ASCENSION - Why 40 days?

The number 40 has enormous significance in the history of salvation. The rabbinic interpretation connects the number 40 with the time it takes for something to go from its beginning to its fruition. 40 is the number of weeks between the conception and birth of a human being. In some cases, there are 40 days between planting and harvesting. In the Church’s calendar there are 40 days between Christmas and the Presentation of the Lord when Jesus was brought by Mary and Joseph to the Temple. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert. 40 days was the length of time a pupil would spend learning from a Rabbi. Jesus' 40 days of appearance and teaching after his Resurrection (Acts 1,3) seems to follow this pattern. Apart from marking the importance of the feast, celebrating the Ascension of Christ into Heaven 40 days after Easter Sunday also reinstates the possibility of practising the ancient “Novena of the Holy Spirit” devotion, preparing for Pentecost. Celebrating the sacred Liturgy on particular days linked to the mysteries of the great feasts marks another form of love that we can show for God as we praise him for all the wonders he has done for us.