Stop and Smell the Laetare
This liturgical color, typically reserved for Laetare and Gaudete Sundays, lightens up the otherwise penitential purple.
Rose
Born in 1416 in this European country, St. Francis of Paola later became one of its most revered hermits.
Italy
St. Isidore lived and worked near this capital city of Spain, where he is still venerated today.
Madrid
St. Vincent Ferrer was a member of this religious order, known for its black and white habit and powerful preachers.
The Dominican Order
St. John Baptist de la Salle was born in this European country, where he would later revolutionize education.
France
In the First Reading from the Book of Joshua, after celebrating Passover in Gilgal, the Israelites ceased receiving this heavenly food that had sustained them in the desert.
Manna
Laetare Sunday gets its name from the Latin word laetare, which means this cheerful verb.
Rejoice
Members of the order founded by St. Francis of Paola take an additional vow beyond poverty, chastity, and obedience—this vow, emphasizing their self-denial.
Humility
Despite his humble work, St. Isidore is often shown accompanied by these beings, said to have helped him in the fields.
Angels
Though he lived centuries before air travel, St. Vincent Ferrer is the patron saint of these modern professionals who take to the skies.
Pilots
To support his mission of accessible education, De la Salle had his teachers live together under shared spiritual and professional rules—a version of this kind of organized community.
A religious order
The Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday invites us to "Taste and see" this, emphasizing the Lord's benevolence.
The goodness of the Lord
Falling on this numbered Sunday of Lent, Laetare offers a brief respite from the season’s somber tone.
Fourth
As a young man, Francis spent a year in a friary to fulfill a vow made by his parents to this saint, his namesake.
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Isidore shared his name with another saint known as the “Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages,” but this Isidore was best known for working in this type of place.
Farm
St. Vincent Ferrer often warned crowds about this final divine reckoning, when all deeds are revealed and eternal destinies assigned.
The Last Judgment
St. John Baptist de la Salle required his teachers to take this kind of vows—binding them to a lifelong mission of education and faith.
Perpetual vows
In the Second Reading, Paul tells the Corinthians that anyone in Christ is this, indicating a complete transformation.
A new creation
The traditional entrance antiphon for Laetare Sunday comes from this Old Testament book and begins “Rejoice, O Jerusalem.”
Isaiah
In 1483, St. Francis was summoned by this French king, whom he comforted on his deathbed.
Louis XI
St. Isidore and his wife, St. Maria Torribia, were known for their generosity—especially in giving this essential resource to the poor.
Food
St. Vincent Ferrer was known for preaching in many regions without knowing the local language—one of many miracles attributed to this gift.
Tongues
In addition to academics, De La Salle emphasized this subject, believing it should form the heart of every student’s education.
Religion
This parable, featured in Sunday's Gospel from Luke, tells the story of a father joyfully welcoming back his wayward son.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
In Rome, the Pope may bless this symbolic floral object on Laetare Sunday, giving the day another nickname: "Sunday of the ___."
Rose
Known for his strict asceticism, St. Francis followed a diet free from meat and animal products, making him an early advocate of this modern-day dietary choice.
Veganism
Legend says St. Isidore once struck the ground with his staff and caused this to come forth, saving his thirsty fellow laborers.
A spring
He worked to heal divisions during this 14th–15th century Church crisis, when multiple men claimed to be pope.
The Western Schism
In 1950, Pope Pius XII named St. John Baptist de la Salle the patron saint of people in this noble profession.
Teachers
In the Gospel, the elder son becomes angry upon his brother's return and refuses to join this celebratory event.
Feast