Lenten Resources

Jesus is God's greatest victory and likewise he is the fulfillment of humanity's deepest longing. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, a new age has dawned and life will never be the same again. What exactly did happen on Easter morning? Why did it impel the disciples to begin a journey that would transform the world? This book will help you understand what the Scriptures teach us about our own resurrection and how that hope gives purpose to everything we do.

Schedule For Group Study:

Session 1: Introduction

Session 2: Lessons 1-6

Session 3: Lessons 7-12

Session 4: Lessons 13-18

Session 5: Lessons 19-24

Session 6: Lessons 25-30

The gospel stories of the passion and resurrection of Jesus are at the core of Christian faith, revealing the nature of God, the person of Jesus, and the path of every disciple. Explore these essential stories in the unique accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John with reliable guide Stephen Binz, and embrace the cross and resurrection in your own life. Ideal for Lent/Easter study. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included. 6 lessons.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome                                                                                               7

What materials will you use?                                                                8

How will you use these materials?                                                        8

Map of Jerusalem in the Time of the New Testament                         10

Lesson One (Introduction and The Passion according to Mark)          11

Lesson Two (The Passion according to Matthew)                                35

Lesson Three (The Passion according to Luke)                                     59

Lesson Four (The Passion according to John)                                       79

Lesson Five (The Resurrection according to Mark and Matthew)          97

Lesson Six (The Resurrection according to Luke and John)                 107

Praying with Your Group 124 Reflecting on Scripture                         126

Each lesson includes a video lecture. Videos can be viewed online (link provided on Table of Contents page of each book) or on DVD (available for purchase). Speakers for this study are Catherine Upchurch, Thomas Jakobs, Matthew A. Glover, David LeSieur, Dan Hennessey, Clifford M. Yeary and Judy Hoelzeman

Reorient your mind and heart this Lent so you can more fully experience the joy of Easter Christs victory over sin and death.

In this beautiful guided journal for prayer and meditation, Fr. John Burns author of the bestselling and award-winning book Adoreinvites you to strip away your confusion, attachments, and sin so you can return to the Lord and undergo real and lasting conversion.

In the liturgys first reading on Ash Wednesday, the prophet Joel call us to wholehearted conversion: Even now, says the Lord, return to me, with your whole heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning, rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God (Jl 2:12).

Each week throughout Lent, Burns breaks down these two verses:

• Week 1, return to me recognize the need to reorient our lives through Lent;
• Week 2, return to me with your whole heart reorient not only the mind but also the heart to the Lord;
• Week 3,return to me with fasting acknowledge hardness of heart and the value of discipline;
• Week 4, return to me with weeping and mourning bring forward personal agonies and unbind hidden bitterness that divides us from God; and
• Week 5, Rend your hearts, not your garments, return to the Lord, your God.

Then, during Holy Week and the Resurrection on Easter, you are invited to weave your own stories into that of the Paschal Mystery.

Burns uses the opening prayer of each days Mass called the Collect as a starting point for your meditations through the forty days leading up to Easter Sunday. He also focuses on the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, which come together as our sacred penance during this solemn season, and ultimately lead us to heaven.

Each day ofReturn includes the prayer from the Collect, an inspiring meditation, thought-provoking reflection questions, and a prayer. Theres plenty of space for journaling as well.

Return features stunning original art by Josiah Henley of Heart of IESVS. Free weekly companion videos, a downloadable discussion guide, and other resources make this book perfect for parish-wide, individual, and book club use leading up to Easter.

Bestselling author and beloved retreat leader Joyce Rupp has offered companionship and gentle guidance throughout the seasons in such books asMay I Have This Dance? and Anchors for the Soul. InJesus, Friend of My Soul,each two-page daily reflection brings our attention to the Lenten season, providing reflections for growth and inviting us to follow Jesus and become more like him.

As Christians, Joyce Rupp writes, we look to the person of Jesus to learn from him.Because our lives are filled to the brim with activity, it is easy to drift away from trying to live as Jesus did, and we find ourselves in need of time to focus on drawing close to him again and learning from his example. In Jesus, Friend of My Soul, Rupp guides us from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday illustrating both how Jesus called his followers to change and how his actions provide us a blueprint for growth.

