Fun with Arcane Words

This Sunday is the forth Sunday of Lent, also known in liturgical circles as “Laetare Sunday.”  The Latin term “laetare” means “rejoice,” specifically when translated from the Latin Vulgate text of Isaiah 66:10 “Laetare Jerusalem” (“O be joyful, Jerusalem”), which was part of the lectionary for the day.  Sadly, this text is not part of the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), but fear not, we can rejoice in the Psalm appointed for the day, “Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; shout for joy, all who are true of heart.” Psalm 32:12

In the tradition of the Church, this Sunday marks the half-way mark of the season of Lent.  Someone in the Church hierarchy decided it would be a good idea to give the faithful penitents a break from their Lenten fast at this point, and Laetare Sunday was created.  In order to signify that this Sunday was different, the powers that be also changed the color of the altar appointments and vestments from purple to pink.  [For complete liturgical geeks, the other Sunday when pink is used is Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.] However, many churches don’t have the resources [money or space for storage!] for a set of altar appointments that gets used twice a year.  Also, and perhaps more importantly, our theological understanding that Sundays are always Easter celebrations, even in the season of Lent (hence are not counted in the 40 days of Lent), make the tradition of Laetare a bit redundant, if not superfluous, but it keeps a dead-language term alive and makes for a great trivia question.

At St. Barnabas, we will not be changing anything to pink, but we will be having a healing service during our Sunday Worship, as had been our tradition for several years, and it is a great opportunity to rejoice! Our Lenten journey should not only be a time of sacrifice, but also an opportunity of seeing where we need to invite God’s presence into our lives, healing us from all illness in body, mind and soul.  In Christ we find our health and salvation, which are derived from the same root word, “salvo,” which means “to save.”

How do we live into the “salvo” that Christ gives us?  It is more than just living a healthful lifestyle and doing our best not to sin.  It is also about rejoicing in God’s presence in our lives each and every day, and expressing that in our relationships, our work and our prayer.  It is about finding ways, even as our physical health diminishes due to age (it happens to the best of us), to give thanks for what we can do rather than mourn what we can’t.  It is knowing in the deepest part of our being that our physical death is birth into new life. There is freedom in such of sense of well-being, an openness to God that can kindle a more profound relationship with God. That is what we seek during Lent, recognizing God’s infinite presence in our finite lives and celebrating it today and always.

We offer the invitation that all are welcome to receive laying on of hands and prayers for healing, but, as the saying goes: all may, some should, none must.  If you have not experienced it before, now is a great opportunity.  I hope you will consider it – it will make your heart shout for joy!

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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