Fr. Michael Monshau, O.P., is professor of liturgy, homiletics and spirituality at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (The Angelicum). This article, was published on March 10th, in the English of L'Osservatore Romano and is reprinted below with permission.

Rejoice, Jerusalem!

It may seem incongruous, but on March 14, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the middle point of the great penitential season of the year, Mass will begin with the words "Rejoice, Jerusalem! Be glad for her, you who love her; rejoice with her, you who mourned for her, and you will find contentment at her consoling breasts" (cf. Is 66:10-11). What is the Church communicating on this particular Sunday by merging the themes of penance with rejoicing? Or, is it a mistake?

It is no mistake. We do this every year. Traditionally, the fourth Sunday of Lent has been called Laetare Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing. In some places, the name Rose Sunday has taken root, reflecting the rose vestments worn by the priest on this day. The French name for this day of Lent, mi-carême (Mid-Lent) probably comes closest to describing what is happening here. At the mid-point of Lent, our attention is drawn to the fact that the penitential season is half over, a pause for refreshment is taken (the Lenten customs of avoiding the use of flowers on the altar and celebrating Mass with music are frequently suspended) and spirits are raised. The journey is half over; today we are encouraged to focus on the goal rather than the challenging process leading toward that goal. The penitential color of purple gives way to that of joyful rose, and we re-examine the integrity of our Lenten journey thus far. The Church, never the harsh task-master but always the loving mother, calls her children to pause for refreshment.

In particular, this joyful pause can a serve as an occasion to evaluate one's Lenten penitential practices. What Lenten practices have you chosen this year? Are you being faithful to them? Are they working? Pause with that question: are your Lenten practices working, are they serving your spiritual needs adequately? Is that a fair question? Yes. Each of us benefits from examining our spiritual program, even on a daily basis. Sometimes that means that sin must be recognized as sin and avoided in the future. At other times, the call to self-examination means we need to evaluate how helpful our penitential practices are in our attempts to avoid sin. If we turn to classical teachers of the faith like Saint Thomas Aquinas, we might frame our examination of our Lenten practices according to their ability to help us develop the habits of virtue.

God does not want ascetic champions; He wants people who love. Penitential practices, then, are supports we assume in life that are intended to help us love better. This is what we want to evaluate at midpoint in Lent: are our penitential practices increasing our capacity to love?

One might consider an illustration from the ordinary process of human development for an insight into the process of spiritual growth through penance. Picture a small child, say, a baby girl six weeks of age. Imagine that this child awakens in the middle of the night feeling unwell. What does she do? She cries, loudly and unceasingly, disturbing everyone in the household from their sleep, until her need is addressed. It matters nothing to her that others in the family need their rest for the next day's activities. The infant's only instinct is to seek the fulfillment of her own desires. However, the same child ten years later, again feeling unwell during the night, will most certainly go directly to her parents seeking attention (as they would wish), but she will probably do so without disturbing others in the home. Finally, as an adult woman, the same person will try to take care of herself as quietly as possible so as not to disturb her family members while they take their rest. What we observe in this illustration is the process of maturity, for whereas the infant's only instinct is to be self-centered, as the person matures, she grows in selflessness: the habit of thinking more of others and being less self-centered. Another word for this habit of thinking more of others and less of self is holiness.

The habit of selflessness is cultivated by acts of penance and expressions of self-denial. When one can pass up something desirable (that tasty treat outside of mealtime; that extra hour in front of the television; the desire to speak unkindly about someone with whom I can interact only with great difficulty; the temptation to judge others), then one can claim a victory in self-discipline. When one has self-discipline, one has achieved self-control. When one enjoys self-control, one is in possession of one's own self and only then is one able to give one's self away. In other words, only the person with self-possession has sufficient freedom from being preoccupied with taking care of self first in order to place Christ (and the needs of Christ's poor) at the center of their life. Penance trains us in the habit of thinking of others first. Every single act of penance helps us to grow in this kind of selflessness, maturity and holiness. Eventually we realize that if we cannot occasionally pass up that tasty snack or that extra stein of beer, there is no way in the world we will ever develop the strength to pass up the temptation to speak uncharitably about another or to commit any number of other sins. Our Lenten acts of penance, then, cultivate within us the strength to be more loving. The Church does not recommend Lenten penance so that each of us can note our capacity for sacrifice. Rather, Holy Mother Church recommends Lenten penances so that we can more easily grow in our capacity to love.

This is why Laetare Sunday, with its invitation to examine how our Lenten journey is progressing, is rooted in a joyful spirit. With joy, and often under the direction of our confessor, we examine our consciences and either take solace in the degree to which we have grown in our love of neighbor, or with Christian hope we assess how the remaining weeks of Lent can be redesigned to better achieve that same end.

This sneak preview of Easter joy in the middle of Lent is a subtle invitation to respond anew to God's invitation to deeper friendship with each one of us. How has Lent been going for you so far this year? Will you employ the brief recess from Lenten penances occasioned by Laetare Sunday to examine your capacity for love? Will you be ready to modify (or begin) your Lenten project if the need for such seems indicated?