Why Lent has Forty Days – Podcast for the 40 Days

This 18 minute Lenten podcast from the Catholic Connection addresses the forty days of Lent and the hidden symbolism behind the number 40 which reappears in so many places throughout the Sacred Scriptures.  Show host Elena Rodriguez, pinch hitting for Teresa Tomeo, asks Dr. Italy to uncover the mystery of why Lent has 40 days and what this tells us about how we are to approach the season.

So why does Lent have 40 days?  OK Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days, granted.

But why not three for the Trinity, or seven for the days of the week, or ten, which is a nice round number, or twelve, for the twelve tribes of Israel?  There are many 40 ‘s in the Old Testament that maybe provide a clue.  Noah and the Ark for starters.  How about the Israelites wandering in the desert — but wasn’t that for forty years?  Then there are special forty day seasons in the lives of Moses and Elijah.

Obviously this number 40 has some sort of serious symbolic significance in the world of the Bible. In this podcast, which comes from a segment of the Catholic Connection (Ave Maria Radio), Elena Rodriguez Interviews Dr. Italy in order to get at the bottom of why Lent has 40 days, how this factors into what the season of Lent is really all about, and what this tells us about how we can can the most out of this special season.  There is really much more to the “forty” thing than first meets the eye!  This podcast provides the answers.  And maybe a few practical tips as well.

Dr. Italy appears weekly on the Sonrise Morning show, a production of Sacred Heart Radio.  You can listen to this show broadcast live Monday through Friday via the EWTN Global Catholic Radio, a network of over 120 local affiliate stations in the US.  You can find podcasts from the Sonrise Morning on both Sacred Heart radio site and www.crossroadsinitiative.com.

To subscribe to Dr. Italy’s weekly podcast and never miss an episode, visit http://crossroadsinitiative.libsyn.com/ or the Catholic Heritage with Dr Italy podcasts on iTunes

For more great ideas for the forty days of the Lenten Season, see the 40 DAYS OF LENT section of the Crossroads Initiative Library.

For a good summary of the biblical support for the Lenten Season, read Dave Armstrong’ post The Biblical Background for the Practice of Asceticism and the Season of Lent

Banner/featured image Christus met doornenkroon by Lucas van Leyden. Public domain.

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