Introduction

The 4th Sunday of Lent is known as Laetare Sunday, a day of joy and encouragement in the midst of our Lenten journey. The name comes from the Latin word Laetare, meaning “rejoice,” taken from the opening words of the Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning” (Isaiah 66:10-11). This Sunday offers a pause from the more penitential tone of Lent, reminding us that the promise of Easter is near and that God’s mercy is abundant.

All the readings provide us with reasons for rejoicing, namely, the supreme goodness of God.

1st Reading – Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

The LORD said to Joshua, 
“Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”

While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, 
they celebrated the Passover
on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.
On the day after the Passover,
they ate of the produce of the land 
in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.
On that same day after the Passover, 
on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.
No longer was there manna for the Israelites, 
who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

The Book of Joshua immediately follows the Torah and is the first of the historical books of the Old Testament. Moses has died; Joshua is the new leader. The people have miraculously crossed the Jordan River on dry land (Joshua 3:15-17), reminiscent of their escape from Egypt through the Red Sea.

Today’s reading describes the first celebration of the Passover in the Promised Land.

The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”

The “reproach of Egypt,” their time of slavery and wandering in the desert, is finally over. By bringing them into the Promised Land, God fulfilled his promises and restored their dignity as his chosen people.

This marks a new beginning for Israel in their covenant relationship with God. Here, they can worship God freely and openly and live off the produce of the land without being captive to any other people. They will still need to work hard, but they will be the beneficiaries of their own labor.

While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.

This is a crucial moment: the first Passover celebrated in the Promised Land.

It connects God’s mighty acts on their behalf in freeing them from slavery in Egypt to their new life in Canaan, reinforcing God’s faithfulness.

The timing aligns with the original Passover in Egypt (Exodus 12:6), highlighting the theme of continuity in God’s redemption.

On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.

This is the first meal sourced from the land of Canaan. The unleavened bread links back to the Exodus story (Exodus 12:8), keeping the memory of God’s deliverance alive. Parched (other translations have “roasted”) grain is associated with the agricultural cycle, marking their shift into a settled life.

On that same day after the Passover on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

Manna had sustained them for 40 years in the wilderness (Exodus 16:35). They now no longer need manna because they are in the land God promised them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

This marks the end of one era and the beginning of another: God’s provision now comes through the land rather than miraculous bread from heaven.

This passage is a powerful reminder that God removes shame, fulfills his promises, and provides abundantly for those who trust in him.

2nd Reading – 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Brothers and sisters:
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

As with our first reading, Paul also assures us that God does not count our trespasses against us but calls us to reconciliation.

Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:

Paul begins with one of his favorite phrases: “in Christ.” He uses it over 160 times in his letters, which shows just how central this idea was to his theology.

Paul is speaking about those who have placed their faith in Jesus. Being in Christ means being united with him through faith, baptism, and the Holy Spirit.

the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

For Paul, being in Christ is not just a figure of speech — it describes a profound spiritual reality. Our old self is gone, and we live a new life empowered by grace.

To describe this transformation, Paul uses imagery deeply rooted in the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament: a new creation (Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, Jeremiah 31:31, Ezekiel 36:26) and former things giving way to new things (Isaiah 43:18-19).

The prophets envisioned a new era where God would restore his people. Paul is telling the Corinthians that time has arrived in Christ.

And all this is from God,

Paul emphasizes that salvation is entirely God’s work. We don’t earn or initiate it.

who has reconciled us to himself through Christ 

The relationship broken by sin (Isaiah 59:2) is restored by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

This reconciliation is possible because Christ bore our sins on the cross (1 Peter 2:24).

and given us the ministry of reconciliation,

Paul’s ministry (diakonía, “service”) of reconciliation is his proclamation of the message (lógon, “word”) of reconciliation accomplished by God.

namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them

Paul’s explanation of reconciliation uses the notion of substitionary sacrifice, which aligns perfectly with the Suffering Servant imagery in Isaiah 53. The servant of God not only suffered at the hands of the wicked, but for their sake as well. Though innocent, he carried the guilt of their transgressions, and thus he justified many (Isaiah 53:5-11).

The idea that Christ took upon himself the sins of others is central to Paul’s message, and Isaiah’s prophecy provides the foundation for this concept.

Note the universalism: reconciliation is offered to the whole world (the kósmos).

“God was in Christ, that is to say, the Father was in the Son, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them. Creation sinned against God and did not repent, so God, who did not want His work to perish, sent His Son in order to preach through Him the forgiveness of sins and thus reconcile them to Himself” (The Ambrosiaster (between 366-384 AD), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles).

and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Paul reiterates that believers are now messengers of God’s grace.

This message of reconciliation in the New Covenant contrasts with the Old Covenant, which condemned (2 Corinthians 3:7-11).

So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.

Using imperial language, Paul describes himself as an ambassador, one who acts with the legitimate authority of an absent ruler.

As part of his salvific plan, God chooses to work through His people to spread the Gospel.

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Paul makes a passionate plea for salvation. This is not a casual invitation but a call to complete transformation.

This plea highlights the fact that even though reconciliation is freely offered, each person must accept it.

