REFLECTION FOR 4TH SUNDAY IN LENT (YEAR C), Week beginning 27 MARCH 2022
March 27th has the title Laetare Sunday. Laetare from the Latin is a vocative i.e. it summons us to ‘Rejoice!’ – to be spiritually joyful.
It is the principal Sunday of the Lenten season, on which we are entitled to “have a day off” from whatever we have decided to give up for Lent – in truth, this reality applies to all the Sundays of Lent, for every Sunday of the year points principally to the Resurrection from the dead of Jesus. He is the “First Fruits” – where He has gone before us, we are destined to follow.
Interestingly, Laetare Sunday is always Mothers’ Day, Mothering Sunday.
This year, it occurs 48 hours from the great solemn feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. (We notice that March 25th is exactly 9 months ahead of Christmas Day).
In terms of chronology, the Annunciation of the Lord can make real claim to be the primary of all the feasts of the Church’s calendar. There could never be a greater event in human history than God, Who is Absolute Spirit, adopting human flesh in the Person of His Only Begotten Son – for the salvation & redemption of humankind. For without the Annunciation of the Lord, there could have been no Bethlehem manger, no Mt. Calvary Cross, no empty tomb, no Ascension of the Lord etc.
This weekend has also seen the clocks going forward one hour in the early hours of Sunday morning. British Summer Time (BST) has once more assumed the reins from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
This Mothers’ Day, let us commend our mothers to the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary who is the Mother of all mothers.
Especially, we pray to her for the suffering mothers of Ukraine, and indeed of Russia.
Good Shepherd Catholic Church 