Laetare Sunday: A Joyful Pause in the Middle of Lent

If you have ever found yourself deep in the heart of Lent, wondering how much further the journey goes, the Church, in her wisdom, knew we would need a glimpse of the joy waiting for us on the other side. Tucked into both Advent and Lent are little gems known as Refreshment Sundays, days when the penitential tone eases, and we are given a brief, welcome reprieve. The two Refreshment Sundays are Gaudete Sunday, falling in the middle of Advent, and Laetare Sunday, falling in the middle of Lent.

Refreshment Sundays offer a pause in the austerity of their respective seasons, a moment of respite from the spiritual disciplines we have taken on. They shift the somber mood toward more joyful anticipation. This pause is not a complete break from the season’s focus but rather a beautiful reminder that our preparation and penance have a purpose: they lead us toward the celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas and His Resurrection at Easter.

A Lenten Pause

Falling on the fourth Sunday of Lent, approximately halfway through this penitential season, Laetare Sunday offers a pause. Easter is almost here! It is an apex, a turning point, a glimmer of hope, and a lightening of the somber mood. It heightens our sense of anticipation and reminds us of the joy the Lord brings into our lives, even in seasons of waiting and preparation.

Laetare Sunday speaks to the beautiful duality of the Christian journey: the balance of repentance with forgiveness, weeping with laughter, suffering with joy. Even as we prepare, reflect, and repent, we do so with the joyful anticipation of the great mystery of our faith, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Rejoice!

Laetare Sunday takes its name from Isaiah 66:10, the opening antiphon for the day:

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her.

Laetare means “rejoice,” and not a quiet, understated rejoice. Laetare is an imperative, an enthusiastic exhortation, almost a command: Rejoice! Right in the middle of Lent, we as a people are urged to rejoice! This powerful scripture sets the tone for the entire day and serves as a beautiful reminder that even in times of repentance and self-denial, there is hope.

Laetare Sunday stands as a beacon of light, guiding us through our spiritual journey with the promise of joy and renewal. It invites us to pause, reflect on how far we have come, and find the strength to renew our spiritual disciplines as we press on toward Easter.

Alternative Names

Laetare Sunday goes by many names. Along with Refreshment Sunday, it is also known as Mid-Lent Sunday, Mothering Sunday, and Rose Sunday. Before the adoption of modern common lectionaries, it was called “the Sunday of the Five Loaves,” as the Gospel reading for the day was the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Mothering Sunday

In England, Laetare Sunday was traditionally known as “Mothering Sunday.” On this day, people would return to the church of their baptism, their “mother church.” Those who made this journey were said to have gone “a-mothering.”

In medieval times, Mothering Sunday was a cause for great celebration. Domestic servants were given the day off to visit their mother church, which also meant a rare opportunity to reunite with family and friends. Often, it was the only occasion families could gather, as servants were seldom granted free days otherwise.

It was customary on Mothering Sunday for children and young people to pick wildflowers along the way to church, place them inside, and present them to their mothers. This lovely tradition may well be the root of our modern, secular Mother’s Day.

Rose Sunday

Laetare Sunday is also called Rose Sunday because the clergy wears rose-colored vestments in place of the usual penitential purple of Lent. That shift in color, from purple to rose, represents joy breaking through in the midst of preparation and penance. It is a visual reminder of the hope and light that the Resurrection of Christ brings to the world.

Note: When a single “Refreshment Sunday” or “Rose Sunday” is mentioned, it typically refers to Laetare Sunday.

Ways to Celebrate Laetare Sunday

• Visit your “mother” church. Follow the English tradition of returning to the church of your baptism on this day.

• Give your mother flowers. In many parts of the world, children present their mothers with flowers and small gifts, a custom that ties beautifully into the themes of joy and gratitude.

• Light a rose-colored candle. Bring the color of the day into your prayer time or family meal with a rose candle.

• Switch out your purple décor for rose. A simple but meaningful swap for the week.

• Decorate your table with pink roses. Let the table reflect the joy of the day.

• Make a rose-colored dessert. Strawberry or raspberry treats, rose-colored macarons, or cakes with pink icing or rose petals all fit the occasion beautifully.

• Bake a traditional Simnel cake. The English have long enjoyed Simnel cake on this day, a rich, spiced fruitcake filled with dried fruits and topped with marzipan. It is decorated with eleven marzipan balls, representing the eleven faithful apostles (Judas excluded).

  
  

the recipe -

Simnel Cake

• ½ cup candied cherries ( I used maraschino cherries)

• 3½ cups mixed dried fruit ( I bought bags of dried apricots, raisins, dates, and prunes and combined them)

• 12 tablespoons soft unsalted butter

• 1 cup superfine sugar

• zest of 1 lemon

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ cup almond meal

• 3 large eggs

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 2½ pounds of marzipan to decorate (recipe for marzipan at the bottom of the page)

• confectioners’ sugar for rolling

• 1 tablespoon apricot jam (melted)

• 1 egg white (optional)

  
  

Take everything you need out of the fridge so it can get to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform cake tin with a double layer of brown baking paper. Chop the cherries very finely and add them to the rest of the fruit.

Cream the butter and sugar until very soft and light, and add the lemon zest. You could do this by hand, just with a bowl and wooden spoon, but I own up to using my freestanding mixer here. But it’s not crucial, not least because the intention with fruit cakes is not to whip air into them. Measure the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and ground almonds into a bowl and stir to combine.

Add one of the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar with two tablespoons of the dry flour and spice ingredients. Then, beat in the remaining eggs in the same way. Beat in the rest of the dry ingredients and then the milk. Finally, fold in the fruit.

Dust a surface with a little icing sugar, then roll out about 14oz of the marzipan. Cut it into an 8-inch circle, which will fit in the middle of the cake later. Spoon half of the fruit cake mixture into the cake tin, smoothing it down with a rubber spatula, and then lay the marzipan circle on top of it. Spoon the rest of the mixture into the tin on top of the marzipan circle and smooth the top again. Bake for half an hour and then turn the oven down to 300°F for another 1½ hours or until the cake has risen and is firm on top. Let it cool completely on a rack before you spring it open.

Unspring the cooled fruit cake and unwrap the lining. Roll out another 14-oz circle of marzipan, paint the top of the cake with the melted apricot jam, and then stick it on.

Make 11 apostle balls out of the remaining marzipan, roughly 1 inch in size. Beat the egg white just till it’s a bit frothy and loosened up a little, no more, and use that as glue to stick the apostles around the edge of the cake.

Now for the part I love (but you can ignore it altogether). Paint the whole cake with egg white, then blow-torch the marzipan so it scorches slightly, giving a beauteously burnished look.

Recipe from Nigella Lawson.

Homemade Marzipan

This recipe makes about 5 ounces of marzipan. I tripled it and had enough for the Simnel Cake.

• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp blanched almond flour

• 9 tbsp powdered sugar

• 1 1/2 tbsp water

• 1/4-1/2 tsp almond extract

First, process the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor. Add the water and almond extract and pulse a couple of times until the dough holds together and forms a ball. If the dough is too dry and doesn’t hold together, add a tiny bit more water. Make sure to add just a little until a thick dough is formed. If it’s too sticky and wet, add more almond flour. Take out the marzipan ball and knead it on a clean surface for about 30 seconds. You can now shape it into a log, wrap it in cling wrap, and refrigerate it. It will firm up slightly in the refrigerator.