On the Fourth Sunday of Lent the Church encourages us to rejoice.  The joy proper to Lent is the joy of repentance and of receiving God's mercy.  The prodigal son experienced this joy when he returned contritely to his father.  King David experienced it when he repented of his grave sins against Uriah.  Only by admitting our deep sinfulness will we experience the "joy of salvation" expressed in the psalms.  The recognition of our status as sinners takes nothing away from the awareness of our dignity and a proper self-regard.  God loves as and forgives us precisely as sinners.

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