Rupp helps us learn from the qualities of Jesus and the actions and teachings that marked his time on earth, including:

• how Jesus extended mercy after Peter's denials
• how Jesus trusted in his Father, even as he experienced other emotions when troubling events occurred
• how Jesus spoke and acted with integrity, which made him a valuable and trustworthy person for others to listen to and follow

Each day's reflection begins with a verse from scripture and a meditation centered on Jesus life, actions, and teachings that are applied to our lives. We are then offered a prayer and an intention to carry with us throughout the day. Each brief reflection gently leads us to new growth in our lives and invites us to reach new depths in our faith. Questions for individual or group study are included.

Follow the Lord into the depths of your heart this Lent and you will never be the same.

Take a healing journey with Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, as she helps you turn away from what wounds you and toward God who heals you and makes you whole.

In this beautiful guided journal for prayer and meditation, Sr. Miriam invites you to meet the tenderness of God's mercy, the power of his love, and the restoration of your heart and life as you practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Restore features stunning original art by Valerie Delgado of Pax.Valerie along with daily meditations on a passage from scripture, reflection questions, guided prayer, and space for journaling and notetaking.

Throughout Lent, you'll move through four different phases of healing, focusing on traditional Lenten practices:

1. Prayer is the means of healing our relationship with God.
2. Fasting disciplines us in healing our relationship with ourselves.
3. Almsgivingleads us to healing our relationships with others.
4. Sacrificeshows us the path to heaven and union with God.

If you enter into Lent with Christ, your heart will see more clearly, be pierced more easily, love more strongly, and serve more passionately. Jesus will be etched into the crevasses of your being.

For almost fifty years, the simple, intimate, and powerful words of Clarence Enzler's perennially bestselling Stations of the Cross booklet have invited readers to grow closer to Christ by embracing the mystery of suffering in the world.

Beautiful, bold commissioned woodcuts by Annika Nelson and her mother Gertrud Mueller Nelson help us meditate on the passion and death of Christ and to see how Christ is among us often in unexpected places.

Also available in Spanish and in a large-print edition, the booklet is ideal for personal or parishwide use during the Lenten observance of the Stations of the Cross.

50 Books for Box

Two Tenebrae Readings & Services by Richard A Dinges

Provides pastors and congregations with dramatic ways to remember the Passion of the Lord.   Used in the latin mass.

Tenebrae I - 9 reading parts

Tenebrae II - 12 reading parts

Parts are simple enough for both young people and adults.   They are creatively drawn from the Bible narratives and present realistic human responses from those who would be his disciples.

Lent is a time in the yearly Christian calendar when we mourn our sin and let go of worldly things that keep our hearts from experiencing God more fully. But how do we reevaluate and recalibrate the values of our hearts to match those of our suffering Savior?

In this forty-day Lenten devotional, best-selling author Paul David Tripp invites us to set aside time from the busyness of our lives to focus on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus. Each of the short readings encourages us to abide in the abundant joy found in Christ as we encounter the Savior more fully and follow him more faithfully during this Lenten season.

Lent calls us to undertake a journey, a step-by-step process in which our view of the world shifts almost imperceptibly - until we look around and realize how far we've come. Pastor and scholar Mary Alice Mulligan leads us through Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, examining the scriptures in which Jesus calls on his Disciples to leave everything and follow him, is baptized and announcements his ministry, predicts his own death, clears the temple and pledges to rebuild it in three days, and proclaims God's love for all. During Holy Week, Mulligan takes us through the events of that long-ago week with fresh eyes, new ways to understand an old story. Entries begin with the darkness of Ash Wednesday and voyage through the glory of Easter morning. These concise entries include scripture, reflections, suggested spiritual practices, and a prayer. Entries are undated, making this a perennial resource.

Lent is about more than going to church on weekdays and giving up chocolate or social media. It's also a time to form one's heart and mind through study and prayer. In  Where the Eye Alights, Marilyn McEntyre offers forty short meditations, based on excerpts from Scripture and poetry, that guide readers on a devotional journey from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday. As in  lectio divina--the spiritual practice of reading Scripture repetitively and meditatively--McEntyre invites us to notice words that may give us pause and summon us to reflection. This book calls our attention to how the Spirit speaks through phrases that can open doors to deep places for those willing to sit still with them.

"Lent is a time of permission," says McEntyre. "Many of us find it hard to give ourselves permission to pause, to sit still, to reflect or meditate or pray in the midst of daily occupations--most of them very likely worthy in themselves--that fill our waking minds and propel us out of bed and on to the next thing. We need the explicit invitation the liturgical year provides to change pace, to curtail our busyness a bit, to make our times with self and God a little more spacious, a little more leisurely, and see what comes. The reflections I offer here come from a very simple practice of daily meditation on whatever has come to mind in the quiet of early morning."

