Biblical Background:

According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus spent "forty days" in the desert before beginning his public ministry (see Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2). Matthew's Gospel even specifies that it was "forty days and forty nights" (Matt 4:2). Whether or not this period of Jesus' life was precisely forty days is irrelevant theologically, since the number "forty" is highly symbolic in all biblical literature, representing "a long time," especially a time of trial or testing. Consider the following examples:

Forty Days:

• In the story of Noah and the Great Flood, it rains for "forty days and forty nights" (Gen 7:4, 12, 17; 8:6).
• It takes a full forty days to embalm the body of Jacob, according to Egyptian practice (Gen 50:3).
• Moses spends "forty days and forty nights" on Mount Sinai when receiving the Law from God (Exod 24:18; cf. Deut 9:9-25).
• Moses spends another "forty days and forty nights" on the mountain, encountering God a second time (Exod 34:28; cf. Deut 10:10)
• The Israelite spies scout out the Promised Land for forty days (Num 13:25, 34); but due to their lack of faith, God requires the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years (see below).
• The Philistine Goliath taunts the Israelite army for forty days before David fights him (1 Sam 17:16).
• The prophet Elijah travels forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb to encounter God (1 Kings 19:8).
• The prophet Ezekiel lies on his right side for forty days to symbolize the sins of the people of Judah (Ezek 4:6).
• The prophet Jonah preaches in the Assyrian capital, "Forty days more, and Ninevah shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4).
• After his resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples for forty days, before ascending into heaven (Acts 1:3).

Forty Years:

• In the days of Moses, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, as mentioned in numerous biblical texts (Exod 16:35; Num 14:33-34; 32:13; Deut 2:7; 8:2-4; 29:5; Josh 5:6; Neh 9:21; Ps 95:10; Amos 2:10; 5:25; Acts 7:36, 42; 13:18; Heb 3:10, 17).
• Several biblical figures are forty years old when they marry (Isaac in Gen 25:20; Esau in Gen 26:34), or when other life-changing events take place (Joshua in Josh 14:7).
• After some Israelite spies scout out the Promised Land for forty days (see above), God requires the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years, due to their lack of faith (Num 14:33-34).
• Several of the "Judges" enable the land of Israel to have "rest" for forty years, including Othniel (Judg 3:11), Deborah (5:31), Gideon (8:28), and Eli (1 Sam 4:18).
• When the Israelites sin, God lets their enemies dominate or harrass them for forty years (the Philistines in Judg 13:1).
• Ezekiel prophesies that the Egyptians will also be punished for forty years (Ezek 29:11-13).
• Several great kings reign over Israel for forty years, including David (2 Sam 5:4; 1 Kgs 2:11; 1 Chron 29:27), Solomon (1 Kgs 11:42; 2 Chron 9:30), Jehoash (2 Kgs 12:1; aka Joash, 2 Chron 24:1).
• Forty years is an especially prominent time period in the Acts of the Aposles:
  • a man healed by Peter and John is said to be "more than forty years old" (Acts 4:22);
  • Moses was forty years old when he killed the Egyptian (7:23);
  • Moses' encounter with God in the burning bush takes place forty years later (7:30);
  • the Israelites spent forty years in the desert (7:36, 42; 13:18);
  • and King Saul supposedly ruled over Israel for forty years (13:21).

Counting the Forty Days of Lent:

Christians celebrate Lent as a period of preparation before Easter, with fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and penance. Based on the above biblical foundations, it is traditionally thought to be forty days long; yet there are actually 46 calendar days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. So which of them is counted as the "forty days" of Lent? Several factors complicate the answer to this question.

• Lent did not always begin on Ash Wednesday, but long ago began on a Sunday, six weeks before Easter.
• According to contemporary liturgical understanding, Lent does not end on Holy Saturday, but already on the morning of Holy Thursday, since the period from Holy Thursday evening to Holy Saturday is called the "Easter Triduum."
• In popular understanding, Sundays do not count as part of the "40 Days," since they are considered "days in Lent" but not "days of Lent."

Since Lent in 2006 began on March 1, this year was chosen in the following tables to make the various counting schemes a bit easier to follow:

Although option C is probably the most common understanding today, it does not match the current liturgical understanding that the Easter Triduum is not part of Lent; thus, there are technically only 38 days "of" Lent from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday, not counting the Sundays. This should not stop us from singing Lenten songs like "Forty Days and Forty Nights," if we remember that the symbolic value of "forty" is more important than its literal value.

For a choice of online viewing options, here is the same table in Vertical Layout:

Return to the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass,

esp. the Readings for the Season of Lent.

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