Today is Ash Wednesday, the first of 40 days of Lent, leading towards Holy Week and Easter. The 40 days are synonymous with the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert, praying before starting his public ministry. But the number 40 features in other events that are found in the Old Testament. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with God. Elijah spent 40 days and nights walking to Mount Horeb. Moreover God sent 40 days of rain in the great flood of Noah. Finally, remember that the Hebrew people spent 40 years in the desert while travelling to the Promised Land. The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon old word Lencten, meaning ‘spring season.’ Counting from Ash Wednesday, the 40th day is on Palm Sunday. This leads to Holy Week, which includes the Holy Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. Catholics and members of other Christian religions will this year have minimal participation in the celebrations because of the coronavirus. The annual processions on Good Friday here in Malta will once again be cancelled, but all parishioners are encouraged to pray, attend daily Mass when possible, do works of charity and offer some form of penance like fasting from daily pleasures. Pope Francis has stressed the importance of focusing on these three values: Believe, Hope and Love. As usual I will be sharing some more reflections over the Lenten season through my daily posts in this blog.
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