A Long Journey

The writers of the Bible often used symbols in their stories to point to a greater spiritual reality. One such symbol is the number forty. Noah and his family sailed for forty days and nights while a great flood covered the earth. Moses and the Israelites wandered for forty years in the desert before God allowed them to enter the Promised Land. Jesus himself was tempted for forty days and nights in the desert immediately after his baptism.

The number forty signifies a period of trial, testing, and waiting. It also signifies a time of maturing and growing in wisdom and obedience to God. Just as we mature physically, so too we must mature spiritually in order to grow in our relationship with God.

On any long journey, it is important that we stop, rest, and get our bearings. Getting our bearings is one of the purposes of Lent as we journey toward Holy Week and Easter. The forty days of Lent are an opportunity to ask ourselves where we have come from, how we have grown, and where we still have to go.


Family Activity

	Study together a reading from John’s gospel: John 4:4-42, the Samaritan woman at the well; 9:1-41, healing the blind man; or 11:1-44, raising Lazarus from the dead. Read the selected passage and then discuss how it relates to the Lenten journey of each family member. How will this passage help make the journey more meaningful?

See the Liturgical Calendar on this site for additional information.
See also Catechist—Lent or Teacher—Lent for Liturg