4th Sunday of Lent

by Fr. Jess Ty  |  03/30/2025  |  Weekly Reflection

Dear Family of God,

This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Lent which we also call Laetare Sunday. “Laetare” is the Latin word for ‘’rejoice,” which is the first word in the Entrance Antiphon. We can rejoice because we are midway thru our Lenten journey towards Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The Gospel for this weekend is the Parable of the Prodigal son.

We are all sinners and need God’s mercy. Whether your sins are more visible like those of the younger son or more hidden like those of the elder son, the message for us today is that we all need to repent and return to the father’s house by receiving the sacrament of confession, and when we are reconciled with God and His Church, we in turn should be ambassadors for Christ, helping others to be reconciled with God and His Church as St. Paul is inviting us to do in our Second reading.

Our Merciful Father wants to be welcoming of those who repent or just join our Church. He wants us to rejoice with repentant sinners, unlike the Scribes and Pharisees who want to punish sinner and don’t want to be with them.

May our Lady of Joy and St. Joseph, help us all to be reconciled with Our Merciful Father and help welcome repentant sinners like us.

Yours in Christ through Mary Immaculate.