The 4^th Sunday of Lent is traditionally known as Laetare Sunday, so called because of the first word “Rejoice” in the Entrance Antiphon of the liturgy. Laetare is a Latin word that means “rejoice.” Midway on our long Lenten journey to Easter, our energy and enthusiasm may well be flagging.

Today’s readings remind us of the source of our joy as Christians and prompt us to renew our resolve and to persevere for the rest of the journey.  In the gospel, we hear the reason for our rejoicing: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16).

In the Old Testament, from Genesis on, the constant thread in all the books is the steadfast love that God has for God’s people. No matter how many times the people and their leaders faltered in their faith and hope in God, from Exodus to the Prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, to the Kings, such as David and Solomon, and in the time of the Exile in Babylon after Jerusalem was besieged and captured and the people were exiled from Israel, God stood by and cared for the people and, each time they wavered and fell, God called them back and reminded them to try again and be faithful.

In the reading from John’s gospel, we learn about Nicodemus, a prominent member of Jewish society, who wanted to speak to Jesus but, perhaps afraid or confused or embarrassed, went to meet him under the cover of darkness. He was an admirer of Jesus but he was unsure about who Jesus really was: Did Jesus really perform miracles and was he the Messiah?

Jesus reveals to Nicodemus the astonishing truth at the heart of our faith and the source of our joy: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son . . . God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” In Jesus, this overflowing super-abundant love of God for the world is revealed in its unsurpassable fullness. He is the Light of the World. No amount of darkness will ever be able to cover it or shroud it.

So, as we continue to journey through this Lenten period, let us stop for a moment on this Laetare Sunday, to marvel, celebrate, give thanks, and rejoice in God’s abundant and faithful love that continues to overflow in and around us in spite of the many troubles in the world. We may waver in our hope and faith, but God will never give up on us, even when we give up on ourselves and lose hope.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. The gift of God’s Son was the ultimate gift of love. Let us rejoice! And let us press on with our Lenten journey.

Mark Chia CSsR

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