Lent will last 40 days, beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 14, 2024) and ending on Holy Thursday (March 28, 2024). We are asked to pray, fast, and give alms during these forty days. Catholic-Link has curated a list of incredible resources to help you make the most of this season.
The Best Catholic Resources For Lent
“Let us put into practice the call to do good to everyone, taking the time to love the least and most defenseless, the abandoned and despised, those who are discriminated against and marginalized.” – Pope Francis
Catholic Books For Lent
The Ascension Lenten Companion: Walking with Jesus to Jerusalem: God wants to give you more. How will you respond this Lent? Has your relationship with God grown stale? Has it lost its spark? Are you plagued by a particular sin? Something you can’t shake? Are you just tired of the day-to-day grind of your life? These all show that God wants to give you more. This Lent, experience deeper peace and healing as Fr. Mark Toups immerses you in Christ’s final journey to Jersualem, inviting you to reflect on Jesus’ suffering and death, and inspiring you to celebrate in his resurrection. During this Lent, you will fall in love with Jesus, learning to see with his eyes and love with his heart. More than just a journal, The Ascension Lenten Companion will guide you, day by day, to an encounter with the person of Christ and help you arrive at Easter transformed by God’s love. Following the same award-winning format that hundreds of thousands of Catholics have enjoyed through past Lent and Advent reflections, The Ascension Lenten Companion will lead you inward to experience deeper prayer and renewed focus in this powerful season. Order your copy HERE and find the videos on the new Ascension App, ascensionpress.com/app
*Bonus: Join Catholic-Link for a digital small group discussion using The Ascension Lenten Companion! Find out how HERE. The study begins on February 15 at @8pm EST via ZOOM. Please feel free to reach out to Dominique with any questions dseraphin@catholiccastmedia.com.
Made for Heaven: Join Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR—founder of Corazón Puro—on a multimedia Lenten journey inspired by St. Francis. Begin the season with a vow of poverty and end at Easter with a heart free from the desert of sin and open to love, serve, and care for others. Made for Heaven features stunning original art by Valerie Delgado of Pax.Valerie, along with daily meditations on a passage from scripture, reflection questions, prayer, and space for journaling and notetaking. A life of simplicity and poverty orients you toward God’s love and reminds you that you are made for heaven. Torres says the best way to prepare yourself for that final destination is to live as true pilgrims who need to “travel lightly” and detach from earthly pleasures. The book is also available in Spanish. Free companion videos with Fr. Agustino accompany the reader to enter into the season of Lent as they read this book alone, or with a group or parish. Take a look at the teaser video. Purchase HERE.
Suffering: What Every Catholic Should Know | Mark Giszczak: Just as Job was tried, all of us are tested by suffering. It comes to us in many different forms: grief about the past, pain in the present, and sadness about what might have been. The personal dimension of suffering means that it marks our experience and, in some ways, makes us who we are. Coping with suffering as Christians includes certain spiritual practices that lead us to surrender our lives more fully to the Lord. By offering our suffering as a spiritual sacrifice, joined intentionally to the suffering of Christ through prayer, we engage with the most profound Christian teaching about suffering: that it is redemptive. Suffering can transform us to be like God. Purchase HERE.
Turn to the Cross Lent isn’t about training ourselves with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving so we are “good enough” to be worthy of God’s mercy. Instead, we practice these disciplines to more closely pattern our lives after the example Jesus set through his Cross and Resurrection. In Turn to the Cross, each day from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday begins with a passage from the Liturgy of the Hours—a psalm, prayer, antiphon or response—followed by a short spiritual reflection, morning and evening prayers, and a question to ponder throughout the day. About five minutes a day is all we need as we turn to the Cross for healing, hope, and renewal. Purchase HERE.
Messages of Perseverance for Lent 2024: Three minutes of prayer a day is all it takes to change your life for the better. In Messages of Perseverance for Lent 2024, Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran offer practical, everyday wisdom for persevering in your journey of faith. They will help you develop the grit and tenacity needed to overcome trials and temptations. Even in the midst of hardship, they encourage you to grow in faith and rely on God’s strength as you persevere toward the joy of Easter. Purchase HERE.
The Catholic Playbook: Lenten Reflections for Singles : “If you’re tired of walking through the desert of single life alone, this book is for you! Join other single Catholics and journey through your most meaningful Lent ever. With 40 meditations written by and for single Catholics, you’ll walk together every step of the way, from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday.”
Joyce Rupp’s Lenten Collection (A 3-Book Set) :
Jesus, Friend of My Soul
“As Christians,” Joyce Rupp writes, “we look to the person of Jesus to learn from him.” Because our lives are filled to the brim with activity, it is easy to drift away from trying to live as Jesus did, and we find ourselves in need of time to focus on drawing close to him again and learning from his example. In Jesus, Friend of My Soul, Rupp guides us from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday illustrating both how Jesus called his followers to change and how his actions provide us a blueprint for growth.
