Today is Laetare Sunday. The name comes from the entrance antiphon: “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied.” Today, we wear Rose colored vestments instead of the usual lenten violet because the light of Christ is shining through and giving us hope for what is about to happen. We see this light of Christ in the Gospel today, where Jesus tells us the parable of the prodigal son.
In reflecting on today’s gospel, which has for us one of the most beautiful parables, two movies come to mind. The first is Father Stu. This film came out three years ago and stars Mark Wahlberg as Stuart Long. Stu is a man who lives a life according to his passions, and doesn’t really have much time for God. He’s a failed boxer who moves out west to California in hopes of becoming an actor. Along the way, he gets arrested for a DUI, steals a truck, and falls in love with a woman he met at the store where he works. He discovers that she goes to Church every week, so he follows her to Mass. She tells him she won’t date anyone unless they are baptized, so he signs up for RCIA. After his baptism, he thinks he is going to marry this girl. But one night on his way home from the bar on his motorcycle, he is hit by a car. He survives and is then convinced that God is calling him to the priesthood, so he breaks up with his girlfriend and enters the seminary. Just like with the prodigal son, all it took is to move toward the Lord, and the Lord poured his graces upon Stu. Now, there is a lot more that happens in the movie, so I won’t spoil it. But this shows us that as long we don’t give up when we fall, as long as we keep moving towards God, he will be there for us.
The second film that came to mind is Les Miserables, though the musical is better than the 2012 movie. Nevertheless, this story shows us what we should do after we receive the grace and forgiveness of the Father. At the beginning of the film, Jean Valjean is paroled from prison. Everywhere he goes, he has to show his papers, telling people he is a convict. He ends up with nowhere to go, but the local bishop takes him in and gives him food and a place to sleep for the night. In the middle of the night, Valjean steals silver from the house and tries to escape. He is apprehended and brought back to the bishop. Instead of telling the authorities that he is guilty, the bishop says these things were gifts, and then gives him two silver candlesticks to go with what he already has. Jean Valjean never forgets this act of kindness and forgiveness. For the rest of his life, he seeks to help those who are in need; he offers mercy and forgiveness to everyone, even to the man who wants to put him back in prison. This is how we should respond to God’s love and mercy. We should offer it to all those we encounter in our lives. We should never forget what our Lord did for us, and we should share this act of love with everyone.
So my friends, on this Lætare Sunday, let us allow the brightness of today serve as a reminder that the goal of our Lenten journey is not simply to endure a period of sacrifice and penance, but rather to be transformed and renewed by the grace of God. Just like Father Stu, let us allow God’s grace to transform our lives, and just like Jean Valjean, let us share this with all those we encounter.
Hound of the Lord 