In this book about Julian of Norwich, Sheila Upjohn explores the 'Revelations of Divine Love' alongside passages from Scripture. As part of the 'Prayer Journey Through Lent' series, 'The Way of Julian of Norwich' reveals how Julian's fresh perspectives on sin and judgement, anger and forgiveness, the Incarnation and the crucifixion can challenge and enlighten us, six hundred years later, in a world so badly in need of the assurance of God's unconditional love. This inspirational book by Sheila Upjohn serves as a guide to Julian of Norwich that will deepen the reader's prayer life during Lent and throughout the year. Upjohn transports the reader back to the middle ages in this book about 'Revelations of Divine Love' and Julian of Norwich to give a deeper understanding of Julian who was so often perceived as an outsider. As a foundation member of 'Friends of Julian of Norwich' and having first read 'Revelations of Divine Love' almost fifty years ago, Sheila Upjohn has a long and intimate association with Julian of Norwich and so offers a captivating perspective of Julian within 'The Way of Julian of Norwich'.

Lent is about more than just giving things up. It's about preparing your heart for Jesus. Reflect in this season with  The Hope of Easter.

Experience the Easter story in a fresh way with  The Hope of Easter -  a beautiful 40-day book of Scripture readings, featuring text from the Gospel of John in the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version. Short reflections on the Scripture, journaling prompts, and room to write your thoughts after each day's reading allow you to reflect on Jesus' life, sacrificial death, and resurrection during the holy season of Lent.

• Contains the majority of the text from the New International Version Gospel of John.

• Insightful reflections and prompt questions lead to a deeper personal interaction with the Easter story.

• Perfect for gift giving and solo or group study.

A companion book for anyone celebrating the season of Easter, with prayers and practices from a variety of denominations and traditions. Sections include It's Friday, But Sunday's Coming; Easter Vigil Prayers; Pascha-themed Prayers; He Is Risen; and Prayers for Eastertide.

Count the sheep -- and the laughs -- in this hilarious follow-up to picture bookThe Night Baafore Christmas. With sheep misbehaving all over the house, will Bo get to sleep before the Easter Bunny comes?

In this humorous tale of an Easter Eve gone wrong, Bo just wants to fall asleep so Easter Day -- and the Easter Bunny -- will come faster. But when he tries counting sheep, the sheep get bored and scatter, and chaos ensues: "Sheep 5 juggles eggs, tossing ten in the air. He misses. They crash and get crushed in Bo's hair." Children can count along with Bo as he finds the 10 mischievous sheep misbehaving throughout the house. With a house full of sheep and a mess to clean, will Bo get to sleep before the Easter Bunny comes?
Find out in this hilarious story of a night before Easter gone wrong. With exuberant verse and comical illustrations, this book will have children begging for repeat readings.

This book will have little ones "hoppin' down the bunny trail" with Peter Cottontail, one of Easter's most beloved icons.
The words of this perennial Easter favorite spring to life in this charmingly illustrated book about Easter's favorite bunny.

Stations of the Cross According to St. Paul offers passages from Paul's letters for devotional reflection.

These worthy meditations on Paul's writings help us comprehend the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. Because of Paul's intense understanding of the cross, the reflections lead those who open themselves up to the Holy Spirit to attain greater spiritual depth.

ISBN: 9780809145744

Author: Ronald D. Witherup, SS

He Is Risen!: The Resurrection of Jesus ( Superbook #11 )"From the Emmy-nominated animation series Superbook These storybooks bring Bible stories to life using the same beautiful artwork from the Emmy-nominated animation series Superbook. Each book features engaging, age-specific content that coordinates with Superbook DVD stories. Children can learn God's Word and be introduced to the Superbook series for the first time. "Superbook intervenes and in a very special episode, takes Chris, Joy, Gizmo and Pheobe back in time for an encounter with Jesus' mother, Mary, during the time of her son's crucifixion"

In Lenten Grace, members of the Daughters of St. Paul share the fruits of their lectio divina (a prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture). This handy volume contains their insightful reflections on the daily Gospel readings of Lent.

Features & Benefits:

• Implements and explains the lectio divina prayer method.
• Includes the Sunday readings for Cycles A, B, and C.
• Can be used for Lenten reflection year after year!

About the Authors:

The Daughters of St. Paul are an international congregation of women religious. They were founded in Italy in 1915 by Blessed James Alberione. Lenten Grace contains entries from 15 members of the Daughters of St. Paul, including Kathryn J. Hermes, Mary Peter Martin, Anne Eileen Heffernan, and Mary Lea Hill.

