A Special Sunday in Lent

Today is a beautiful day in my Catholic faith’s liturgical calendar. It is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (mid-point) and is called “Laetare Sunday,” honoring the beginning words of the opening prayer, or Introit, of the day’s Mass. The full Introit reads:

[quote]Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. (Psalm) I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord. Glory be to the Father.[/quote]

This Sunday is also called “Rose Sunday” because, on this day, the pope will bless the golden rose(s) that he will send to various churches throughout the year. In days gone by, these golden roses were sent to Catholic sovereigns. Yes, these exquisite roses are made of gold and are designed by talented jewelers.

This article lists every recipient of a Papal Golden Rose and provides specifics about this papal tradition. The list shows that Pope Benedict XVI gave 13 golden roses, Blessed John Paul II gave six roses, and our new pontiff, Pope Francis, awarded his first golden rose late last year. During a recent visit to Washington, D.C., I saw Pope Benedict’s Golden Rose. I gazed at it with great love and joy. I felt so close to him that his shy and kind smile warmed my heart.

A special feature of Laetare Sunday is the rose-colored vestments that the celebrant at Mass will wear instead of the Lenten violet. Again, the color rose points back to our union with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Many churches, like my parish in Austin, St. Mary Cathedral, will have pink roses adorning their altars. This year, I selected the rose variety named Pink Floyd — they are dazzling. This variety is a definite repeat.

On a personal note, this day will give me new inspiration for an extra-hard push with my Lenten practices. Each day, I will remember those Pink Floyd roses and know the glorious Easter Season is nearby.

This blog post provides great details and background on this special Sunday from a British perspective.

Editorial Update: We strive to keep our content accurate and up-to-date. As part of our ongoing efforts, this article has been moved from Spiritual to HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS on 09/14/2023.