Anglican Mainstream

Fourth Week  of Lent    

LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: On the Fourth Sunday of Lent   one of the traditions for Anglican received from the Church of England. Most Sundays in the year churchgoers in England worship at their nearest parish or 'daughter church'. In the medieval church people often made annual pilgrimage to return to their home or 'mother' church once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their 'mother' church – which typically in the church family was the main church or Cathedral of the area.

In the Latin Church this Sunday is often known as Laetare Sunday. Laetare means "Rejoice" in Latin, and the Introit (entrance antiphon) from the traditional liturgy is taken from Isaiah 66:10-11, which begins "Laetare, Jerusalem" ("Rejoice, O Jerusalem").

 In both cases the fourth Sunday of Lent is significant shift in the observations of the liturgical season; like the third Sunday of Advent ("Gaudete Sunday"). The Fourth Sunday of Lent is a break in an otherwise penitential season. The vestments for this day may be Rose colored as a symbolizing this shift.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY: The story of the Prodigal Son is one that often stirs many emotions for those of us on the journey. In reading the The Prodigal Son we meet a person who is given his total freedom while retaining the assurance of the Father’s unconditional love.  Despite the love of the father here, the humility of the prodigal before his half-blind and aged father is stunning when you consider he comes back to the Father bankrupt and hopeless. Perhaps the lesson for us is that this is the key to restoration. The Lenten journey calls us to this but at the same time we must come to terms with the fact that not everyone chooses to take this step.

Some have suggested that the real title for this Gospel account should be “The Parable of the Lost Sons,” for the elder son, in not understanding either his father’s character or his own privileged status as the obedient son, is in many ways more lost than the erring prodigal. The favor that comes to the prodigal comes as a result of his remembering what his father was like. The elder son could not see the point at all. Given our tendency to judge others, we need to be very thoughtful about how we receive this story in our own journey.

PRAYER OF THE DAY: O God, rich in mercy, you so loved the world that, when we were dead in our sins, you sent your only Son for our deliverance. Help us in this Lenten journey to embrace your truth and salvation. Call us to humility and gentleness so that we may we embrace the Easter proclamation. We ask this through Christ, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God, for ever and for ever. Amen. Amen.

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE:  “The soul united to God and transformed in him draws from within God a divine breath, much like the most high God himself. And God, abiding in the soul, breathes forth the life of the soul as its exemplar.  -– St. John of the Cross

Lenten Discipline – On this Sunday perhaps two relational disciplines are worth considering

1)      Making a point of contact with those who have mothered/nurtured us on our spiritual journey and making acts of gratitude and appreciation

2)      Take some time looking at Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son and consider reading today the short book The Return of the Prodigal Son.  . A worthy link to observe this would be www.eprodigals.com/Henry-Nouwen-Prodigal/Henry-Nouwen-Return-Prodigal.html   

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