Psalm Old Testament Epistle Gospel
| Sun Mar 30 | am: 66, 67 pm: 19, 46 | Jere 14:1-9, 17-22 | Gal 4:21-5:1 | Mark 8:11-21 |
FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT – Mothering Sunday and Laetare Sunday
LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: Laetare Sunday is the popular name for the fourth Sunday in Lent, which comes from the opening of the Introit of the liturgy Laetare, Jerusalem” (“Rejoice, O Jerusalem”).
Because the midpoint of Lent is the Thursday of the third week of Lent, Laetare Sunday has traditionally been viewed as a day of celebration, on which the austerity of Lent is briefly lessened. The passage from Isaiah assigned for this day echoes the idea when it says, “Rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow. Similar to Gaudete Sunday (following the Sarum Rite), Laetare Sunday, the purple vestments and altar cloths of Lent can be dispensed with, and rose-colored vestments are set out.
Laetare Sunday’s connections with mothers came through it being the day to visit the mother church or cathedral where one was baptized or raised. In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church, usually with their mothers and other family members. It was often the only time that whole families could gather together since on other days they were prevented by conflicting working hours, and servants were not given free days on other occasions. Eventually, the religious tradition evolved into the Mothering Sunday secular tradition of giving gifts to mothers.
BIBLICAL MEDITATION OF THE DAY In Mark 8:10-21, we see Jesus leaving the one group in their unbelief and lovingly prodding the other group to greater understanding that will ultimately lead to saving faith. Not surprisingly, we see the Pharisees began to accost Jesus with strong words. They’re not just having a friendly back-and-forth. They “came out” against Jesus because they opposed Jesus. These men aren’t interested in a polite discussion or a friendly exchange of ideas. They met Jesus in Magdala to harass him. They didn’t come to talk. They came like protesters at a political rally. They had their posters and chants ready. They weren’t looking for a civil discussion. They came to rudely interrupt Jesus’ ministry and discredit him publicly.
Like Our Lord, we must always respond to antagonistic people with the greater good in mind. Rather than simply reacting, we must bring our emotions to God and ask him to teach us how to respond in a manner that will glorify him, help us be our best selves, and lovingly challenge the antagonistic person to be better. Sometimes, that will require us to give them the space they need to self-correct, and other times, it will mean being more direct. With prayer and practice, we can learn to deal gracefully with even the most antagonistic, unsupportive people.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: God of compassion, whose Son Jesus Christ, faced enemies at every turn: strengthen us in our daily living that in joy and sorrow we may know the power of your presence to bring together and to heal; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “I’m grateful to be a practicing, Christian. I’m always amazed when people say, ‘I’m a Christian.’ I think, ‘Already?’ It’s an ongoing process. You know, you keep trying. And blowing it and trying and blowing it. – Maya Angelou
Lenten Discipline – As Christians, we are painfully aware that billions of people suffer needlessly without access to glasses so that they may see clearly. Part of our vacation is to work to change that. The organization Vision Spring is seeking to change that. You can help by helping them make an impact and giving the sight that we hear about in the Gospel today. Go to http://www.visionspring.org to bring eyesight to others.
SONG OF THE SEASON – Christ Our Hope in Life and Death – Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Papa