Forty Days To Go COLUMNS

Did you ever notice how many times the number “forty” shows up in the Bible? It rained forty days and forty nights at the time of Noah’s flood. The people of Israel wandered for forty years in the desert. Moses stays on the mountain for forty days. The prophet Elijah went forty days without food and water. And in the New Testament, Jesus too fasts for forty days.

One meaning of this number is “the right amount of time.” It took the right amount of time to have a flood, it was a whole generation that passed on the way to the promised land, the time needed for Moses to receive the commandments was just the right amount of time. So when Christians say that Lent – a time of spiritual purification and enlightenment – lasts for forty days, it really doesn’t bother most folks that Lent isn’t literally forty days. It’s just the right amount of time to grow spiritually in certain ways.

By the time you read this we’re well into the season of Lent and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to reflect on whether we’re “on schedule” or not. Some people will smile broadly at this point because they have kept to their resolutions to pray more, to fast from something, to give alms or do good works. Others perhaps missed the mark -- a day or two, or a week or two, into the season. Their temptation is to consider themselves as failures and to give up. “Why bother if I can’t stick to my intentions?”

The good news is that it isn’t over til it’s over. Each day we breathe in a new morning is a new chance to try again. Been slipping up on prayer? Do you think God frowns on this? Or rather won’t God’s longing for a renewed relationship yield to so much more joy the day we listen to God in prayer again. For some, chocolate or soda or pot or swearing may have re-entered daily

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE congressman’s Queens office.

• According to Politico, Brazilian citizen and resident Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha recently told the FBI by express mail and email, “I am coming forward today to declare that the person in charge of the crime of credit card fraud when I was arrested was George Santos /Anthony Devolder.”

• As Gothamist reported in mid March, based on audio tapes, “In the summer of 2014, eight years before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, George Santos was in Queens Housing Court, begging a judge to let him feed his pet fish.”

• On March 13, Rep. Santos put out the following at least partially ironic press release (printed here unedited):

WASHINGTON, DC: Today, Rep. George Santos NY-03 introduced the “Executive Mental Competency Protection Act of 2023.” The bill will require that the sitting President of the United States must undergo an annual cognitive evaluation, no later

The Spirit Of Our Town

life – even though we thought we could live without it for “the right amount of time”. Is that a reason not to try again? Or maybe in these remaining days it might be good to fast from something else instead – too much internet time, too much alcohol, too much gossiping. I believe some successful fasting is awaiting each of us.

And what of almsgiving? Perhaps the price of eggs might keep us from sharing some of our funds with others. Yet those in need must pay for eggs too. We can justify our holding on to what we’ve earned for any number of reasons. Yet the Lenten call to go beyond being rooted in material things can actually be freeing! If Amazon visits so frequently that we can’t even guess what we’ve ordered, maybe we have just fooled ourselves in believing that we need all the money we have. Supporting a trusted charity can start now, even if charity had eluded us in the past.

Take courage. We still have “forty days” to go.

than January 1.

“Regardless of political affiliation, this should be a common sense and bipartisan agreement that when a man or a woman becomes President, they submit to an annual cognitive evaluation,” said Rep. Santos. “Physical examination results are publicly released throughout their time in office, and a thorough cognitive assessment should also be included, and failure to comply will result in no federal funds being obligated or expended for official travel.”

Requirements include an assessment of the following:

• General intellect.

• Reading & Comprehension.

• Attention & Concentration.

• Processing speed.

• Learning & memory.

• Reasoning.

• Executive functions.

• Visuospatial skills.

• Motor speed & dexterity.

• Mood & Personality.

• Memory retention.