With just a few days to go until we begin Lent, we’re all starting to think, “What shall I give up for Lent?”

Let’s admit it.  As Catholics, doesn’t this often become a combination of:

• New Year’s resolutions (to break some habits and fix those things about ourselves…once and for all…this time)?
• Yummy things to drop for a time (which we’ll charge right back into enjoying once Lent is over…but we’ll also lose some weight in the meantime!)?
• Spring cleaning (especially this time of year, all sorts of de-cluttering ideas always spring up, don’t they)?

Is that the best approach?

It makes me think:

Since Lent is all about imitating JESUS going into the desert for 40 days…this year, let’s start by imitating Jesus’ PREPARATION for Lent so we, too, can know what to do and when and how to do it.

As Mary Poppins says: “Well begun is half done.”

So:

How did JESUS begin His Lent,

which we can imitate

to make this year’s Lent an imitation of Christ?

Read the Gospels and you’ll see how this “original Lent” was prepared:

• Jesus was baptized (we’ve all gotten that part done, right?)
• God the Father spoke, “This is my beloved Son” (we’ve been adopted into His Family–done)
• Then: Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert (Matthew 4:1, Mark 1:12, Luke 4:1)

Ah-ha! For His Very Own Lent, Jesus simply followed where the Holy Spirit led Him!

So, as adopted children of the Father in Heaven, let’s imitate our brother: 

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit where He wants to lead us

instead of resolving our own plan for Lent!

Let’s allow the Holy Spirit

pick our penances, our sacrifices, the prayers

He knows we need in order 

to open us to the voice of the Father–

then follow wherever He leads us, into whatever desert we need!

Here’s how:

With a beautiful and time-honored 9-day novena to the Holy Spirit!

Won’t you join us in praying it?  We’ll make certain you won’t forget, because we will remind you by sending you the prayers every day!  

Just subscribe to our blog (enter your email below then click the “subscribe” button).  Every day, as the prayers get posted, we’ll send them right to your email inbox.

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Pray it for yourself, your family, and for us:

that we will imitate Jesus by being led

by the Holy Spirit into the desert of Lent this year.

The novena begins on our blog TUESDAY, February 18th–ending 9 DAYS LATER on Ash Wednesday.

It’s EASY–you won’t forget BECAUSE: we’ll send you each day’s prayers DAILY through Ash Wednesday.  

Please invite others to join in this imitation of Christ’s Own Lent.

PS  Of course your children can join in this novena, as well.  And we have a lot of things to help children keep focused on Christ and all He did for us all through Lent, Holy Week, the Easter Octave up to Divine Mercy Sunday.  We help them better understand and participate in Mass, dig into Scripture in bite-sized chunks, learn Lenten devotions and prayers, and more.  

Below are two ideas for children of all ages:

1. Sign up for Lenten Adventure! Every day, you will receive Lenten activities to help educate and motivate your family during this liturgical season. These activities include coloring pages, videos, cross words, word searches, Mass prep and so much more! Sign up here.
   • Another “extra” are the Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure Activity Books that go all the way through Divine Mercy Sunday! Find the books here.
   • Keep track of your Lenten journey with the Holy Heroes “Lenten Road to Easter” Roadmap! NOW with STICKERS! This helps kids a chance to track their way to Easter with daily adventures to find the letter of the day! Every day presents a new letter to find and the finished product is an Easter message! Find the map here.
2. Pray the Stations of the Cross during Lent and teach your kids how to meditate using this dramatized and beautifully recorded Stations of the Cross CD. This CD has been played on EWTN Global Catholic Radio (and shortwave) Network on Good Friday for 8 years, and it is prayerfully led by children, for children.
   • Got little ones who aren’t yet ready to sit through the entire Stations of the Cross? You can help them stay focused with this companion Stations of the Cross Coloring book.
   • Got some older kids who like to have something to follow along with, but are too “grown-up” to color? Here’s our beautiful full-color companion prayer booklet.

Lent is a beautiful season of prayer and penance that can help you and your family grow closer to God. We hope that these products can help you along your journey!