Happy Feet
Forty days of Lent. If you ever tried to determine if there really were forty days, you find from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday you come up with a number greater than forty. Then people will say well, Sundays are not really counted because they are always celebrations of the Resurrection. True enough, but still forty? Maybe you are anticipating the answer.
The Bible uses forty in many different events. Forty years in the desert for the Hebrew people, forty days and forty nights of rain for Noah, forty days and forty nights for Moses on the mountain, Jesus in the desert for forty days and forty nights. We do not know for sure if in any of these events the count was actually forty.
Rather, I would suggest it means a number that triggers our minds to think of these events to prepare us, to announce to us something special is about to happen. And this something special is what you are doing this Lent.
In Isaiah we are to hold back our foot from going down the wrong path, especially on the Sabbath. We can place our foot on the wrong path at any time when we are focused on these earthly idols that we have erected for ourselves. The responsorial psalm teaches we are to walk in the way of Lord. When we choose to participate, we will walk in the way of Lord. Then when Jesus summons us: “Follow me.” We do, with happy feet. Rejoicing and celebrating amid Lent, offering our love of the Lord.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen