By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Feb 25, 2025 / 10:55 am In his message for Lent 2025, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of living one’s life as a constant journey of conversion, choosing to walk in peace and hope aside one’s fellow humans. “May the hope that does not disappoint, the …

by Rebecca Sontag There is no Easter without Lent. Prayer, penance and fasting can be tough for anyone. And meditating on the Last Four Things (death, judgment, heaven and hell) is a heavy task at any age. While it is tempting to ignore the tough spiritual preparation that results in …

By Matt Hadro Washington D.C., Feb 22, 2023 / 04:00 am God commanded it, Jesus practiced it, Church Fathers have preached the importance of it — fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life. But for many Catholics today, it’s more of an afterthought: something we grudgingly do …

By Kristina Millare Rome Newsroom, Mar 2, 2025 / 06:00 am Though many Catholics may associate the liturgical season of Lent more with the practice of fasting and abstaining from food, many families around the world use the 40-day season to prepare specific homemade delicacies to remind them of the life …

Each year during the season of Lent, the Church affords us the opportunity to rekindle our relationship with God, both as individuals and as a community of faith. These 40 days are a time set aside to pray more, to embrace a spirit of self-denial and sacrifice, and to work …

There is a certain peace and beauty as we begin our Lenten Journey with Mass during Ash Wednesday. This video was released several years ago, and this year Ash Wednesday in March 5, 2025. Check out the video:

February 14 – Ash Wednesday Readings: Jl 2:12-18, Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17, 2 Cor 5:20—6:2, Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Invitation to Prayer: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Reflection: It seems each day we are faced with various forms …

By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Mar 20, 2024 / 07:00 am Did you know that there are several ways you can gain a plenary indulgence during Lent? There are actually four ways you can receive one. Even though Lent is nearly over, there is still plenty of time for you …

By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Feb 24, 2024 / 07:00 am Many Catholics give up beer as part of the penitential rigors of Lent. One diocese is brewing it as part of a Lenten tradition stretching back 400 years. The Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has launched a beer collaboration with a …

The most obvious association that people have with Lent is of “giving something up.” In many cases, of course, this is perfectly legitimate. Along with prayer and almsgiving, fasting is one of the three traditional pillars of Lenten observance, and it is mandated (with exceptions) on Ash Wednesday and Good …