Scripture Reading
Isaiah 66:10-11
"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance."
Reflection
Laetare Sunday — "rejoice" Sunday — arrives like a breath of spring in the austerity of Lent. The Church pauses to taste the joy that waits at Easter's end, even while still in the penitential season. This is not a contradiction but a gift: hope is the fuel that sustains the Lenten journey. We fast, but we are not without joy; we mourn, but not as those without hope. Rejoice — the resurrection is already casting its light backward.
Prayer for Today
God, my Helper, I confess my inadequacy in the face of my circumstances. Come with great power and rescue me! Listen to my prayer, O God, pay attention to my plea. With Your help, I will not only survive this but thrive through this! May all these forces
that have come against me be turned away from me. I will praise Your Name, O Lord, for You fulfill Your promises. Amen.
that have come against me be turned away from me. I will praise Your Name, O Lord, for You fulfill Your promises. Amen.
Amen.