As you are probably well aware, the three pillars of Lent are prayer, alms-giving, and fasting. Here are a few of my favorite resources right now in those three categories to make it a fruitful, meaningful Lent:

PRAYER

~ Daily Rosary. My daughter, Ceci, and I lead a LIVE rosary every weekday morning at 6 a.m. CT on Instagram and YouTube, with new meditations every day. We’d love to have you join us live, or just join us as it works best with your schedule. Either way, we’re here for you, God willing!

~ Daily Gospel Reading. I love the Magnificat app and booklet, but I also love the free resource available in The Catholic Company Morning Offering (so rich and lovely!).

~ Daily Mass. If you still have Mass being offered where you live, I want to encourage you to go during the week, at least one day more than you usually go. If you’re afraid of COVID-19, all I can say is that the moment and the manner of your death are in the hands of God. I don’t mean to minimize the risks, but I would personally rather die because I went to Mass than live without the Eucharist. If fear has a grip on you, I’d like to share this beautiful video by Sr. Emmanuel, Consecrate Your Death and Heal from Fear, which will lead you through the consecration of your death–both the date and the manner–as well as that of your loved ones. It really set me free from fear, especially fear for my husband’s possible death from COVID-19 (he did get it and is fine).

~St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Stations of the Cross. Click here for beautiful, heart-level meditations on the suffering and death of Jesus.

~Apostoli Viae. This is a rich website and ministry started by Dan and Stephanie Burke. If you are interested in Carmelite spirituality (St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity), you will love it. I just downloaded the 40 Days to Peace: a Lenten Journey that Dan put together with Fr. John Bartunek. It’s a beautiful free guide to entering into heart-to-heart prayer with the Lord that I received as a member of the Sojourners group. Click here to be taken to the website.

ALMSGIVING

~ Feed the Hungry, Clothe the Naked, Shelter the Homeless: The need for food, clothing, and shelter during the pandemic has increased exponentially. Please consider a donation to your local food bank and other related charities, like those sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. In my area, it’s the North Shore Food Bank.

~ Sounds of Peace: I’m so happy to announce that my project to give all of my music away to the needy has received official non-profit status. Hooray! If you would like to make a 100% tax-deductible donation to bring the Sounds of Peace players to those in need of comfort and consolation (especially those who are separated from family due to COVID-19), you can find out all about it–the Miracle Story behind it, How to Donate (and get one for yourself), and incredible Testimonies— by clicking here.

FASTING

~ Taking Care of the Temple, with Kitty Cleveland: If you’ve been praying the online rosary with me these last six months, then you know that fasting is something to which I feel called…and something which is really hard for me! So I started a Facebook group to share articles and resources to help us make fasting a regular part of my spiritual life in the hopes that it might help you, too. If you are a woman, I welcome you to join us. Just search for us on Facebook under the title at the head of this paragraph.

My greatest hope and prayer, friends, is that we make more room in our heart this Lent for LOVE–of God, each other, and even of ourselves. Let’s do this together!

Your sister in Christ,