Binding: Paperback
Category: Spirituality/Lent
Trim size: 5" x 7 1/4"
Pages: 160

The Easter story comes to life through age-appropriate puzzles, activity pages, and stickers in this friendly and fun The Beginner's Bible Easter Sticker and Activity Book featuring classic art and simply written content from The Beginner's Bible.

Daily Lenten Meditations: Prayerful Reflections from John Paul II edited by Fr. Max Polak

This book is a small representation of John Paul II's teaching presented as a help to those who wish to live the Christian Church's season of Lent more meaningfully. It can also meet the interest of inquirers who wish to know something of the Pope's message to Christians and of his hopes for a world in which the respect for truth and the knowledge of God's love bring joy and peace to the hearts of many.

Pope John Paul II's pontificate was one of the longest and most eventful of the whole history of the Catholic Church. More importantly, this Pope's enduring and courageous preaching of the Gospel message throughout the world has meant that an unprecedented number of people have been exposed to its challenging and invigorating influence. People of the most varied cultures and degrees of Christian commitment have listened to this ambassador of Christ as he addressed their needs and concerns while digging deep into the words of Jesus. Many have been moved to take up the Gospels themselves and rediscover their ongoing relevance while others have felt their devotion to the Church strengthened.

Father Max Polak is currently Catholic chaplain to the University of Tasmania (Australia). For more than sixteen years he was chaplain of Warrane College at the University of New South Wales and also served as Catholic chaplain to the University of Waikato (New Zealand). Before beginning studies for the priesthood, he completed degrees in aeronautical engineering at MIT. Later, before being ordained as a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature, he studied in Rome and at the University of Navarre (Spain), presenting a doctoral thesis in patristic theology on Saint Ambrose. He has published an earlier anthology of texts of Pope John Paul II as well as articles in a number of newspapers and magazines on topics of theology and bioethics. He was ordained in 1975.

978-1-56854-530-1 | Hardcover | 100 pages | Language: English

A Lent Sourcebook compiled by J. Robert Baker, Evelyn Kaehler, Peter Mazar

Over 1,000 entries accompany the reader on the journey through Lent. You'll find selections about conversion, repentance, renewal, rebirth, mystery, and eternity.

978-0-92965-036-4 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 492 pages | Language: English

An Easter Sourcebook: The Fifty Days compiled by Gabe Huck, Gail Ramshaw, and Gordon Lathrop

A prayer guide and rich literary resource for neophytes, godparents, teachers, homilists, liturgists, and all who want to discover the beauty of Eastertime.

9780930467760 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 184 pages | Language: English

A Triduum Sourcebook compiled by Joan Halmo and J. Frank Henderson

A Triduum Sourcebook presents the scripture readings and prayers of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday, along with a treasury of hymns, poetry, homilies, and reflections gathered from contemporary and ancient sources.

TRIDR | 978-1-56854-099-3 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 560 pages | Language: English

Art by Laura James.

Laura James, whose arresting, colorful art appears in LTP's beautiful ritual book, the Book of the Gospels, has created a brilliant, lively image of the three Marys at the empty tomb on the first Easter morning. Based on the early Christian Ethiopian art style, Laura James's work conveys the events of scripture through figures that are both decorative and reverent. This poster will bring the joy and drama of Easter into any room where it is displayed.

814805010191 | Poster | 22 x 17

Introduction to Lent and Eastertime by Gabe Huck

How often have you tried to explain what Lent and Eastertime mean to the life of the Church? Now you can expand the understanding, participation, and devotion of your community with this small booklet. Affordable pricing allows you to purchase copies for study groups, catechumens, liturgical ministers, or the whole parish.

978-0-93046-772-2 | Paperback | 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 | 16 pages | Language: English

Bible Stories for the Forty Days by Melissa Musick Nussbaum

This delightful book contains a wonderfully told story from the Bible for each day of Lent. Parents and teachers can read this book with very young children; older children will make it their own. Stories from both the Old and New Testaments bring to life characters we all need to know, from Adam and Eve and Noah to patriarchs, matriarchs, liberators, judges, and prophets. Also included are often overlooked stories of heroic women. When a story is read each day, the characters take us through the 40 days of Lent and toward the celebration of Easter each year. Children (and adults) will love these stories so much you'll want to keep this book out all year long.

978-1-56854-179-2 | Paperback | 8 1/2 x 11 | 96 pages | Language: English