Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches.
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
Some were sick through their sinful ways
and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress;
he sent out his word and healed them
and delivered them from destruction.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices
and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.
The Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally called Laetare Sunday, Latin for “rejoice.” Six weeks can be a long time without a little reprieve. The Gospel explains the reason for our joy: God’s great love for us has been revealed in Jesus. Through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ has reconciled us with God and one another.
The Lenten practice of reflection and renewal continues to hold sway, but on this fourth Sunday, we slightly shift our focus to reflect more wholly on the goodness of the Lord. Such reflection necessarily moves us to rejoice in the knowledge of God’s steadfast love, redemptive actions, and healing deliverance. In these tumultuous days bringing alternating news of both terror and amazement. Some days we face things we’ve never seen before, and other, days we face things that make us feel we are repeating the past. Finding reasons to rejoice can be elusive, nevertheless, the assurance of God’s redemptive power provides occasions for joy.
Unlike those who first moved with Jesus toward Jerusalem and lived through the events of the last weeks before Holy Week, we have the benefit of knowing how it ends. This fourth week of Lent is a reminder for us in the course of these six weeks, but it is also a reminder for us in the course of daily events, to move ahead joyfully as we cling to God’s promise of reconciliation. Such sure and certain knowledge empowers us to seek justice, promote peace, and love our neighbors. In this week, we are invited to take a moment to rejoice and renew ourselves for the journey.
Consider these words from The Faith We Sing, No. 2219, “Goodness is Stronger than Evil”:
Victory is Ours
Goodness is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness;
Life is stronger than death;
Victory is ours through Him who loves us.
Prayer: God of the living, remain with us and give us hope so that, rejoicing in the gift of the Spirit who gives life to our mortal flesh, we may be clothed with the garment of immortality, through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.