Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, is a joyful break from penance, symbolising hope and anticipation of Easter. It reminds Christians of God’s mercy, renewal, and the coming resurrection. It reminds us of the joy of God the Father whenever we return to him.
It takes experience to gain mastery in the school of life. Though theoretical knowledge may give us an edge, we learn the most of our life lessons in face-to-face encounter with our daily realities. Though what we hear may add to our pot of knowledge, our courage to lead others or become point of reference is a function of how much we have gathered from our concrete encounters with others and the things around us.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shares the parable of the prodigal son. The younger son persuaded his father to give him his inheritance, which he then squandered in a distant land. When he returned home in repentance, his father welcomed him with love and celebration. This angered his older brother, who complained that their father had shown favouritism, despite his own years of faithful service.
The brother who left home learned in a short time the lesson he had never grasped while living with his father. Meanwhile, his angry brother, despite his years of faithful service, had not yet understood the depth of his father’s love. He failed to appreciate the freedom he enjoyed in his father’s house and saw himself as a mere servant rather than a son. Unaware that he had constant access to his father’s blessings, he toiled in resentment. In the end, the elder brother was slaving at home, while the younger brother had been slaving in a foreign land.
Lack of self -appreciation can blur our self-knowledge and subsequently kill our vitality. God is our father. He knows all our weaknesses and what we can do. If God were to judge us based on the blessings he has given us, none of us would be worthy of a place in his house. However, he is bigger than our shortcomings. All he expects from us is to know our identity as his children, and this will help us to set our priorities right. Being with him comes with sure security and assurance of our provisions.
God is ever at home, waiting for us. He is ever ready to receive us. Having returned home, the younger brother came to understand the love the of the Father. Freedom is to live in the father’s house. Freedom is to know what being with the father entails. Freedom is to know the ways of the Lord.
May we always know our identity as God’s true children. And may we always long to be with him. Amen.
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