higher authority.
The authority pointed out to them that it was irresponsible behaviour on
their part. If the students had any difficulty in answering the exam on that
particular day, it was their duty to inform the teacher in advance. If they
were not prepared for the exam they should have burnt the midnight oil.
Like the father in the parable did, the foibles of the students were
forgiven. They were given a second chance. The students for their part, like
the second son, realized the folly of their ways. They were genuinely sorry for their actions.
The teacher was instructed to conduct the evaluation the following day. This
was a modern unfolding of the parable.
The father placates the elder son with, ‘Whatever I have, belongs to
you.’ He impresses on him that there is every reason to rejoice because, ‘Your
brother here was dead, and has come to life.’
‘I can forgive, but I can’t forget,’ one hears. Forgiveness can be
practised during Lent. Forgiveness brings healing and liberation. The father
was determined to see the larger picture. He forgave and by doing so invited
all to rejoice with him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*(First) Isaiah: Books 1-39 (The prophet
Isaiah of Jerusalem, 799-750 BCE); Second Isaiah: Books 40-55 (The
prophet of the Exile in Babylon, 540 BCE);Third Isaiah: Books 56-66 (The
prophet of the restoration of Jerusalem after 540-520 BCE)
Published in Gomantak Times Weekender Panjim, Goa on Sunday, 7 April 2019. Pix of God's people leaving Babylon, Courtesy jw.org
Comments