It's a little strange to write about a mass that we celebrated the day before, but I really enjoyed the message given by Homer's pastor. The fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare (lay tar ay) Sunday, meaning rejoice. In his homily, he spoke about a number of things that he personally had to rejoice about. Most of them were small, almost inconsequential items, but that didn't stop him from rejoicing about them.
He then referenced the ideas of rejoicing as mentioned in the readings (which was from cycle A due to the RCIA scrutiny [a part of bringing new members to the Church]). In the first reading, there would be rejoicing as Samuel had anointed David to be the future king. In the Gospel, the man blind from birth rejoices after receiving his sight for the first time in his life. The second reading was a little more challenging, but the priest said that when Paul says that we "are light in the Lord" and that we are to "Live as children of light" that we should do so through our rejoicing.
He then admonished us that we are not to fall back into the paths of despair, but to find reasons to rejoice and to bring forth rejoicing in others. He noted that Paul didn't say that we once dwelled in darkness, but that we "were once darkness" ourselves. More than anything else, this spoke to me deeply. It's bad enough that I have harbored darkness in my soul, but on reflection, I have been the darkness itself. Instead I am called to be light, that through Christ I should help destroy the shamefulness that dwells in darkness by exposing it to the light and being a beacon for those trapped in darkness to find their way.
How can I do this? Through rejoicing in the light of God.
He then referenced the ideas of rejoicing as mentioned in the readings (which was from cycle A due to the RCIA scrutiny [a part of bringing new members to the Church]). In the first reading, there would be rejoicing as Samuel had anointed David to be the future king. In the Gospel, the man blind from birth rejoices after receiving his sight for the first time in his life. The second reading was a little more challenging, but the priest said that when Paul says that we "are light in the Lord" and that we are to "Live as children of light" that we should do so through our rejoicing.
He then admonished us that we are not to fall back into the paths of despair, but to find reasons to rejoice and to bring forth rejoicing in others. He noted that Paul didn't say that we once dwelled in darkness, but that we "were once darkness" ourselves. More than anything else, this spoke to me deeply. It's bad enough that I have harbored darkness in my soul, but on reflection, I have been the darkness itself. Instead I am called to be light, that through Christ I should help destroy the shamefulness that dwells in darkness by exposing it to the light and being a beacon for those trapped in darkness to find their way.
How can I do this? Through rejoicing in the light of God.
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