40 DAYS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Sunday in Lent, Year C, is, “40 Days”.

For some reason, 40 is one of those numbers one hears in various religions. It generally stands for a period of learning and growth.

When mentioned, it’s usually either 40 days or 40 years.

A SHORT LIST IN THE BIBLE

In the New American Bible, the one we use at Mass, the number 40 appears 109 times.

Noah was out there on the waters - for 40 days and 40 nights - of rain and storm - and cleansing - and a fresh start.

The Israelites came out of Egypt and wandered in the desert for 40 years.  It was also  a period of cleansing -  preparing them for the Promised Land - for the land of milk and honey that we heard about in today’s first reading.

Moses was up in the mountains with God two times for 40 days of prayer and communion.

Goliath - the Giant - strutted and taunted the Israelite army for 40 days before David went out with a sling shot and killed him.

Elijah the prophet took a 40 day journey - an escape - to Mount Horeb - where he experiences God.

Jonah the Prophet finally went to the city of Nineveh and proclaimed 40 days of penance and repentance - otherwise their city would be destroyed.

Jesus goes into the desert for 40 days as we heard in today’s gospel.

Lent is traditionally described as 40 days.

THE POET HAFIZ

Years ago I discovered the Persian poet Rumi [1207-1273]. Dropping Rumi's name could get an "Aha!" From time to time I’d notice the mention of another Persian poet Hafiz [c,1320-1389] with Rumi's name.

So last year when I spotted a copy of Daniel Ladinisky’s book, A Year with Hafiz - Daily Contemplations. It's in English. It gives 365 short - one page or half a page or even shorter poems of Hafiz. I scooped it up. It provided intriguing, interesting pieces to ponder and pierce.

When I started thinking about the number 40, I remembered that in the introduction to Hafiz’s life and poetry, Daniel Ladinsky points out the significance of the number 40 in Hafiz’s life. 

When he was a young man - he was working as an assistant to a baker. One day he was delivering bread to a mansion. He notices this beautiful young lady. She didn’t spot him. With one glance he was in love. He began writing love poem after love poem about her. It seems she never knew was interested in him. His poems became very popular - and made him famous. He didn’t notice any of that. He was still totally stuck on this gal.

To try to win her he began a very difficult Sufi spiritual practice that called for him to keep vigil for 40 nights at the grave of a Muslim saint. He worked all day in the bakery and stayed at the grave every night - trying not to  sleep - praying and hoping to win this girl.

As the story goes, “on the fortieth day, the Archangel Gabriel, appeared to Hafiz and told him to ask for anything he wished.”

“Hafiz had never seen such a glorious, radiant being as Gabriel.”

He began thinking, “If God’s messenger is so beautiful, how much more beautiful God must  be!”

As the story goes, “At that Hafiz forgot all about the girl and said to Gabriel, 'I want God!'”

That’s when the angel Gabriel directed Hafiz to a spiritual director and he began a 40 year search for God.

His Sufi Muslim teacher or master was Muhammad Attar.

Attar was a tyrant - a tough, tough teacher - who made life “hell on earth” as Hafiz described it  - “day after day, year after year, for forty long years.”

Poetry was very much part of Sufi spirituality. For 40 years Hafiz wrote love poem after love poem about how he saw God and love in creation and in human beings. These poems became a rich part of Persian and Eastern literature down through the centuries.

After  40 years - Hafiz now well over 60 years of age - complained to his teacher, Muhammad Attar, “Look at me! I’m old, my wife and son are long dead. What have I gained by being your obedient disciple for all these years?”

Attar his teacher and master said, “Be patient and one day you will know.”

Hafiz shouted, “I knew I would get that answer from you.”

That’s how these stories go.

What to do? Once more - as in the beginning - he went on a final 40 day search for God - and answers.

Well, at the end of this period of 40 days, Attar gives him a cup of wine and he experiences a "God-Relization" and "Cosmic-Consciousness". He was flooded, drowned, overwhelmed and swept into the love of God. He experienced deep union with God for the rest of his life.

LENT 2013

We have begun Lent 2013.

At the end of these 40 days will we be any different than today?

Go for it. Go for God -  the God of love.

You know the Lenten practices: prayer, fasting, almsgiving.

Find your desert place: a walk each early morning or each evening with God. Designate a chair in a quiet place in your place as your prayer chair. Close your eyes. Be in the presence of God. Have one of those Lenten meditation booklets next to your chair or a rosary. Use it for Hair Mary’s or say on the 59 beads,  “Here I am Lord!” or “Where are You, Lord?”  or “Help!” or “Thanks!”

Have your Bible sitting there. Pick a passage. 

Put the words on your lips and then let them sink into your heart as today’s second reading puts it. [Cf. Romans 10:8-13]

Be careful when it comes to scriptures. Remember the old saying, “The devil can quote the bible.” That saying comes from today’s gospel.[Luke 4:1-13]

CONCLUSION

Lent it’s 40 days. I can be the same me at Easter or I can change a lot or a bit - these 40 days. It's a grace time to discover the God of love in everyday life.

Let me close with three short poems by Hafiz:

JUST AS I SUSPECTED

In a vision I heard this clearly whispered:

Study those who sing the most,

but are free of criticism or praise.

Following that advice, things turned out

just as I suspected.

I started spending more time with birds.

WINE IS LIKE THE LORD JESUS

Wine is like the Lord Jesus;

it can bring the dead to life.

WHY NOT BE POLITE?

Everyone is really God speaking.
Why not be polite and listen to

the Old Guy?

+++++   X  ++++++++ = 40

Book: Daniel Ladinsky, A Year With Hafiz, Daily Contemplations, Penguin Books, London, 2010