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
