In 2026, the forty days of Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, February 18, and end on Holy Thursday, April 2. Easter Sunday is on April 5. During this sacred season, we are called to deepen our faith through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Catholic-Link has gathered a selection of powerful resources for your journey during this Lenten season.
Our Most Popular Ash Wednesday Resource: What Should I Give Up? (Quiz)
Take the What Should I Give Up For Lent Quiz HERE!
Catholic Books To Read For Lent
Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness prepares you to experience deep, meaningful transformation, especially if you are entering this Lenten season feeling weary or longing for renewal. Inspired by a desire for you to experience the Lord’s gentleness and compassion, this devotional offers encouragement and challenges you to grow in a way that is loving and hopeful rather than overwhelming.
Who Is Jesus? (Meg Hunter-Kilmer) invites you on a twelve-week journey through the gospels to meet Jesus Christ as he reveals himself in scripture. Whether you’re a lifelong Catholic or exploring Christianity for the first time, this Bible study will help you answer the question Jesus asked his disciples—and still asks each of us today: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15).
Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech | Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. – Gossip. Lying. Flattery. Crass words. As we grow in Christian maturity, many of us are aware that we fall frequently into sins of speech. We realize instinctually that these faults are holding us back from the fullness of life. But what can we do about them? Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech promises to help us attain verbal virtue. As this brief book shows, by cultivating healthy habits, we can effectively crowd out sinful speech and experience the gift of our tongue as God intended.
The Way of the Cross with the Saints uses spiritual methods from saints such as St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John Henry Newman, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, and Ven. Mary of Agreda. This Lent, trust that by abiding and praying using traditional prayers, Lenten hymns, and meditations you will have fostered deeper contrition, humility, and appreciation of Christ’s Passion –beautifully bound and thoughtfully edited for you.
Witness A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation | Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP – This Lent, walk the road to Calvary with those who witnessed the Passion firsthand. Dominican friar and popular Godsplaining podcaster Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, is your guide on that journey in this daily Lenten devotional. Witness brings you face-to-face with the people of the Bible who encountered Christ in his Passion—saints and sinners, friends and enemies, the faithful and the afraid. From the Good Thief to Pontius Pilate, Martha to Barabbas, these figures reveal the depths of the human heart—flawed, fearful, hopeful, and deeply loved.
Crux: A Lenten Journey of Surrender journal may be purchased and used by anyone and is a wonderful add-on for those who want more space to journal, a beautiful space in which to track their progress through the four disciplines, and the opportunity to pray the Examen with prayer prompts in a screen-free way.
Catholic Movies & Series
The Last Supper : A powerful cinematic Biblical journey that brings to life the ultimate act of love and sacrifice as seen through the eyes of those who walked alongside Jesus. This reimagining unveils untold perspectives, offering a deeply human and spiritual exploration of the moments that shaped history and faith. Through the diverse voices surrounding Him, the story invites audiences to witness a powerful and intimate portrayal of redemption and grace. Embark on an extraordinary cinematic journey where a timeless story comes to life, faith finds new depth, and the power of belief unfolds in a way you’ve never experienced before. *We have not yet had the opportunity to review this movie. Subscribe to our emails so you don’t miss our review. Please use your discretion before viewing.
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.
The David Movie: From the songs of his mother’s heart to the whispers of a faithful God, David’s story begins in quiet devotion. When the giant Goliath rises to terrorize a nation, a young shepherd armed with only a sling, a few stones, and unshakable faith steps forward. Pursued by power and driven by purpose, his journey tests the limits of loyalty, love, and courage—culminating in a battle not just for a crown, but for the soul of a kingdom.
More Lent Movie Recommendations
Not Sure What To Give Up For Lent? Click Here To Try This Quiz!
Catholic Apps
Ascension Press: Crux – An all-in-one digital Crux experience in the Ascension app for individuals who want encouragement, accountability, and community during Lent.
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.
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.
Catholic Lent Resources For Kids
I AM Lenten Study for Catholic Families with Young Children from Catholic Sprouts – In the Gospel, Jesus uttered seven powerful “I AM” statements.
