Our Lenten journey continues

Why does the liturgical season of Lent have forty days (not counting Sundays) of intensified almsgiving, prayer and fasting? God has prepared us for the Lenten season in the Old Testament which prepared all of mankind for the New Testament ushered in by his Divine Son, Jesus Christ.

Forty takes on significance in the very first book of the Bible, Genesis. God was displeased with men because they were falling into sin and never repenting of it. God did, however, recognize one man who did repent of sin, Noah. God therefore communicated to Noah about an impending punishment to cleanse the earth of wicked people, people who would not repent of their sins nor strive for virtuous living.

Forty days and forty nights the rain fell, but Noah and his family were saved because they listened to God and built the ark. God purified the earth for them and set a rainbow in the sky as a reminder of his covenant.

Another person sent by God to prepare us for Lent is Moses. Moses saw God‟s chosen people oppressed by the wicked Pharaoh‟s enslavement. God then leads the people out of Egypt through Moses to Mt. Sinai. Moses climbed the mountain and communicated with God for forty days and forty nights before receiving the Ten Commandments of the Lord (The Book of Exodus, 24:12-18).

Coming down with the stone tablets Moses realized that the people had rebelled against God and made an idol out of a golden calf of their own making. Moses smashed the stone tablets as a sign of their breaking their covenant relationship with God. He climbed the mountain again. “So Moses was there with the Lord for forty days and forty nights, without eating any food or drinking any water, and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words (Ten Commandments).” (Exodus, 34:27-28)

Even after this, some of the chosen of God rebelled and they had to wander forty years, one generation, in the desert. King David picks up on this theme when he is in-spired to write Psalm 95, the Word of God, which states:

“Forty years I loathed that generation; I said, "This people's heart goes astray, they do not know my ways.‟ Therefore, I swore in my anger: "They shall never enter my rest.” (Psalm 95, vs. 10,11)

King David put on sackcloth and ashes when he mourned his sins against God. Both Moses and King David were sent by God to prefigure the role that his Son, Jesus Christ, would fulfill as a prophetic king, ruler over God‟s chosen people.

Jesus begins his public ministry shortly after he is baptized, but before that public ministry “the Spirit drove him out into the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.” (Mark 1:12)

The Gospel of Luke records that during those forty days “He ate nothing during those days.” (Luke 4:12)

Jesus Christ did not need to be baptized to be cleansed of Original Sin, nor did he need to fast and pray in reparation for his sins, because he is God the Son – sinless. However, Jesus is also a man and wanted to be a perfect example for all who would follow him into heaven. He is in fact tempted in every way we are, but never sinned, thus showing us that through prayer and fasting in Christ, we can grow in holiness.

To intensify prayer, fasting and alms-giving is a gift from God that prepares us for the great celebration of Easter. Although we see Jesus fast-ing and praying in the desert, what about almsgiving? It should be noted that Jesus gave himself over to this discipline for the glory of God and for us. That is why the greatest almsgiving is when a person gives of themselves completely for the cause of advancing God‟s kingdom – martyr-dom – from the Greek word “martyr” which means “witness”.

Of course, all this leads to our celebrating Christ‟s resurrection when we rejoice in the promise of Eternal Life and hopefully taste the sweetness of the virtues we have grown through our observance of Lent. Do we realize the growth all at once, probably not, but that is why we celebrate the Easter Season for 50 days, before the Solemnity of Pentecost.

For even after Jesus rose from the dead, he spent forty days revealing himself periodically until he ascended into heaven to sit forever at the right side of the throne of God the Father. We read in the Acts of the Apostles (which follows the Four Gospel Books and tells of the early Church): “He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the „promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit‟”. (Acts. 1:3-5)

Ten days later, both the Risen Lord Jesus and the Father sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church at Pentecost, which is considered the birthday of the Church because the faithful apostles and disciples begin to fulfill their God given mission by evangelizing the people around them.

Pentecost this year is Sunday, June 8th, but the Saturday before (June 7th) Archbishop Hebda wants to have a prayer gathering and celebration at the Cathedral of St. Paul. He wants me to be there with two representatives from the parish who have been involved with the PECS (Parish Evangelization Cell System) training. Please prayerfully consider joining me that whole day on Saturday, June 7th, ending with the Mass of the Vigil of Pentecost at the Cathedral, and call me soon.

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Thomas McCabe