Happy Lent! We
started this year’s observance of the season yesterday with many a reference to
the forty-day nature of the period. But
if you actually count the days from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday, you end
up with forty-seven days. So, how do you
square that with what you’ve heard your whole life?
Well, there is a lot of biblical significance to the number forty. It rained for forty days and forty nights
when the Flood came. The Israelites wandered
in the desert for forty years after their captivity in Egypt. Jesus went into the desert for forty days
prior to beginning his public ministry.
And he spent forty days with his disciples after his resurrection. So, forty just seems like the appropriate
number to ascribe to the period of Lent.
Some scholars argue that one shouldn’t count the Sundays of
Lent as actually Lent, because each Sunday is a commemoration of the Resurrection
itself, and yes, that does make it add up to forty days. Another way to look at it is to consider the
Triduum and Easter Sunday outside of the period of Lent, as well as the days
following Ash Wednesday. After all, we
haven’t gotten to the first week of Lent yet.
These are just warm up days. And
once we get to Holy Thursday, it’s a completely different feeling than the rest
of the liturgical season.
But, no matter what “counts” and what doesn’t, it is
important to keep a spirit of preparation throughout this time leading up to Easter. There aren’t really “cheat” days. We aren’t on a diet (unless of course we’ve
given up candy, soda, or dessert for Lent).
Even on days you consider to be outside the period of Lent, remember to
keep preparing for the big event: Easter.
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