The Collect for the Fourth Week of Lent

O God, Who through Your Word reconcile the human race to Yourself in a wonderful way, grant, we pray, that with prompt devotion and eager faith the Christian people may hasten toward the solemn celebrations to come. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Who through Your Word reconcile the human race to Yourself in a wonderful way – Jesus Christ is the Word of God, the ultimate revelation of the Blessed Trinity to humanity, the One Who has reconciled us to the Father by dying on the cross, atoning for sin, and opening the gates of Heaven. This is truly wonderful in the deepest sense of the word. It should inspire awe and wonder in our minds and hearts.

with prompt devotion – Devotion is a word that people use frequently but often fail to fully understand. For some, the word carries negative connotations, suggesting dullness or rote repetition or excessive solemnity. Even those who see devotion as a positive trait, might focus on the solemn, the quiet, the routine. But devotion is actually about love and loyalty, enthusiasm and zeal, affection and attachment. To be devoted to God means to give Him our whole selves freely, generously, and fervently with a heart filled with love.

and eager faith – Are we eager in our faith? Or do we plod along just going through the motions? Do we strive to know more and more about God so that we can deepen our faith and love Him more? Or are we complacent and just doing enough to get by?

the Christian people may hasten toward the solemn celebrations to come – This Fourth Sunday of Lent is Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a Latin imperative (a command word) that means “rejoice!” or “be glad!” We are halfway through Lent. Holy Week and Easter are fast approaching, and we need to strengthen our devotion and faith as we continue our journey toward these most solemn (in a positive sense) days of the year, days when we meet our Risen Lord in a special, most intimate, most beautiful way.