Reflection/Homily:
Fourth Sunday of Lent – Laetare Sunday, Year A (30 March 2014)
Theme: Healing
our Spiritual Blindness
Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent
which the Church traditionally observes as Laetare
Sunday. Laetare is the Latin word for
rejoice. On this Sunday, the Church invites her members to rejoice as we get to
the middle of the Lenten season and so, gradually approaching Easter. We have
to rejoice because of the great hope that awaits us at Easter. This year, the
fact that most Churches celebrate their mothering Sunday today, also gives us
an additional reason to rejoice. The first reading (1 Sam. 16:1.6-7.10-13) also
gives us another reason to rejoice. This reason is the fact that God does not judge
us based on our physical appearances as men do, but that He judges our hearts. The
heart here refers to the inner chamber of a person where one interacts with
God. This was the lesson Samuel learnt when God asked him to anoint David as
King instead of his elder brothers who had better physical qualities. The Good
News is that God is not interested in our outward appearances but in our
internal disposition towards Him. If our disposition is good, He might also
improve on our physical appearances.
