By Lavoisier Fernandes –
We are at the halfway mark of Lent. The ashes from Ash Wednesday have long faded, yet their memory lingers — a quiet reminder of the promises we made to pray more faithfully, fast more intentionally, and love more deeply.
By this point, the journey can feel less like steady progress and more like that familiar pattern: one step forward, two steps back. We began with clarity and conviction — rising earlier for prayer, guarding our words, fasting with purpose, giving generously. But somewhere along the way, consistency slipped. The Stations of the Cross were missed. Quiet moments of reflection shortened. Old habits — impatience, gossip, irritation, anger, lust — quietly resurfaced.
Instead of moving straight ahead, it can feel like we are circling the same ground.
The Reality of Struggle
That sense of “two steps back” can be disheartening. We may look at ourselves and wonder why growth feels so slow. A quiet voice within might whisper, “You should be further by now,” or “You are not good enough this lent.” And with those thoughts comes discouragement — the temptation to lower our expectations, to ease our effort, or to quietly give up on the intensity with which we began.
But the spiritual life has never been a straight line. Growth rarely moves in perfect progression. The saints themselves speak of falling and rising, of dryness and renewal, of weakness and grace. Saint Paul reminds us, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
The key is not avoiding backward steps altogether. It is refusing to stop walking. Laetare Sunday meets us precisely in this tension — between effort and fatigue, hope, and frustration.
A Gentle Interruption: Rejoice
On this fourth Sunday of Lent, something shifts. Just as Advent offers Gaudete Sunday, so Lent gives us Laetare Sunday. Amid the violet vestments and solemn penitential tones, something changes: the priest wears rose. It is subtle, but unmistakable. A quiet interruption.
Laetare means “Rejoice.” Not because Lent has been flawless, but because grace is still at work.
The Church seems to understand that by this point the journey can feel long. Lent can feel like a spiritual uphill climb — steady, demanding, and at times exhausting. That is why this Sunday offers a pause. It invites us not to measure ourselves harshly, but to recalibrate with hope.
Rejoicing here is not loud celebration. It is steady reassurance.
Looking for the Steps Forward
Even within the “two steps back,” there are steps forward. Perhaps we noticed impatience sooner than before. Perhaps we apologized more quickly. Maybe we caught ourselves before speaking harshly — even if not every time. Our fasting may have been imperfect, but we tried again. We returned to prayer after distraction.
Laetare Sunday invites us to notice these quiet victories:
· Take stock of small wins. Growth often hides in ordinary moments — a restrained word, a resisted temptation, a return to prayer.
· Recognize interior movement. Sometimes the change is subtle — a softened heart, a deeper humility, a heightened awareness of our need for grace.
· Fast from self-condemnation. In his 2026 Lenten message, Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion, Pope Leo XIV invited us to “disarm our language” — to refrain from harsh words and rash judgments. We often apply this to others. Laetare Sunday gently reminds us to extend the same mercy inward, offering ourselves patience and grace.
· Offer gratitude. The Prophet Isaiah reminds us: “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength… they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
· Mark the moment with simple joy trusting in God’s providence. The Church allows a subtle refreshment today — a gentle note of rejoicing, not as indulgence, but as acknowledgment. perseverance matters. Continuing matters with God. As the Psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want” (Psalm 23).
Light That Grows Through Resistance
In the Gospel of John (John 9:1–41),on Laetare Sunday, Jesus heals a man blind from birth. He makes mud, anoints his eyes, and tells him to wash in the pool of Siloam(which means Sent). The man goes. He washes. He returns able to see.
At first, it appears to be a clear step forward.
But instead of celebration, interrogation follows. Neighbours question him. The Pharisees challenge him. His parents hesitate. Eventually, he is cast out.
One step forward. Two steps back.
Yet through the resistance, something deeper happens. His understanding grows. At first, he calls Jesus “the man called Jesus.” Then “a prophet.” Finally, when Jesus seeks him again, he professes faith.
His sight matures through struggle.
Is this not our Lent? We attempt change, and weakness resurfaces. We move towards light, and resistance appears. Yet even setbacks can deepen vision.
And when the man is cast out, Jesus comes looking for him.
Laetare Sunday reminds us: growth is not always smooth — but grace continues to seek us. It is never too late to see more clearly.
Perseverance and Grace
The saints understood this rhythm well. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux wrote, “All is grace.” Saint Francis de Sales counselled, “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.” Saint Mother Teresa reminded us, “God does not require that we be successful, only that we be faithful.”
Holiness is not built on dramatic breakthroughs but on fidelity — returning, trying, rising again.
Pope Francis echoed this same realism. True spiritual progress, he said, does not consist in multiplying extraordinary experiences but in continuing to walk even through dryness and difficulty. If we grow tired, we pause — and then begin again.
Nothing we do bears fruit by our effort alone. Every sincere prayer, every resisted temptation, every humble return is upheld by grace. “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). God sees not only where we fall short, but where we try.
The Grace to Continue
The rose vestments are not mere decoration — they are a quiet sign that joy is already breaking through the discipline of Lent. Easter draws nearer, and hope is not postponed; it is present here and now.
At this midpoint, we are not measured by perfection, but by willingness: the willingness to rise after a fall, to continue the journey even when progress feels slow, to embrace God’s grace in each faltering step. One step forward, two steps back — yet each step matters because the One who commands us to walk also gives us the strength to do so.
Laetare Sunday whispers what we most need to hear: it is never too late. Never too late to rise. Never too late to begin again. Never too late for grace to steady our steps. As we move into the second half of Lent, may we continue faithfully, trusting that God’s mercy accompanies us, lifting us, sustaining us, and guiding every step toward Easter joy.
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Lavoisier Fernandes, born and raised in Goa, is currently based in West London. His faith is “work in progress”- and a lifelong journey. He has always been fascinated by the Catholic faith, thanks to his Salesian schooling. He’s passionate about podcasting, theology, the papacy, and volunteering. He has hosted ‘Talking Faith’ series for Heavens Road FM, Catholic Radio, connecting with ordinary men and women within the Catholic faith, other faiths and examining issues affecting both the Church and society. He has also been a host on Shalom World Catholic TV for two episodes of the ‘Heart Talk’ series. He presently contributes for the Goa Diocesan magazine Renevacao.