Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 4th Sunday of Lent – Laetare – 2025

Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.

It is the 4th Sunday of Lent in the Novus Ordo and in the Vetus Ordo.   It is nicknamed “Laetare Sunday”.   In England of yore, people went “mothering”. It was also called “Mid-Lent” Sunday (because Lent once started later).

Surprisingly, the experts of the Consilium didn’t do away with Lent completely.  How backwardist.

The Roman Station is Holy Cross in Jerusalem.

QUESTION: At the Mass you went to, was the Station mentioned?  Let us know in the combox.

Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Sunday Mass of obligation?

Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.

Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?

I have a few thoughts about the orations in the Vetus Ordo for this Sunday: HERE

A taste:

In the ancient Church of Rome, we Catholics didn’t begin the most serious period of penitential fasting until this midway point before Easter.  Originally, the Lenten period began with Quadragesima or “Fortieth”, also the Latin name now for Lent.  The days from Ash Wednesday through Saturday were added later to take into account the Triduum, etc.  Hence, we are about 20 days into ancient Lent which is why this 4th Sunday was called “Dominica in vigesima … Sunday on the twentieth” and also “caput ieiunii … the start of the fast”.  At this mid-point, there was a brief pause for us to catch our breath, as it were, like Jewish pilgrims needed on the way up the long sloping climb to Jerusalem.  In fact, the Collect for Mass has the very word “respiremus … may we catch our breath, be refreshed”.