With Opened Bible
Lenten Symbolism
“Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.”
The first Sunday of Lent is a time to reflect on the Bible's spiritual and symbolic value of numbers. It is a time to delve into the deeper meanings of our faith, to reflect on our spiritual journey, and to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter.
Jesus faces Evil in his preparation for the ministry of the Gospel. First, he enters the desert. It is the symbolic image of the infinite void where God speaks to the heart of his People. (Cf. Hosea 2:14). It is also the place of spiritual formation. God formed Israel by wandering for 40 years in the desert. We can now approach the meaning of this number.
Each image, word, number, or reality carries a spiritual or symbolic message in the Holy Scriptures. That is the case for the Bible's numbers.
Forty, in the context of the Bible, is a number of preparation, generation, prayer and maturity. It is a number that signifies a period of significant change or transformation. For instance, God sent the flood that lasted forty days and forty nights to prepare the earth for the new creation. (Genesis 7:4; 8:6) To prepare Moses to receive the divine Law (Torah), he remained forty days and forty nights on the mountain. (Exodus 24:18) To prepare Israel to enter the promised land, God made them wander in the desert for forty years. (Numbers 14:33; Amos 5:25) Jonah proclaimed a forty-year preparation to the people of Nineveh to repent before the wrath of God came. (Jonah 3:4)
In the New Testament, the number forty continues to hold spiritual significance. Jesus, for instance, spent forty days and forty nights praying and fasting in the wilderness, preparing for his ministry. (Matthew 4:2) After his resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with his disciples, preparing their hearts for his ascension. (The Acts of the Apostles 1:3) These instances in the New Testament echo the significance of the number forty in the Old Testament, reinforcing the spiritual and symbolic value of this number.
Alongside the idea of preparation, there is also that of mourning. Forty is the fixed time to prepare a corpse in Egypt (Genesis 50, 3). In the history of Israel, forty is also the number of the beatings. The law provides for punishment with 40 lashes. (Deuteronomy 25:1-3) Finally, forty is the number of times of prayer and intercession. Moses prayed for forty days after Israel's sin, asking to forgive them. (Deuteronomy 9:25)
In her infinite wisdom, the Church invites us to imitate this favorable time of Lent to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter, the feast of our redemption. Forty days are offered to deepen our spiritual life and improve our relationship with God. This is a time of preparation, a time to reflect on our spiritual journey and make strides towards a deeper connection with our faith. PS: Lent lasts forty days (except Sundays). In the Catholic Church, we cannot fast on Sunday, the Lord's Day
