Laetare, Jerusalem! Rejoice, Jerusalem! So starts the Introit for Sunday’s Mass. This marks the halfway point during Lent, and so we are given a bit of a respite from Lent’s austerities. We still sing a Tract instead of the banished Alleluia. We again sing Mass XVII(with Credo I), but the priest is not wearing the typical shade of violet! What is that color? It is rose (never to be called pink), and it is supposed to be a lighter shade of violet. So, still violet, but distinctively different, so as to set this Sunday aside as a day of rejoicing in the heart of the penitential season. Flowers, which are banned from the altar during Lent, are permitted on this day. And the organ, which is likewise banned during Lent, is permitted on this day.
Today is also the feast of Saint Joseph. Given that Laetare Sunday is a first-class feast, it cannot be displaced and so liturgically, Saint Joseph will be celebrated on the 20th.
Though we rejoice today, it is still Lent, thus at the processional, we sang The Glory of these 40 Days.
Normally, of curse, we honor Our Lady at the Offertory. On this day, we honored her by honoring her spouse, Saint Joseph, singing Te, Joseph, Celebrent.
This Sunday is also known as Mothering Sunday. This is owing to the Epistle, in which we are called sons of Mother Jerusalem and of the Free Woman. In Christian Europe, this was and is Mother’s Day. At the communion, we honored Our Lady in her motherhood by singing Salve Mater.
To conclude, again to honor saint Joseph, we sang the rousing Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail.