Fifty? (#3)

Many clever folks are saying, “Hey, Lent has 40 days.” I could reply, “Look who knows so much.” [If you do not recognize the reference, view the Princess Bride (20th Century Fox, 1987).] Forty is a number frequently encountered in the Bible. Noah and company spent 40 days on the ark. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. Moses and the generations following the Exodus from Egypt spent 40 years wandering before landing in the Promised Land. If you look at a calendar you’ll see that our Lenten season is not exactly 40 days. If we begin with Ash Wednesday (February 18, 2015) and end with Holy Saturday (April 4, 2015) there are 46 days. We have 6 Sundays during that season, and Sundays are days of celebration. Someone described each Sunday as a little Easter. Each Sunday we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, a time for rejoicing rather than penance. So, no, 50 days is not accurate, but neither is 40 in the strictest sense. I started the blog on February 14 and I’m hoping to produce 50 posts by Holy Week. Do not be surprised if I ask for topics folks really hope will be addressed.