March 30 th, 2025 (4 Sunday Lent C)
Dear brothers and sisters,
today we are all called to rejoice. This Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, is called “Laetare Sunday” from the Latin it in fact means to rejoice because Ester is near. We can also perceive this joy in the readings of today.
After a long and difficult journey of forty years across the desert the people of Israel with Joshua finally enter the promised land as they are celebrating the Passover. The manna in this moment stops and they fully enjoy the fruits of the land and the plenty.
In the Gospel we see there is also great joy and happiness. The father prepares a huge party and a feast for the prodigal son who returns home. Also for us God rejoices when we return to him when we truly convert and when we decide in our heart to leave sin behind and go back to God. Jesus Christ in fact says: “ that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who converts than over ninety-nine righteous who have no need of repentance.”
Our sins keep us in exile and from being in full communion with God but during this Lent God wants to lead us back to himself, we can also receive the grace to enter the promised land. Like the prodigal son God wants us to be able to celebrate Passover, the feast of feast. If we convert today we can experience the true return to the home of the Father. We can be with God having his kingdom within us. This is the feast, the greatest happiness and the biggest rejoicing.