In these statements, Jesus used God’s holy name (I AM WHO I AM) to announce His own divinity. These seven statements also help us understand more about the great mystery of God and the relationship He wants to have with each of us.
The I AM Lenten study aims to look closely at each of Jesus’s “I AM” statements in a way that invites the youngest members of your family into the conversation.
Crown of Thorns Lent Magnet Set – Shining Light Dolls
Journey through Lent with the magnetic Crown of Thorns set. We’ve re-imagined this Lenten tradition in magnet form (no more sharp toothpicks!) This lovely set can be placed flat on the table, or hung on the wall (comes ready to hang). At the beginning of Lent cover the crown with the thorn magnets. Then, during Lent, encourage children to do good works or make small sacrifices (whatever works for your family!). For each good work or sacrifice, children can remove a thorn. This is a great visual aid to illustrate to children how our good deeds lessens suffering in the world.
All about Lent & Holy Week: Sharing the Seasons of Repentance & Salvation with Children is the essential guide all Catholic families need for the holiest time of the year. Award-winning duo Katherine Bogner and Shari Van Vranken highlight the many treasures of pray and tradition to guide you on your Lenten journey.
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 offers a free Lenten Adventure for children. The series will include videos, activities, and coloring sheets.
Find more Lent resources for your family here.
Lent activities for Catholic families.
Lent with the Saints is a daily Lenten journey designed especially for kids aged 5-8. Each day, listen to a short, engaging saint story brought to life by Kiley Lawrence of The Merry Beggars!
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!
The St. Paul Center is hosting the world’s largest Bible study for Lent this year! Each week starting on Ash Wednesday, gather for a good ole fashioned Bible study with voices you already know and love, like Emily Stimpson-Chapman, Fr. Dave Pivonka, Megan Hjelmstad, Dr. John Bergsma, and more to delve into rich conversations around Scripture in the form of a good ol’ fashioned Bible study. Whether you start a group in your living room or at your parish, with family, friends, or strangers- it’s an easy way to stay grounded, grow in faith, and be part of something bigger this Lent. Sign up at stpaulcenter.com/lent
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
Diocese of Pittsburgh: Could you use a daily reminder to help guide your Lenten prayer and sacrifices? Text LENT2025 to 84576 to join the Lenten Challenge and receive an inspirational text message every day in Lent.
Catholic Video Reflections
How To Lent: This new four-part video series is available on Formed, the Augustine Institute’s faith formation streaming platform. Lively and accessible, these episodes challenge the commonly held notion that Lent is merely about giving things up. Using the experience of Jesus’ temptation in the desert, episodes dive into the three Lenten pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to ultimately help Catholics understand why purposeful preparation is important before Lent even begins. Viewers are invited to continue their journey through Lent on Formed with Foretold: Learning to Trust in God’s Providence, a second video series launching on Ash Wednesday that weaves together stories of the Old and New Testaments to reveal the prophecy and fulfillment of Christ throughout history. A final resource, Lent: Coming to Christ, is a new mini journal with reflection questions for both series and space to write along the way.
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 YouTube Channel
Catholic Webinars & Virtual Retreats
The Ignatian Workout for Lent: An Online Retreat
40 Days of Lent Online Retreat
Lenten Retreats in Daily Living 2026
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!
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.”
Lent 2026 Important Dates To Know
February 18, 2026 – Ash Wednesday | Lent begins | Day of Fasting
February 20, 2026 – Lent Friday | No Meat
February 27, 2026 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 6, 2026 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 13, 2026 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 19, 2026 – Feast of St. Joseph
March 20, 2026 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 25, 2026 – The Annunciation of the Lord
March 27, 2026 – Lent Friday | No Meat
March 29, 2026 – Palm Sunday
April 1, 2026 – Spy Wednesday
April 2, 2026 – Holy Thursday | Lent Ends
April 3, 2026 – Good Friday | Day of Fasting
April 4, 2026 – Holy Saturday
April 5, 2026 – Easter Sunday
April 12, 2026 – Divine Mercy Sunday
May 14, 2026 – The Ascension of the Lord
May 24, 2026 – 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.
pRAYER 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 this Lent? Leave your suggestions in the comments.
