4TH SUNDAY OF LENT : "REJOICE JERUSALEM", AND ALL YOU DISCIPLES OF JESUS THE CHRIST, JUST AS THE FORGIVING FATHER REJOICES..........

The Entrance Antiphon of the Mass on the 4th Sunday of Lent proclaims, "Rejoice Jerusalem", which is where the name of this midway Sunday of this penitential seasong gets it name, "Laetare Sunday", the LATin word, for REJOICE. Catholic-Christians rejoice in the midst of our acts of repentance, conversion, sacrifice, and self denial, during these 40 Days, for God's desire to be reconciled with Humankind is so immense, that the Heavenly Father sent His Co-Eternal Son into the World to be the perfect sacrifice to conquer sin and death and repair and restore the Divine and Human relationships temporally here on Earth and eternally in Heaven. In our liturgical Gospel Proclamation today from Luke 15: 1-3; 11-32; Jesus delivers the 'Parable of the Prodigal Son', also called the 'Forgiving Father', shares the rejoicing of the father with two sons, who when his dissolute younger son returns after squandering his share of his father's estate, Rejoices in his his absented son home again as the parable quotes the generously forgiving and compassionate father saying, "My son was dead and now is alive; was lost and is now found". The example and lesson for Jesus' hearers and followers, is that we too must be generous in forgiving others and showing compassion for the misfortunate and the erring. And we must be joyful ambassadors for Jesus the Christ in our everyday opportunities evangelizing and encountering others we meet on the journey of life and faith, especially those requiring our forgiveness, reconciliation, compassion or generosity. As you join your lives to the wider world this coming week at home, in your neighborhood, at work, in school, or within the community of believers, How will you be be generous to those in need ? Who will you forgive or be compassionate to ? Where and with whom will you be reconciled ? These are some of the essential questions our Laetare Sunday Scriptures challenge us to address. The answers lie in your willingness to commit to turning away from sin and selfishness, and to truly put God and others in an equal consideration of the love and mercy you share with them..........In Christ Jesus The Lord Whose Ambassadors We Are, Fr. Troy