Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues until Easter Sunday, a total of 40 days (not including Sundays) echoing Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness (Luke 4).
“The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the heart of the Christian gospel, and Good Friday and Easter are two of the most significant celebrations of the Christian year. Lent is a season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate Good Friday and Easter. Just as we carefully prepare for big events in our personal lives, such as a wedding or commencement, Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection” (The Worship Sourcebook).
We recommend the following resources as guides for your own practice of prayer in this season.
GENEVA LENT GUIDE (2022)
Resources from CJ for Families & Children
- Peter Fish - We will be giving each kid a Peter Fish bank next Sunday. They will be raising money to give to World Renew. This is a chance of them care for others during Lent and think about where this is need in the world and how we can serve others in need. We’re tentatively planning to return these the week after Easter. More details to come.
- Pray or reflect with a calendar - Each student received this Lent calendar today. We talked about spending a minute or two in prayer each day while coloring something in that day’s space. Praying in color can be a great way for kids (and adults) to build a spiritual practice of prayer.
- Feast days - I told the kids that while their Lent calendar has 46 days, Easter only has 40 because Sundays don’t count — they are feast days. In our house, we celebrate feast days during Lent by always having a dessert with our dinner. Maybe a practice of having something or doing something special on Sundays during Lent would be a practice your family would enjoy (Your kiddos told me that I should say in the email “You must give your kids dessert every Sunday.” :) )
Play List for Lent Curated by Micah Behr
Prayer Apps
The Daily Office - traditional morning & evening prayer from the Book of Common Prayer
My Daily Office - simplified morning & evening prayer
Pray As You Go - brief music, scripture reading, and questions for reflection in the Ignatian tradition
Lectio 365 - a way of meditating on the Bible that's been used by Christians for centuries
“A journey, a pilgrimage! Yet, as we begin it, as we make the first step into the ‘bright sadness’ of Lent, we see - far, far away - the destination. It is the joy of Easter, it is the entrance into the glory of the Kingdom” (Alexander Schmemann, 20th century Orthodox theologian).