From The Bishop

The Fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday and the title is taken from the first sentence of the Introit (Entrance Antiphon) of the Mass: “Rejoice Jerusalem, and all who love her”. There are many reasons to rejoice; a significant one is God’s desire to reconcile the world to Himself. This is the theme found in the prayers (Collect) and Readings (Second Reading and Gospel) of this Mass. The Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son should cause us to rejoice because we have a Merciful Father. Despite the fact that we may have moved far away from God due to our sin and hardness of heart, God is always waiting for our return. In the Gospel, the father’s loving heart must have been deeply wounded by the selfish actions of both of his sons. He has only shown them goodness and love and yet they have rejected him each in their own way. There are many ways that we too can reject the love of God. This is the result of sin in our world and in our lives. This coming Saturday (April 6), throughout our diocese, there will be an opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If we have drifted away from God, we can still ‘come home’ to the embrace of our loving Father. This Sunday let us ‘rejoice’ in our God who is rich in mercy, “But we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”