Jesus, Companion in My Suffering
Lent can be a time of bearing heavy burdens, of carrying the worries, pains, and sorrows that weigh on our hearts. Joyce Rupp reminds us that even though we may feel alone during these times of personal distress, we have the loving, empathetic, and ever-present companionship of Jesus by our side. In Jesus, Companion in My Suffering, Rupp will guide you to see Jesus not only as someone who understands deeply what you have experienced but also as a teacher whose wisdom you can apply to your own life. By allowing Jesus to accompany you in times of trial, Rupp says, you’ll be encouraged to move toward more compassion for yourself and others.
Jesus, Guide of My Life
In this third installment in her trilogy of Lenten daily reflection books, Rupp offers her insight and personal experience of the power of the Gospel to shape our lives. She explains that the wisdom and reassurance of Jesus can “pilot us when we are caught in the stormy weather of grief and serve as guardrails when our minds travel on roads made of worry and self-deprecation.” Rupp will help us connect with Jesus as not only a teacher, healer, and counselor who sets direction for our lives, but also as “the Way” (Jn 14:6) in whom we abide in divine love.
Immerse yourself in this powerful Lenten Reflection Bundle and let Joyce Rupp be your trusted guide as you journey toward a more profound connection with Jesus. This bundle is not just a collection of books; it’s an invitation to a transformative experience that will enrich your Lenten season and beyond. Purchase HERE.
Catholic Movies & Series
Drawing Closer to God: Journey through Lent with the whole family! Join art teacher Ms. Kim as she teaches children to draw different scenes from gospels, including Ash Wednesday, the healing of the blind man, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and more. With compelling storytelling, Ms. Kim points out key details from Scripture and Catholic tradition. As kids follow along and learn new art skills, they also learn to see the connections between the big picture of God’s story and their place within it.
The Chosen: Not specifically Lent related, but this series is incredible to watch any time of the year! Check out our Catholic Guide to The Chosen HERE.
Full of Grace: There is one person in the gospel that had the experience of living thirty years with Jesus–from birth through His resurrection: Mary, His Mother. After a full life with the Son of God – fleeing into Egypt, losing him in the temple, and seeing him placed on the cross – Mary lives her final earthly days in reflection.
Liturgy & Life: Unveiling the Mystical Movement of the Mass: This powerful series is going to open your eyes to the deeper realities of the Mass.
Not Sure What To Give Up For Lent? Click Here To Try This Quiz!
Catholic Apps
Amen App – Get access to the audio tracks from the Tears of Christ, a series of Lenten homilies and writings by St. John Henry Newman, published by the Augustine Institute on the Amen app. The Amen app is the free Catholic prayer app that inspires your daily conversation with God through faithful meditations and nourishing Scripture. Find it here!
The Ascension App – The Ascension App is the first Catholic app ever to contain the entire text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, built right into the app, completely free to you.
Lent #Pray40 Challenge from Hallow – Take the Lent #Pray40 Challenge from Hallow – the Catholic Prayer and Meditation App. To help support you, Hallow has put together 40 days of Lenten meditations with length options that work for every schedule and experience level. You can try out ALL of the Hallow content risk-free during a limited-time free trial.
Catholic Lent Resources For Kids
Catholic Sprouts: Don’t miss the FREE podcast. It’s excellent…adults will learn something too! There are many resources available for purchase, including the The Jesus Tree According to Matthew: Lenten Devotional for Families.
Holy Heroes: Holy Heroes offers a free Lenten Adventure for children. The series will include videos, activities, and coloring sheets.
Shining Light Dolls: Print out your free Lent Loops and check out the amazing collection of gifts that are perfect for Easter Baskets. Use our link for 10% off.
Catholic Family Crate: Find more Lent resources for your family here.
Catholic Icing: Lent activities for Catholic families.
Catholic Email Subscriptions
Catholic-Link.org weekly emails include seasonal resources to help you make the most of Lent.
Best Lent Ever by Dynamic Catholic: Catholic Speaker Matthew Kelly provides daily emails with videos and reflections to help you “Rediscover Jesus” this Lent.
Celebrate the Feasts – Katie Warner, known as Catholic Katie, provides emails to help you celebrate feasts and better understand Church traditions.
“Living Lent Daily” by Loyola Press: This will be a daily email based on the book Grace-Filled Days by Amy Andrews.
Catholic Websites
Catholic-Link: We have several great posts that will encourage you this Lent, as well as weekly video reflections on the Gospel message. Come back to our site often so you don’t miss out on all of our wonderful resources!
Exodus & Exile Challenge: Like the Israelites of old, we are not home. And yet, there is great hope in our sojourning – in our movement back to God! Dr. John Bergsma will be reading and reflecting one chapter of Exodus each day while Dr. Scott Hahn will be offering live presentations through Lent leading us through the meaning of this earthly exile to our heavenly home. This Exodus & Exile Challenge is completely free and opens on Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday. Sign up now to be a part of a life transforming Lent for you and allow the Lord to work in your heart. During this Lenten Challenge you will have free access to all of the St. Paul Center courses on Emmaus Academy till Easter, a truly fruitful and enriching opportunity. You can participate in the Emmaus Academy Courses on St. Paul, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Prayer.
