Forty Days = Di Whole of Your Life

February 26, 2023
First Sunday for Lent (Year A)
Readings for Today

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For dat time, di Spirit lead Jesus go desert make di devil tempt Am. E fast for forty days and forty nights, and after dat, hunger catch Am. Matthew 4:1–2

“Forty” na number wey get special meaning. For Scripture, dem use am pass 145 different times. For example, di rain during di Great Flood fall for forty days and forty nights. Every time wey Moses climb Mount Sinai, e stay there for forty days and nights. Di Israelites waka about for desert for forty years. After Jesus rise from death, E appear to His disciples for forty days before E ascend go Heaven. And dem use “forty” for many other places throughout di Bible. E even dey interesting say forty get special meaning for how human body dey work, because we dey develop inside our mama belle for forty weeks before dem born us.

Di “forty” wey we dey remember today na di forty days and forty nights wey our Lord spend for desert, where di devil tempt Am as E dey fast and pray. Dem dey use forty as sign of time of testing, purification, trial or probation. Na why we suppose also see am as sign of your whole life here for earth. For di way Saint Matthew tell di story of Jesus’ temptation for desert, e specifically use di words “forty days and forty nights.” As Saint Bede dey explain dis one, e point out say dis period no only stand for our whole life, but di “days” stand for di many graces and blessings wey we dey receive, while di “nights” stand for di crosses wey we dey bear.

As we dey begin our Lenten journey, e dey important make we once again apply di lessons from Jesus’ time for desert to our whole life. Make we consider two lessons wey we fit learn from di passage wey dem quote above. First, we see say Jesus was “led by di Spirit go desert make di devil tempt Am.” Dis one teach us say Jesus no only endure temptation; E face am directly. E no fear di devil, and E no fear di devil attacks. Instead, E willingly face those temptations as di Spirit dey lead Am, so dat E no go only overcome dem for His own life, but E go also enable us to face every temptation for our own life through di power of di Holy Spirit and as di Holy Spirit take di first step. We must never fear to face temptations directly and with confidence when na di Holy Spirit dey lead us.

Another important lesson na say Jesus choose by Himself to fast during dis time for desert. Dis one show how di virtue of self-control dey important for life. If we see dis period of forty as sign of our whole life, then we go understand say self-control must always be part of our life. When we experience di joys and blessings of life (di forty days), we must surely celebrate dem. But we must always do so as we dey deny ourselves some things, because we must never allow di things of dis world wey no dey last to become di main thing wey we dey seek to satisfy us. Saint John of the Cross teach say we fit even hold on too tight to di comfort wey we dey receive for our spiritual life. On di other hand, when we experience di crosses of life (di forty nights), we must also deny ourselves some things, because we must no allow di difficulties wey we dey endure to discourage us or distract us from seeking and doing wetin God want. Fasting, wey mean say we dey develop di virtue of self-control, must always guide us through di ups and downs of life, help us keep our eyes on di truths wey God don reveal to us, and reject di lies of di devil.

Today, reflect on how e dey important to embrace di virtue of self-control with courage throughout your life. Through all di many ups and downs of life, joys and sorrows, blessings and crosses, we must allow di Spirit to lead us, as we dey face every situation with courage and dey deny ourselves. Reflect on any ways wey you dey struggle with di crosses wey you dey bear, or dey hold on too tight to di comforts of life. Try to follow di road of virtue dis Lent as you dey imitate Jesus’ forty days and nights for desert.

My Lord wey get self-control and courage, You face every temptation with courage and strength. You fast throughout di forty days and forty nights to teach us how to pass through di ups and downs of life. Abeg, give me di virtues of self-control and courage, and give me di Holy Spirit so dat I fit follow You enter di desert of my own life. Jesus, na You I trust.

40 Days for di Foot of di Cross:
One Look of Love from di Heart of Our Blessed Mother
Reflection Two – Di Strength of di Immaculate Heart
(First Sunday for Lent)

Two very good books for Lent: