The Light Brings Joy

The Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent, in the Roman Catholic Lectionary, follows Laetare Sunday which marks the halfway point of Lent. Traditionally, some indications of joy are included in the liturgy on Sunday to mark a pause in the penitential observances of Lent. We call out for a pause in our lives. The need to see the light at the end of the tunnel may be expressed in our impatience for better times, better attention to our relationships or more spring weather. Isaiah reassures the people that the Lord continues to delight in them and that a New Jerusalem will be created for them as they begin the long journey from exile in Babylon. The psalmist praises the Lord for the invitation to drop the sackcloth and put on the vestments of joy. The rejoicing marks the understanding of the continued support of Providence in our life. The Gospel of John tells of Jesus return to the regions of Galilee near Cana and Capernaum. The residents have heard of the healing of the man born blind and Jesus is met with another request for healing which may be yet another demand for a sign from the cynical and critical. The encounter with Jesus by the royal official seeking healing for his son is truly the plea of one seeking to believe out of the love of father for son. The Love of Father for Son and all those who are given to the Son breaks the oppression of sickness and death with the joy of life and faith.