During Lent we wind down together as a family, and focus on the penitential season that we are in, with a nightly time of prayer. Although it's a big commitment, it's always worth it. By sharing our plans, I hope it gives you some ideas to create a time of family prayer in your home.
Here's how it works:
2. Everyone sings a Lenten hymn together.
- 1st Week of Lent: Forty Days and Forty Nights
- 2nd Week of Lent: The Glory of these Forty Days (lyrics here)
- 3rd Week of Lent: God of Mercy and Compassion (lyrics here)
- 4th Week of Lent: O Sacred Head Surrounded (lyrics here)
- 5th Week of Lent: Glory be to Jesus
- 6th Week of Lent: By the Blood that Flowed from Thee
- Holy Week: Were you there?
3. If it is Friday, we pray the Stations of the Cross with our Stations symbols or Stations candles.
4. Dad or Mom announces the symbol for the day and a child places the ornament on the Jesus Path. (It's like the Jesse Tree, but for Lent.) Then we read the story that relates to the ornament from the New Catholic Picture Bible. We basically read straight through the stories from the picture Bible in order.
Note: During Advent, we read stories from the Old Testament to understand Salvation History, which led up to Jesus' birth. During Lent, we read stories for the Gospels to understand Jesus' life as it leads up to his death and resurrection.
Below are the symbols we use each day, where to find the story in the New Catholic Picture Bible, and where to find the story in the Bible. You can find individual pictures of our handmade ornaments at this post.
- Ash Wednesday - Jesus is Found in the Temple - Scroll (CPB 108-109, Luke 2:41-50)
- Thursday - The Hidden Life of Jesus - Saw (CPB 110-111, Luke 2:51-52)
- Friday - The Baptism of Jesus- Baptism Shell (CPB 112-113, Mark 1:6-11)
- Saturday - The Temptation of Jesus in the Desert- Desert (CPB 114-115, Luke 4:1-13)
- Sunday - The Marriage at Cana - Water Jug (CPB 116-117, John 2:1-11)
- Monday - The Sellers the Temple - Whip (CPB 118-119, John 2:13-17)
- Tuesday - Nicodemus Comes to Jesus - Dove on Water Drop (CPB 120-121, John 3:1-5)
- Wednesday - The Samaritan Woman - Well (CPB 122-123, John 4:4-42)
- Thursday - The Great Catch of Fish - Fish (CPB 124-125, Luke 5:1-11)
- Friday - The Ten Lepers - Paper Doll Ring (CPB 126-127, Luke 17:12-19)
- Saturday - The Cripple at the Pool - Mat (CPB 128-129, John 5:1-15)
- Sunday - Sermon on the Mount - Mountain (CPB 130-133, Matthew 5:1-16)
- Monday - The Centurion’s Servant - Roman Helmet (CPB 134-135, Matthew 8:5-13)
- Tuesday - The Call of Matthew - Money Bag (CPB 136-137, Luke 5:27-32)
- Wednesday - The Rich Man and Lazarus - Angel (CPB 138-139, Luke 16:19-31)
- Thursday - The Penitent Woman- Foot (CPB 140-141, Luke 7:36-50)
- Friday - The Widow's Son - Sad Face (CPB 142, Luke 7:11-17)
- Saturday - The Man with a Withered Hand - Hand (CPB 144-145 - Luke 6:6-10)
- Sunday - Jesus Calms a Storm - Clouds with Lightening (CPB 146-147, Mark 4:35-40)
- Monday - The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes - Loaf of Bread (CPB 152-153, John 6:1-15)
- Tuesday - Jesus Walks on Water - Footprints on Water (CPB 154, Matthew 14:22-33)
- Wednesday - Promise of the Holy Eucharist - Grapes and Grain (CPB 156-157, John 6:22-59
- Thursday - Peter, the Head of the Church - Two Keys (CPB 158-159, Matthew 16:13-20)
- Friday - The Transfiguration - Picture of the Transfiguration (CPB 160-161, Matthew 17:1-8)
- Saturday - The Temple Dues- Coin (CPB 162-163, Matthew 22:15-22)
- Sunday - Jesus and the Little Children - Children (CPB 164-165, Mark 10:13-16)
- Monday - The Mission of the Apostles - Walking Stick - (CPB 168-169, Matthew 9:27-10:15)
- Tuesday -The Good Samaritan - Horse (CPB 170-171, Luke 10:25-37)
- Wednesday - Jesus with Martha and Mary - Footstool (CPB 172-173, Luke 10:38-42)
- Thursday - The Prodigal Son - Ring (CPB 176-177, Luke 15:11-32)
- Friday - Lazarus Raised From the Dead- Mummy Head (CPB 178-179, John 11:1-44)
- Saturday - The Blind Man - Eye (CPB 181, John 9:1-41)
- Sunday - The Rich Young Man - Gate to Heaven (CPB 182, Matthew 19:16-26)
- Monday - The Good Shepherd - Sheep (CPB 183, Luke 15:1-7)
- Tuesday - The Mother of James and John - Throne (CPB 184-185, Mark 10:35-45)
- Wednesday - Zacchaeus the Publican - Tree (CPB 186-187, Luke 19:1-10)
- Thursday - Entry into Jerusalem - Palm (CPB 188-189, Matthew 21:1-16)
- Friday - Washing of the Feet at the Last Supper - Washbasin with Pitcher (CPB 190-191, John 13:1-20)
- Saturday - The Institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper - Chalice (CPB 192-195, Matthew 26:19-29)
- Sunday - The Agony in the Garden - Flower (CPB 196, Matthew 26:36-46)
- Monday - Judas Betrays Jesus - Bag with 30 Coins (CPB 197, Matthew 26:14-16)
- Jesus Before Caiaphas - Cloud with Jesus (CPB 198, Matthew 26:57-68)
- Wednesday - Tuesday - Peter Denies Jesus - Roster (CPB 199, Matthew 26:69-75)
- Thursday - Jesus Before Pilot - Picture from the Stations (CPB 200-203, Matthew 27:24-25)
- Friday - On the Road to Calvary/Jesus Dies on the Cross - Crucifix (CPB 204-209, Matthew 27:33-56)
- Saturday - The Burial - Draped Cross (CPB 210-211, Matthew 27:57-66)
- The Resurrection of Jesus - Rock (CPB 212-213, Luke 24:1-12)
5. Each family member shares their prayer intentions and then everyone prays one decade of the Sorrowful Mysteries. For ideas on how to engage little ones in the rosary, check out this!
6. Everyone shares the sign of peace and heads to bed.
Happy praying!
Check out these posts for more of my liturgical ideas!
Ideas for Lent
Ideas for Holy Week
Ideas for Easter Season