For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Jesus was completely sinless (Hebrews 4:15), yet he bore the sins of humanity and offered himself on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for all those sins (1 Peter 2:22-25). Through this sacrifice, Christ reconciled humanity to God, bridging the divide caused by sin.

As a result, we are justified (i.e., made just in God’s sight, Romans 1:17, 3:24-26). In Christ, we become the righteousness of God, sharing in his divine life and restored to communion with him.

This is the message of reconciliation, the Good News, that Paul preaches!

Gospel – Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”

Our gospel reading today is the famous Parable of the Prodigal Son, which is found only in Luke’s gospel.

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain,

This verse sets the scene, showing that Jesus attracted people considered morally and religiously undesirable: tax collectors (who were often seen as corrupt traitors working for Rome) and sinners (a broad term likely including those living in open disobedience to Jewish law).

These groups were social outcasts, in contrast with the scribes and Pharisees, who were considered righteous religious leaders.

saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

The religious leaders disapproved of Jesus’ association with sinners. Sharing a meal with someone in that culture signified close fellowship, which they found scandalous.

Their complaint reveals their misunderstanding of God’s grace. They believed righteousness was about separation from sinners rather than restoration. In other words, Jesus’ holiness wasn’t compromised by his association with sinners, the sinners were sanctified and restored by their connection with him.

So to them he addressed this parable:

In response to their criticism, Jesus begins a series of parables (the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son) to illustrate God’s heart for the lost.

Our reading for today skips the first two parables and focuses on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them.

In the parable, the father represents God, and the two sons symbolize different responses to him: one rebellious and reckless, the other dutiful but resentful.

In Jesus’ time, it was not unusual for a father to distribute his wealth before his death, it was typically his choice when and how to do so. The younger son’s demand (“Give me my share of the estate”) is a bold, entitled, and disrespectful request. It implies that he wants to sever ties and take what is his without regard for family customs.

Despite this insult, the father grants his request, showing a picture of God’s willingness to allow free will, even when people choose wrongly.

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.

He leaves home, symbolizing a life away from God, and wastes his inheritance in reckless living.

The phrase “distant country” represents spiritual alienation from the father.

When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 

His resources run out and external circumstances worsen, showing how sin ultimately leads to emptiness and suffering.

Not only does the son attach himself to a Gentile (a disgrace for a Jew), he is reduced to tending swine, an occupation forbidden by the law.

And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.

Here we see the unhappy effects of sin. The young man’s physical hunger represents the anxiety and emptiness a person feels when he is far from God.

Here is a kosher man, in a pig sty, envying the food of an animal that was itself not fit to be food. His defilement is complete; he has hit rock bottom.

Sin often promises fulfillment but leads to spiritual starvation.

Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. 

A turning point: The son realizes his mistake and acknowledges his need for his father. His repentance is as sweeping as was his disgrace.

The phrase “coming to his senses” suggests repentance as a recognition of reality.

I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.’”

He recognizes his sinfulness with full contrition, acknowledging his sin as both against God (“heaven”) and his father.

His sense of entitlement is gone: He does not expect restoration as a son but hopes for a place as a servant.

His repentance is genuine — it’s not just regret, but a willingness to change.

So he got up and went back to his father.

The son takes action, showing that true repentance involves movement toward God.

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. 

The fact that the father caught sight of him while he was still at a great distance suggests that he was constantly checking the road for some sign of his son. This symbolizes God’s longing for sinners to return.

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

In ancient culture, dignified men did not run, but the father breaks social norms to embrace his son.

The father does not greet him with reproaches but with compassion and physical affection — highlighting the overwhelming grace of God.

His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 

The returned son begins his rehearsed confession, but the father doesn’t even allow the son to finish before lavishing him with gifts to welcome him home.

The father outfitting the son in this way communicates several things: the robe signifies honor, the ring symbolizes authority, and sandals mark him as a son (not a servant, who would be barefoot).

Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.

Killing the fattened calf was a rare event, reserved for major celebrations —this shows the joy of reconciliation.

Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’

The father sees his return as resurrection, symbolizing the new life found in repentance.

Then the celebration began.

The father had many options for how to respond to his son: he could scold him, demand an apology, be condescendingly accepting, disown him, or demand that he make restitution by working as a hired hand. This last option is what both the son and Jesus’ audience expected.

But the father chose forgiveness.

The father does not welcome him back as a barefooted servant, but as a son, hosting a lavish feast in his honor. The forgiveness is total, with the father offering to treat the son’s sins as though they had never happened.

Nothing speaks of the radical nature of Jesus’ message more than his teachings on forgiveness. Forgiveness is the final form of love, and wholehearted forgiveness is so loving that it’s God-like.

Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.

As previously mentioned, Jesus had just previously taught the Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin to this audience, to teach the hypercritical Pharisees and scribes that God loves even sinners and rejoices when they return to him.

If Jesus had simply wanted to reinforce that message, he would have ended the parable with the son’s return and the father’s rejoicing. But out of his love for the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus wants to take them deeper. He wants them to see that they, too, are sinners, so that they can return to God.

Enter the older brother who, unlike the wayward son, has been completely responsible. He represents the Pharisees’ attitude.

