Today begins the 40 days of Lent. 40 days. Why 40 days?
Certainly we think of the 40 days our Lord spent in the
desert. Immediately after his baptism in the Jordan, the Lord fasted and prayed
for 40 days in the wilderness—as he prepared to begin his public ministry which
would culminate in the sacrifice of the cross and his resurrection. 40 days
prepared him for Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
The number 40 appears several times throughout the Bible. 40
days of unrelenting rain flooded the earth to cleanse the earth of wickedness.
Those 40 days of purifying rain prepared Noah and his family to enter into a
new covenant with God—a new beginning for humanity.
For 40 days Moses stayed on Mt. Sinai, enwrapped in a cloud
in which he prayed and conversed with God. Those 40 days of prayer for Moses
prepared him for delivering the commandments to the Israelites, a new beginning
for the Israelite people in which they would follow the laws of God.
For 40 years, the Israelites wandered through the desert to
prepare them for the promised land.
For 40 days, the prophet Jonah preached to the Ninevites,
calling them to conversion, warning them of destruction if they failed to
repent. And after those 40 days, the Ninevites did repent, beginning a new life
turned toward God.
Elijah went 40 days without food or water at Mount Horeb,
and after those 40 days, Elijah was able to detect the voice of God whispering
to Him on the winds calling him to faithfulness in his prophetic ministry.
40 days in the bible always represents a time of
preparation—a preparation for some special grace, preparation for a new way of
life.
These 40 days of Lent in 2023 are no different. During these
40 days we prepare for the liturgical celebration of Easter, but to prepare for
new graces and perhaps a new mission.
Lent prepares our hearts for God’s will—whatever that might
be. God’s declared purpose is to make all things new (Ap 21:5). He is almighty
in his creativity, not just in a generic fashion, but in the lives of each one
of us. What matters is to give him access to our lives — and to let him act
freely.
Our Lenten observances of 40 days of prayer, fasting, and
almsgiving are inviting God more deeply into our lives, that he might prepare
us for the Easter mission. Folks, don’t waste these 40 days. They are precious.
They are hard, but they are precious.
We are marked by ashes today, and we are humbled. Remember
that you are dust. But, God can do amazing things with ashes! He created
life—human life—from ashes, from dirt. If he can do that, imagine what he can
do, if you gave him more. Imagine what he could do if you gave him 40 days of
fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. 40 days when you turned away from the
things that are trivial, in order to be prepared for something more.
May we be generous with God in our Lenten observances, that
God may prepare us for what eyes has not seen and ear has not heard for those
who love him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
That this season of Lent may be a time of profound renewal
for our parish and the Church as we engage in the penitential practices of
prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
That God will rescue all those who live at a distance from
him because of self-absorption or sin.
We pray to the Lord.
That all families will recommit themselves to fervent prayer
this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness.
That this Lent we will be faithful to fasting and to all the
ways that the Lord sanctifies us. We
pray to the Lord.
For those preparing to enter the Church at Easter: that they
will be profoundly blessed in their preparation for full initiation into the
Body of Christ.
For
all those impacted by the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, for the
victims of the earthquakes in Turkey, for the defense of our nation from all
threats foreign and domestic, for those who struggle because of addiction,
mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, inclement weather, or ongoing
trials of any kind.
For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in
purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and
for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn
with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers
in the divine mystery may never be left without your assistance. Through Christ
our Lord.
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