REJOICE! Homily on Laetare Sunday with Fr. Gabet, FSSP at Holy Family Parish

As is evident by the rose colored vestments—today is Laetare Sunday. “Laetare” is the imperative form of the Latin verb which means “rejoice”. It is the first word of the introit of today’s Mass:

“Rejoice you who have been in sorrow that you may exalt and be filled from the abundance of your consolation.” (Isaiah 66:11)

In today’s liturgy we find the spirit of joy in the midst of penance. We find a rose amidst the prickly thorns of fasting, sacrifice AND PLAGUE! We rejoice at the thought that “we are children of promise as Isaac was”. Our Creator God has made us His adopted children. We are no longer slaves to sin and death! We are heirs to the greatest kingdom that ever shall be. But before we can enter into that inheritance we need to follow the same path as He who merited it for us. He whose Blood has ransomed us from an everlasting bed of thorns in this valley of tears. He whose path is marked out on the very walls of our church, the Stations of the Cross. Jesus says to each one of us. “If any man will come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me!” We did not realize what this meant when we took those ashes on Ash Wednesday. We had not even heard the name COVID19. But now we suffer the unthinkable—the loss of the public Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! We could complain and kick, scratch, and pout all through lent but at what a cost? This is a GIFT from God. Make the best of the second half of Lent!