Lent is less than a week away. Doesn’t it feel like we just finished taking all the Christmas decorations down? Now it’s already time to start preparing spiritually for the 40 days of Lent. It is important to set aside some time to pray, discern, and listen in order to understand what is it that God wants you to do to grow closer to Him.
We’ve created a handy little quiz to help give you some direction: What Should You Give Up for Lent? Most people will get a result that requires not so much giving something up, but doing something. Adding a prayer time, serving the poor, reading a spiritual book – these are all ways to achieve your spiritual goals.
In this day and age, we’ve got it easy in many ways. From websites to apps to books, there are hundreds of ways to add to your prayer life this Lent. Find one that suits your needs. I, personally, love the daily emails. I check my email every day so I’m sure to see it. I know others that make it a goal to read a book (or a few) during this holy season. We’ve compiled a list of our writers’ favorite Lenten resources. Please add your own favorite in the comments!
The Best Catholic Resources For Lent
Catholic Apps (apps listed are free)
Pray 40 Days: Fr. Michael Denk created the Pray 40 Days app to set your prayer time on fire this Lent. This app will change your prayer life forever.
Laudate: This app is wonderful year-round, not just during Lent. It provides the daily readings, reflections, and a vast collection of prayers.
Lent #Pray40 Challenge from Hallow
Take the Lent #Pray40 Challenge from Hallow – the Catholic Prayer and Meditation App!
The past 12 months have been full of ups and downs with many of us facing serious and unexpected challenges. This Lent, Hallow invites you to find peace in your relationship with God by joining the #Pray40 challenge and committing to daily prayer.
To help support you, Hallow has put together 40 days of Lenten meditations with length options that work for every schedule and experience level.
In honor of Pope Francis proclaiming 2021 as the “Year of St. Joseph,” Hallow has built the Hallow #Pray40 community challenge around growing in the virtues of the patron of the Universal Church, including humility, hiddenness, obedience, chastity, justice, and love of the poor.
There will be a new type of prayer each day to build on the theme for the week. A few highlights:
Prayers to grow in humility and obedience
The Seven Sorrows Rosary
Examinations of Conscience
The Litany of St. Joseph
New Hallow Music
The Stations of the Cross
Hallow is free to download and has permanently free content, as well as a premium subscription called “Hallow Plus” that includes the rest of the content library. Hallow Plus is usually $60/year.
You can try out ALL of the Hallow content risk-free during a limited-time free trial.
Daily Text Messages
Flocknote : Flocknote is offering a daily Lenten reflection that you can choose to receive as either an email or text message.
Catholic Books
Bringing Home Lent with Mother Teresa: Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families: My family used this book to guide our Lent last year and we found it to be a great fit for our busy (young) family. Using Mother Teresa’s famous quote “small things with great love” the activities are just enough to lead both children and parents to truly understanding Lent.
The Way of Prayer: Is “an acclaimed commentary on Saint Teresa of Avila’s classic work, Way of Perfection, discusses the various forms of Christian prayer, with an emphasis on Teresa’s meditation on the Our Father. The author, Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. (1893–1953), was a Carmelite priest, a revered master of Carmelite spirituality, and an expert in the spiritual and mystical doctrine of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.”
The Holy Spirit, Fire of Divine Love: “Fr. Stinissen’s writing is profound enough for theologians, yet accessible enough for anyone seeking a fuller and more meaningful life. This is an important, inspiring, and timely book.” -Vinny Flynn, Author, 7 Secrets of Divine Mercy
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.”
Marriage Care Novena Book : The Marriage Care Novena is a 9-day adventure designed to help couples put God at the center of their marriage.
Catholic Email Subscriptions
Redeemed Online: Subscribe to this channel to get access to daily talks throughout Lent given by a variety of Catholic speakers.
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 a series of 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!
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.
Catholic Movies
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.
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/Online Retreats
A VIRTUAL RETREAT WITH CARDINAL SEÁN
LENT 2021: 40 DAYS TO PEACE AND UNION WITH GOD With Fr. John Bartunek, LC
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.”
What tools will you use to grow spiritually this Lent? Leave your suggestions in the comments.
There are so many wonderful ways for you 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
Related content:
An Illustrated Guide To Fasting: Why Do We Fast During Lent?
How To Recover When Lent Goes Wrong
Free Lent Resources To Help You Grow Closer To Christ
QUIZ: What Should You Do For Lent?
Lent Isn’t Meant To Be Sweet: A Guide To Deciding What To Give Up
The One Word Never To Say During Lent
Which Lent Resource Is Best For You? Possible Quiz Results
25 Simple Things You Can Do This Lent To Grow Closer To Christ
9 Things To Reflect On That Will Help You “Get” Lent
