An Ignatian Guide to Lent
Catholics have a lot of Lenten traditions. If you’ve been Catholic a long time, you may not even register these traditions; they may feel tired and routine. This Lent, use Ignatian spirituality to breathe new insight into these sacred rituals. Learn about Lent and about Ignatian spirituality through the lived experiences of fellow practitioners.
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Reflect
An Ignatian approach to traditional forms of Lenten prayer
Ignatian Prayer, Imaginative Prayer
Shannon Evans, author and columnist at Jesuits.org, reflects on the power of imaginative prayer.
Daily Scriptures, Past & Present
Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ, senior analyst at Religion News Service, reflects on how the daily readings for Lent invite us deeper into our Catholic faith.
Imaginative Exercises through a Prayer Spiral
Cameron Bellm, writer at Jesuits.org, shares a traditional Lenten prayer practice from her family.
Resisting Desolation, Resisting Temptation
Dr. Marina McCoy, professor of philosophy at Boston College, provides an Ignatian approach to resisting temptation.
Solidarity in Suffering
Author and spiritual director Becky Eldredge invites us to reflect on how Jesus invites us to share in our suffering.
A Pathway to Reconciliation
Carlos Aedo, Director of Hispanic Ministries at the Office of Ignatian Spirituality, reflects on how St. Ignatius provides us with a roadmap toward reconciliation.
Act
Lenten challenges to put your prayerful contemplation into concrete action for the common good
Fasting as Contemplatives in Action
Eric Clayton, senior communications manager at the Jesuit Conference, reflects on the importance of fasting as a contemplative in action.
Charitable Works through Cura Personalis
Josh Utter, outreach coordinator for Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, reflects on the importance of performing charitable works during Lent.
Freedom for New Practices
Elise Gower, associate director of Contemplative Leaders in Action, reflects on how she frees herself for new practices during Lent.
Answering the Call to Holiness
Patrick Sullivan, theology teacher at Gonzaga College High School, encourages us to ongoing conversion during Lent.
Pandemic Lessons for Lent
Anna Misleh, project manager for the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, shares how the pandemic has prepared her for Lent.
Meatless Fridays, Common Good
Fr. Greg Kennedy, SJ, reflects on how the invitation to eat meatless on Fridays during Lent has impacts well beyond these forty days.
Embracing a Lenten Challenge
José Sanchez, Assistant to the Provincial for Communications for the Jesuits of Canada, describes how he takes up yearly Lenten challenges.
An Almsgiving Examen
Fr. Jim McDermott, SJ, walks us through how to apply the Ignatian Examen to our Lenten almsgiving.
In All Things To Love And Serve
Zandra Schiemann, program coordinator of Ignatian Hispanic Ministries for the Office of Ignatian Spirituality, challenges us to love and serve this Lent.
Remember
Significant moments and symbols during Lent through which we encounter God in new ways
Act Against on Ash Wednesday
Christopher Smith, SJ, invites us to embrace the Ignatian principle of agere contra - "to act against" - this Ash Wednesday.
Finding God in Purple
Deanna Howes Spiro, VP for communications at the Association for Jesuit Colleges and Universities, reflects on God in purple.
Meditate on the Cross
Danielle Harrison, co-director of the Slavery, History, Memory and Reconciliation project, reflects on the cross.
The Stations of the Cross
Ian Peoples, SJ, invites us to imagine ourselves in the Stations of the Cross.
Nailed to Attachments
Martin Ngo, SJ, reflects on how nails can keep us attached to things we're better off letting go of.
Contemplation in the Desert
Author and editor Nick Ripatrazone shares wisdom from the Desert Fathers for our own Lenten journey in the desert.
Obedience, Hope & Thorns
Bill McCormick, SJ, reflects on how the crown of thorns is an invitation to obedience - and how obedience leads to hope.
Contemplating & Acting on Holy Thursday
Colleen Gibson, SSJ, invites us to look at Holy Thursday in a new way this Lent.
Chrism Leads to Community
Emily Schumacher-Novak, associate director at the USCCB's Justice, Peace and Human Development Office, reflects on what the Chrism Mass means to her in her Lenten journey.
Accepting Good Friday Suffering
Jake Braithwaite, SJ, shares a powerful story of his own Good Friday experience – and invites us to reflect on ours.
The Women of Holy Saturday
Erica Tighe Campbell, owner and designer at Be A Heart, offers a reflection on the vital role women played on Holy Saturday.
If you’re looking for even more Lenten resources inspired by Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit life, you’ll find additional content here.