Forty days and forty nights

There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbour).

Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations. And to get from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday in 40 days … you have to miss out the Sundays. Every Sunday is a feast day because every Sunday is (or should be) as special as Easter Sunday.