Lenten Prayer

Prayer is one of the three pillars of Lenten practice. Through prayer, we raise our hearts and minds to God in thanksgiving and praise. Prayer is our “vital and personal relationship with the true and living God.”

During Lent, we place special emphasis on prayer and contemplation on the Passion and Death of our Lord through expressions of popular piety such as the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) and veneration of the Crucified Christ. The Stations of the Cross are traditionally prayed on the Fridays of Lent.

Many parishes hold missions or retreats during Lent. The “Seven Penitential Psalms” (Ps 6, 32, 38, 51,102, 130 and 143) and the “Songs of the Suffering Servant” (Is 42, 49,50 and 52) from the book of the Prophet Isaiah are traditionally used for meditation and prayer during Lent.

Many resources are available for Lenten prayer and contemplation.