As many of us are in quarantine as a result of illness, exposure, “Shelter in Place” orders, or simply as a means of self protection, few of us actually know the origin of the word.
Quarantine “means about 40, in French, and its Latin origin, “quadraginta,” is the root of Latin words for Lent” (Quadragesima). “Paulist Father Larry Rice, director of the University Catholic Center at the University of Texas at Austin, said a number of people have compared the notion of quarantine to Christ’s 40 days in the desert and the 40 days of Lent.”
Although it doesn’t contain direct links, this article by Carol Zimmermann of the Catholic News Service offers many references to ways of viewing this time through the lens of Lent.