The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.

The older son’s response mirrors the resentment of the Pharisees toward Jesus’ openness to sinners. His refusal to join the celebration reveals his heart’s condition: he sees his brother’s restoration as unfair rather than gracious.

Notice that the father (representing God) does not chastise the older son but instead comes out to him, just as he had run to meet the prodigal son earlier. God loves both the wayward and the self-righteous.

This is quite contrary to the traditional patriarchal image of fatherhood — he is neither domineering nor disinterested.

He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’

The language the older son uses here is very telling. The verb used here for “I served you” is douleúō, indicating that he has served his father like a slave. Notice also how the elder brother refers to the younger as “your son,” and not “my brother.”

The two brothers actually have many things in common. While one is rebellious and the other is dutiful, they both struggle with their relationship with their father.

• They both feel entitled. The younger son feels entitled to wealth and independence without responsibility; the older son believes he is entitled to recognition and reward because of his obedience.
• They both refuse to participate in the family. The younger son physically leaves, distancing himself from the father’s household; the older son emotionally and relationally distances himself, refusing to join the celebration and resenting his father’s generosity.
• They both fail to understand the father’s love. The younger son thinks he can return only as a hired servant, underestimating his father’s grace; the older son views himself as a servant rather than a beloved son, failing to see that his father’s love is unconditional and not based on his works.
• They both have a transactional view of the father. The younger son treats his father as a source of wealth rather than a person to love; the older son sees his father as a taskmaster who owes him for his obedience.
• They are both lost. The younger son is outwardly lost, living in reckless sin; the elder son is inwardly lost, trapped in pride and resentment.

None of this is an afterthought. The profile of the older brother returns us to the opening verses, which describe the Pharisees and the scribes. They have much in common with this elder brother:

• They never disobey orders, they are very careful about obeying the law,
• They feel superior to those who have not been as obedient as they,
• They lack compassion; just as the elder brother resents his father’s welcoming back his brother, so do the Pharisees resent Jesus’ welcoming sinners and eating with them.

He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. 

Even after the elder brother’s angry outburst, the father still addresses him affectionately, reassuring him of his privileged position. He has not been deprived but has simply failed to recognize his own blessings. “Everything I have is yours” suggests that the elder son already possesses what he seeks, but his focus on merit blinds him to grace.

But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

The father emphasizes that joy and grace are the only fitting responses to repentance and restoration.

This startling new picture of fatherhood provided by this parable is a metaphor for understanding God. God’s mercy is so great that man cannot grasp it.

Yet, Jesus is doing more than revealing God’s boundless love — he is also confronting the Pharisees and scribes with their own sin. Their failure to love their fellow sinners does not bar others from God’s celebration; rather, it risks excluding themselves.

The father invites both sons — who are both sinners — to the feast, and notably, the story has no clear ending. Does the elder brother accept the invitation, or does he remain outside, clinging to self-righteousness? If he is excluded, it is by his own refusal to embrace grace and love his brother.

The ending is left open as a challenge, to both Jesus’ audience and to us: Will we go in or stay outside?

Connections and Themes

Laetare Sunday. Laetare Sunday, the midpoint of Lent, is a day of joyful anticipation, reminding us that God is constantly calling his people back to him, offering forgiveness and new beginnings. In the first reading, the Israelites celebrate their first Passover in the Promised Land. After years of wandering, they no longer rely on manna but partake of the land’s produce, signifying a new chapter in their relationship with God. This transition mirrors how God leads us from our past struggles into renewal when we trust in him. In the second reading, Paul deepens this message, proclaiming that through Christ, we have been reconciled to God and are made into a new creation. Sin no longer defines us. Nowhere is this more powerfully illustrated than in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The father’s boundless love reflects God’s own mercy, eagerly welcoming us home no matter how far we have strayed. Laetare Sunday reminds us that Lent is not merely about penance but about turning back to the One who longs to embrace us, offering us not condemnation but the joy of a new beginning.

The Prodigal Father. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is, in many ways, more profoundly a parable of the Prodigal Father — a father whose love is extravagant, even reckless by human standards. Jesus tells this story not simply to illustrate human sin and repentance but to reveal the boundless mercy of God in a way that defies expectation. The father in the parable does not wait for his son to earn back his place; instead, he runs to meet him, embraces him, and restores him immediately, clothing him in honor and celebrating his return. This is a radical image of God — one who does not measure out forgiveness sparingly but pours it out lavishly, without hesitation.

This parable also teaches that if we are to truly rejoice, we must embrace mercy on God’s terms, not ours. The younger son could not have experienced the joy of his father’s embrace without first acknowledging his failure and humbly returning home. Likewise, the older son’s struggle reveals how difficult it can be to rejoice in God’s mercy when it does not align with our expectations. His invitation to the feast is a call to let go of pride and celebrate forgiveness rather than begrudge it.

Rejoicing for God’s reasons isn’t always easy. It requires humility, gratitude, and an openness to mercy that often stretches us beyond our comfort. No matter how far we have strayed or how hard our hearts have become, the invitation remains: Come, rejoice, and be made new.