The forty day period is symbolic of the forty days spent by Moses and Elias in the wilderness; the Jews wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land. Jonah in his prophecy of judgment gave the city of Nineveh forty days’ grace in which to repent. Also Jesus retreated into the wilderness and fasted for forty days of temptation to prepare for his ministry. So by observing Lent, many Christians join Jesus on His retreat.
The Lenten period of forty days owes its origin to the Latin word Quadragesima, originally signifying forty hours. This referred to forty hours of complete fasting which preceded the Easter celebration in the early Church. The main ceremony was the baptizing of the initiates on Easter Eve, and the fast was a preparation to receive this sacrament. Later, the period from Good Friday until Easter Day was extended to six days, to correspond with the six weeks of training, necessary to instruct the converts who were to be baptized.
A strict schedule was adhered to in the teaching of the converts. In Jerusalem near the end of the fourth century, classes were held throughout seven weeks of Lent for three hours each day. With the acceptance of Christianity as the state religion of Rome in the 4th century, its character was endangered by the great influx of new members. To combat the hazard, the Lenten fast and practices of self renunciation were required of all Christians. The less zealous of the converts were thus brought more securely into the Christian fold.
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