Well we have reached the halfway point of the solemn and penitential season of Lent which means we dedicate a day to joy, a day to rejoice. It is called Laetare Sunday, where the Church expresses hope and joy in the midst of our Lenten fasts and penances.
Thanks for being here to worship on this first Sunday in Lent. You’ll notice a couple of things different for Lent, some you may have already noticed. For the Penitential Act, we will recite the Confiteor, the “I Confess” prayer, followed by the Kyrie. There is no Gloria during Lent, and no A-word before the Gospel.
I just want to start by saying thanks to everyone who prayed for me during my vacation to Italy. It was great, it went really well, travel was smooth, weather was great, food was awesome, and I got to see some amazing “Church things.” Some people call it Catholic Disneyland over there, just so many Catholic things to see and do.
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Tied with these words of Christ is the story of how Peter, Andrew, James, and John dropped everything, literally everything, to follow the Lord.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen a presidential motorcade, but they’re quite the sight. Police everywhere, lots of big black vehicles with flashy lights, the whole works. Royalty back in the day didn’t have motorcades, obviously, but they didn’t travel in any less style.
Today we celebrate Mary, Mother of God. This is usually a Holy Day of Obligation, but since it falls on a Sunday, we just celebrate it today, no “extra” Masses for either Christmas or Mary this year. I’ll tell you, this is the best year ever for a priest's schedule - Christmas and Mary Mother of God falling on Sundays mean not a lot of extra “work.” Which is especially helpful for me this year.