Rose Sunday

Many, but not all, churches lighten the mood a little bit on the fourth Sunday in Lent. That custom probably mirrors an obscure papal practice which itself is attested as already being an ancient custom 1000 years ago. On the fourth Sunday in Lent, the pope blesses a golden rose. The rose would then be presented to some individual or some place as a mark of special papal favor. Though, to this day, a Golden rose is blessed each year, it is not always given out. Since the world is not populated by all that many people or places worthy of being marked by such an honor, it became a rare gift: when no recipient could be found the Pope kept the Golden Rose.

The connection between the Golden Rose the rosy vestments and altar hangings used in churches today may seem like a loose one, but I don’t think it is.

To me, it makes perfect sense. If I saw the pope bless a flower for an extra special Christian or an extra special church every year, my first thought would be: “Why can’t I have one?” or better yet: “Why can’t my church have a rose?” Whose to say that this place isn’t worthy enough or special enough to celebrate Rose Sunday? And so, the custom spread.

Eventually the reason for all the roses was forgotten and other reasons and names for the Sunday become commonplace. In England, a tradition of Mothering Sunday spun out of the combination of the roses and an epistle reference to mother church. In most of America the Sunday is known simply as Rose or Refreshment Sunday because that’s what the day looks and feels like. And in Anglo-catholic circles, the Sunday is known as Laetare Sunday for two reasons. First, Laetare is the first word of the entrance song: it means rejoice. Second, Anglo-Catholics like Latin words.

Though its origin is obscure, I think that knowing why the color changes is important. In this case, at face value, the official ancient practice of the church seems odd. What does it mean to give a special blessed gift to a particularly worthy person? Even odder: what does it mean if nobody at all is considered worthy enough?

Perhaps without overtly answering those questions, Christians simply responded by putting roses in every church for every Christian: going so far as to dress up not only the altar, but the priests in very bright and rosy vestments: this particular number was originally a woman’s dress and its several hundred years old. Who needs a golden rose when your church has this? I think that’s precisely the point.

Deep down, I believe that most Christians understand that the love of God is a gift. Salvation isn’t something we have to earn, it isn’t something that the church officially bestows on people who seem worthy, its simply a gift that God gives to all who believe.

The earliest understanding of what it means to be a person who believes in Jesus informs all Christians:

What does Paul say?
By grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God-- not because of works, lest any man should boast.

The roses are a celebration of the fact that God’s love is a gift. What a contrast to the world we live in. Its impossible to get through a day without hearing someone ask “How much is this going to cost?” Even the Gospel passage begins with this question: How much will it cost to buy bread for all these people. There are two answers: the apostles give the first: Too much; more than we can afford. Jesus gives a different answer: nothing.

Those who were with Jesus in the wilderness didn’t earn the bread that he gave them… he simply gave it to them because they had followed him. That bread is like the roses. It is a sign that Jesus offers himself to all of us, paying the entire cost by offering himself on the cross; He is the true bread which does not simply sustain life, but brings about eternal life.

You don’t need to climb through the ladders of industry and business to have eternal life. You don’t need to be seen by someone as worth or valuable enough to hold onto eternal life. You never get laid off as a member of the Body of Christ. The love of God doesn’t get harder and harder to afford.

After looking through the history of Rose Sunday, I am pretty sure that most Christians already know that. I know how important it can be to be reminded of it sometimes though, I know how important it is to know that there may not be a free lunch, but the love of God is a gift - 100% free. Today we are offered this wonderful reminder, not only for ourselves, but we are reminded that not every knows what we know. Not everyone gets it.

The next time you hear someone say “How much is this going to cost?” remember Jesus and pray that the Spirit will find some way to explain that not everything in life may come at a cost, but eternal life does not. Jesus has already died and rose for all of us and he is already preparing a place for each of us in his Father’s house, where there are many room, and none of them require a credit card.