---
title: "Book Review: 40 Days, 40 Ways"
description: "CatholicMom.com contributor Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio's new book, 40 Days, 40 Ways: A New Look at Lent offers daily opportunities for growth in ways you might not expect."
---

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# Book Review: 40 Days, 40 Ways

Feb 6, 2015 12:00:51 PM  |  by [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs)

 

[![CatholicMom-booknotes-logo](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/CatholicMom-booknotes-logo-550x169-291.jpg?width=550&height=169&name=CatholicMom-booknotes-logo-550x169-291.jpg)](http://catholicmom.com/?attachment_id=40160)

![cover-40days40ways](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/cover-40days40ways-258x400.jpg?width=258&height=400&name=cover-40days40ways-258x400.jpg)Lent is a season of penance, but that penance shouldn't stunt your spiritual growth. On the contrary, this penitential time should help you grow in faith and in virtue. [CatholicMom.com contributor Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio](http://catholicmom.com/author/mdambrosio/)'s new book, *[**40 Days, 40 Ways: A New Look at Lent**](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1616368942/catholicmom)* offers daily opportunities for growth in ways you might not expect.

For each day of Lent, D'Ambrosio offers an idea for a penitential or devotional practice, followed by his own reflection on this idea. Sometimes these are stories from his childhood; other reflections are explanations of what makes practices such as Eucharistic adoration or praying the Rosary so important in the lives of Catholics. D'Ambrosio's reflections are short (2 or 3 pages per chapter) and engaging, inviting the reader to meditate upon the Gospel or other passages from Scripture while taking up a new practice or deepening a familiar one.

The Sundays of Lent are featured in the book as well, but without the penitential focus of Lent's weekdays. For each Lenten Sunday, D'Ambrosio offers a meditation on Gospel events and their challenges for us in the 21st century.

While you can read this book start-to-finish or a day at a time, it can also be used as a spiritual shot in the arm when you're feeling discouraged about how your Lent is going.

**Your purchase of *[40 Days, 40 Ways](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1616368942/catholicmom)* through any of the affiliate links in this post helps support the work of CatholicMom.com, at no extra cost to you!**

Be sure to check out [our Book Notes archive](http://catholicmom.com/category/book-notes/).

***Copyright 2015, Barb Szyszkiewicz***

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#### About the Author

![Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/BSzyszkiewicz%202022.jpg)

### [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs)

Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at [CatholicMom.com](http://catholicmom.com), is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at [FranciscanMom](http://franciscanmom.com) and her family’s favorite recipes with nutrition information at [Cook and Count](http://cookandcount.wordpress.com). Barb is the author of *[The Handy Little Guide to Prayer](https://amzn.to/2LQB2oL)* and * [The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours](https://amzn.to/3wbDB8k)*, available from Our Sunday Visitor.

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