Toward Easter - Daily Readings & Meditations for Lent 2025 - Day 26

Rejoice! Even in the midst of Lenten discipline, the Church invites us to pause and glimpse the joy waiting on Easter morning. Laetare Sunday—marked by rose vestments replacing the penitential purple—arrives precisely when many of us have settled into the rhythm of our Lenten commitments but might need encouragement for the journey ahead.

This episode explores the profound spiritual wisdom behind this "joy Sunday" that occurs right at Lent's midpoint. Drawing from St. Thomas Aquinas, we examine how true Christian joy flows naturally from growing charity in our hearts. As we've weakened the "old man" in us through three and a half weeks of spiritual discipline, we've simultaneously strengthened our union with God—and that itself becomes a legitimate source of joy.

The challenges of modern living receive particular attention as we discuss how today's "argument culture" conditions faithful Catholics toward defensiveness and contention. Social media, news cycles, and even family gatherings have become battlegrounds where we feel constantly compelled to fight for our beliefs. While defending truth remains essential, this episode offers a gentle correction: "We can't fight for everything." Instead, Laetare Sunday calls us to foster joy by focusing on the graces we've received rather than dwelling on negativities.

Practical resolutions round out our discussion: making Sundays truly restful, improving our thanksgiving after Communion, avoiding unnecessary arguments, and turning away from what traditional wisdom calls "birds of ill omen"—those constant sources of bad news and apocalyptic predictions that rob us of peace. In our digitally connected age, this might mean logging off Twitter, stepping away from news consumption, and getting outside with loved ones.

Ready to reclaim genuine Christian joy amid your Lenten journey? Listen now and discover why St. Francis de Sales famously said, "A sad saint is a sad excuse for a saint."

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