Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday in Lent in known as Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a Latin word that means, “rejoice,” or “be happy”. The priests wear rose colored vestments today in order to show this happiness. There is so much in the world to be happy about. We are happy to be Catholic. We are happy to know Our Lord. We are happy because Lent is halfway over and we can put away our penances to celebrate Easter.

Happiness is something we all desire. But, what is it? Some people think that happiness is about getting whatever they want. But, these things tend to be temporary pleasures. Other people think that happiness relies on great accomplishments or self-improvement. But, once you succeed, what is there left to do? True and lasting happiness has to be based on something deeper than just personal desire.

We read in the Gospel today about the man born blind. This represents our natural state in life. We do not naturally know our purpose. But, through experience we can discover which things give us lasting happiness and which things are passing. The man born blind is able to be cured by Christ because he can admit to his blindness. He is humble before Jesus even though he does not fully understand who He is. Meanwhile, the Pharisees, though they see perfectly and have all the knowledge of the Old Testament, reject Jesus and all that He does. Jesus does not match what they expect the Messiah should be. So, they do not want anything to do with Him. Little do they know that they are blinded by their own pride and are rejecting God Himself.

In order to be happy, we have to know our purpose. Our Lord gives us that purpose. He does not present a formula, but presents Himself asking, “Do you believe in me?” That is where we find our purpose. We are made to know, love, and serve God in order to be happy with Him forever. We must know Christ in order to do that.

It can be so hard to know, love and serve God since God can seem so distant at times. We can get caught up by our current needs and wants and have hardly the time to reflect on what is good. It is so important that we take time in Lent to spend more time with Him. Are we prepared to meet Him? Have we made our yearly confession? Do we pray to Him daily? Are we reading scripture daily? Are we doing good works for our neighbors? No one ever said it would be easy to be a Christian. But, once one starts practicing their faith, they often find it no longer a burden. It becomes a source of joy and peace.

I hope you all are able to follow Christ more firmly this Lent and all seasons.

God bless,

Fr. Carter