CRS Rice Bowl: Provides brief videos, stories of hope and even suggestions for meals during Lent as well as raising awareness for the CRS rice bowl project. This is an excellent resource for those who desire to spend Lent sacrificing in order to give more to the poor.
Holy Heroes: Holy Heroes offers a free Lenten Adventure for children. The series will include videos, activities, and coloring sheets.
USCCB: The United States Council of Catholic Bishops offers some excellent resources on Lent
Daily Text Messages
Flocknote : Flocknote offers a daily Lenten reflection that you can choose to receive as an email or text message.
Catholic Video Reflections
Lentsanity Reflections: Every Sunday throughout Lent, Benedictine monk, Fr. Ananias Buccicone O.S.B. will share a new video giving you amazing and profound reflections and instruction on how to grow in faith.
Virtual Stations of the Cross: BustedHalo presents the Stations of the Cross on YouTube. This is a great form of prayer you can do in your own home.
Catholic-Link.org *New* YouTube Channel
Catholic Webinars & Virtual Retreats
Catholic-Link’s Digital Small Group Lent Study
The Ignatian Workout for Lent: An Online Retreat
The Wild Goose: Though not specific to Lent, this free online video series on the Holy Spirit is sure to enhance your spiritual growth over the next 40 days. The videos feature Fr. Dave Pivonka and several testimonies to help better understand the Holy Spirit. Also available is a newer series Here!
Digital Immersion Trip: Join Catholic Extension on a trip to some of the poorest areas of the United States to see how the Catholic faith is growing.
Catholic Music
The Vigil Project: “The VIGIL Project is a community of artists, musicians, and filmmakers that produce a multimedia resource for deep prayer and authentic encounter with God.” The first series they created focuses on songs for Lent, Easter, and Pentecost.
40 Songs for 40 Days by Steubenville Conferences: An amazing list of 40 contemporary songs to help guide your prayer time this Lent. There is a direct link to Spotify so the work is done for you!
Lent at Ephesus: “This compilation of poignant chants, intricate harmonies and rousing hymns of glory and redemption includes: “O Sacred Head Surrounded,” made famous by Bach’s oratorios, “All Glory Laud and Honor,” the well-known “Adoramus Te Christe” and the entrancing “Improperia” from the liturgy of Good Friday.”
Important Dates During Lent 2024
February 14, 2024 – Ash Wednesday | Lent begins | Day of Fasting
February 16, 2024 – Lent Friday | No Meat
February 23, 2024 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 1, 2024 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 8, 2024 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 15, 2024 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 19, 2024 – Feast of St. Joseph
March 22, 2024 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 24, 2024 – Palm Sunday
March 27, 2024 – Spy Wednesday
March 28, 2024 – Holy Thursday | Lent Ends
March 29, 2024 – Good Friday | Day of Fasting
March 30, 2024 – Holy Saturday
March 31, 2024 – Easter Sunday
April 7, 2024 – Divine Mercy Sunday
April 8, 2024 – The Annunciation of the Lord
May 12, 2024 – The Ascension of the Lord
May 19, 2024 – Feast of Pentecost | Easter Season ends
Lenten Recipes To Help With Your Fast
3 Easy Lent Recipes To Help You Fast On Ash Wednesday
Prayers To Learn For Lent
The Jesus Prayer – Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
PRAYER TO OUR SORROWFUL MOTHER | St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori
O my afflicted Mother! Queen of Martyrs and of Sorrows, thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son, Who died for my salvation; but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost? By the merits, then, of thy Sorrows, obtain for me deep contrition for my sins, and a true amendment of life, together with constant and tender compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and thy Dolors. And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent, have suffered so much for love of me, obtain that at least I, who am deserving of Hell, may suffer something for thy love. “O Lady,” will I say with St. Bonaventure, “if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart; if I have served thee, I now ask wounds for my reward. It is shameful to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded, and thee wounded with Him, and myself without a wound.” In fine, O my Mother, by the grief that thou didst experience in seeing thy Son bow down His head and expire on the Cross in the midst of so many torments, I beseech thee to obtain for me a holy death. Ah, cease not, O Advocate of sinners, to assist my afflicted soul in the midst of the combat in which it will have to engage in its great passage from time to eternity. And as it is probable that I may then have lost my speech and strength to invoke thy sweet name and the Holy Name of Jesus, Who art all my hope, I do so now; I invoke thy Son and thee to succor me in that last moment; and I say, Jesus and Mary, to Thee I commend my soul. Amen.
RAYER TO OUR SORROWFUL MOTHER | St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori
More Lent Resources
An Illustrated Guide To Fasting: Why Do We Fast During Lent?
Simple (And Creative!) Things To Do To Make The Best Of Lent!
3 Soul-Changing Challenges From A Seminarian To Make This Lent Count!
What tools will you use to grow spiritually this Lent? Leave your suggestions in the comments.
There are many wonderful ways to become more united with Christ during this Lenten season. Take the time to find one that will enrich the next 40 days and a significant impact on your life far beyond that. Pope Francis has offered great insight and wisdom to help our focus during Lent. You can find his message for Lent here.
More Lent Resources
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