Jesus Our Father beckons: "Return to me with your whole heart." Each Lent the Church offers us a 40-day retreat designed to help us respond to this call. Lent is the primary penitential season of the liturgical year. We partake in Lent with prayer, fasting and almsgiving. See Lent Q&A

Read Pope Benedict XVI's 2011 Lent Message or watch the Vatican Channel on Youtube to follow him.

It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with the Easter Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The Triduum is the liturgical celebration to help us embrace the ultimate act of love: Jesus' passion, death and resurrection, the foundation of the Christian faith. This year, Ash Wednesday falls on March 9. It is a day of fast and abstinence. Each Friday of Lent is a day of abstinence. On Good Friday, we abstain and fast. See Guidelines

The following offers several ways to help you return to the Lord during the season of Lent. If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.

Participate in your Parish, Community

Arkansas parishes are planning Stations of the Cross, missions, fish fries, retreats, holy hours and more during Lent. In addition, many convents and monasteries offer events that are open to the public. To learn when these events will take place in your area, see the following:

Reconcile with God and the Church by taking advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation in your parish. Several also offer adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to help you grow in your relationship with Christ. To find out when these take place in your parish, see the following:

Fast, Give Alms

Support the work of Catholic Relief Services by putting money you would have spent on a large meal into one their “rice bowls” in exchange for eating an inexpensive meatless meal each week. At the end of Lent, the rice bowls are collected and the money raised goes to help people suffering from poverty and hunger around the world. The program known as Operation Rice Bowl incorporates the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This program can be done through your parish or school. To find out how, contact Rebecca Spencer at Catholic Charities of Arkansas. To learn why we fast, see the following:

thorns In addition to giving to your parish and other charities, consider adding Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal to your tithe. Jesus said we are the light of the world. In his CASA homily, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor challenges us to let our light shine by supporting the "missionary outreach of Jesus’ Church right here in Arkansas." Download a pledge card or access the bishop's homily below.

Listen in English or Spanish

Read in English or Spanish

Learn about the Catholic Faith

If you have been Catholic all your life and wish to understand the Church's teachings more, or if you are not Catholic and would like more information, there are several online resources to help you.

Go to Catholic Resources to find a wide range of information from the seven sacraments to prayers, practices and devotions.
Little Rock Scripture Study's "What the Bible Says About ..." explains “The Rapture”, “Six Days to Create the World" and "Being Born Again" from a Catholic perspective.
View the list of books and newsletters recommended by the Office of Religious Education and Christian Initiation
Check out the special Lent section from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that offers links to explain “What We Believe,” “What We Celebrate,” “How We Live” and show “How We Pray.”

Volunteer your Time, Talent and Treasure

Service is a great way to see Christ in the faces of those in need. Rather than give up something this Lent, consider doing something new, like one of the following:

Watch a Video

The diocese’s Resource Library offers several Lenten Videos for children and adults in both English and Spanish. Go to the video list or contact Teresa Hayden to check out a video.

Or watch "What Are Catholics Doing for Lent?” or the Vatican Channel on Youtube.

Take a Bible Study

Embark on a personal study of all four gospels. Little Rock Scripture Study’s "The Four Gospels, Catholic Personal Study Edition" offers a comprehensive essay that provides the background for understanding how to read the Gospels in a Catholic context.

There are also photos, maps and charts, as well as brief inserts defining terms and ideas, revealing archaeological insights, connections to the Church’s social teachings and liturgical practices and sketches of Gospel characters. Finally, the book contains a listing of all Sunday readings in the Church’s three-year cycle.

Estudio Bíblico de Little Rock invites you to study Los Relatos de la Pasión y Resurrección de Jesús during the weeks of Lent and Easter. These are the core stories of our faith and the reason for our hope. Purchase Los Relatos de la Pasión y Resurrección de Jesús.

Visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to read or listen to the daily readings and watch the corresponding video reflection, or sign up for the Daily Mass Readings Podcast.

Do Some Spiritual Reading

USCCB Publishing offers resources to help delve deeper into the meaning of Lent, such as "Reflections for Lent and Easter: Cultivating the Gift of Self" and "Lent and Easter with the Church Fathers." Also available are several books by Pope Benedict XVI including "Following Christ: Spiritual Thoughts Series." Many are available in English and Spanish. Or read the pope's newest book, "Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week — From the Entrance Into Jerusalem to the Resurrection". It was just released March 10.

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor offers much food for thought in his homilies, which you can read on Arkansas Catholic's Website or on Facebook. Audio readings of many of his homilies are also available. Listen in English and Spanish. Or read the bishop's "I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me: A Pastoral Letter on the Human Rights of Immigrants," which seeks to open our minds and hearts to Christ's teachings on immigration.

For several years Arkansas Catholic has published a special section on Lent. These sections offer stories about fasting, reconciliation, spiritual direction, prayer, Lenten recipes, the spiritual works of mercy and more. To access these, see the following:

Pray, Pray, Pray

Submit your prayer needs or visit the Prayer Book of Intentions Online and join the bishop in praying for all the intentions added daily. Submit a prayer request in English or Spanish.
See traditional Catholic prayers in English, Spanish and Latin
Join the MOMMS (Mothers of Major and Minor Seminarians) Prayer Watch and lift up our seminarians in prayer each week.
Several Catholic Websites offer resources for prayer. The following is just a sampling of what is available online:

Audio Stations of the Cross

Audio retreats for Lent