In 2005, the SM Provinces of Madrid and Zaragoza began the Lenten campaign: Forty Days with the Last Forty. This campaign, initiated and coordinated by Jos� Eizaguirre, SM, dedicates each day of Lent to one of the forty least developed countries of the world, according to the Index of Human Development (IHD) published annually by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). This year, the campaign is available in Spanish, French and English thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Marianist Family in Spain.

Each day offers a geographical, political and historical background to each country and a personal letter. A scriptural reflection and the opportunity to respond to the letter helps us to integrate faith and action.

My cyber-MLC, Our Lady of the Round Table, has embraced this Lenten project. In the first day, several of us wrote to Yaroub in Iraq and received personal responses. Today, we are united in prayer and spirit with Hadi in Afghanistan. Mary Gorgette describes the experience,

The 40 Days project brings global injustice to a personal level. Afghanistan is not just a desert where US troops fight the Taliban, but the home of Hadi, a 20-year-old boy paralyzed in a road accident when he crossed the border into Iran seeking odd jobs to support his family. The voices of God's children around the world call out for justice. We listen, and discern how to respond.

To the Marianist Family in Spain, muchas gracias! May you be blessed for your efforts to promote awareness, connectedness, and just action within our global, human family.

Here are the links to Forty Days with the Last Forty:

English

Fran�ais