We've embarked on our own 40 days in the wilderness of prayer, fasting and contemplation. Don't try this difficult journey without a guide. Here's a collection of some of our best spiritual reflections and practical advice and information on the coming Lenten season. Make the most of your Lent. We're hoping this material can help.

Learn about Lent:

Glad you asked: If Lent is 40 days, why are there 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter?

Glad you asked: Why does Easter seem to go on forever?

Do something for Lent: 

U.S. Catholic Lenten reflections - blog posts
Read about what others are doing for Lent and then share your own plans and struggles by emailing a guest blog post to onlineeditor@uscatholic.org. You can subscribe to an RSS feed of our Lenten blog posts or sign up to get this feed emailed to you once a day:

40 Days to a new you
Words of wisdom from 40 personal spiritual trainers, one for each day of Lent

Three ways to get into spiritual shape this Lent
Father Robert Barron offers three spiritual practices that will be effective whether you envision an angry or joyful God.  

Ten ways to put new life into Lent
Need some concrete actions for Lent. Here are 10.

Fast break
Lenten fasting takes on new meaning when you think of the impact of our consumption on the Earth.

Celtic Crossover
Celebrate Lent the Irish way with seven practices from Joyce Rupp.  

Reflections on Lent:

You 2.0
Lent is a time to upgrade your internal drives.

How I almost missed Good Friday
What happens when Lent and family obligations clash?  

Lean into Lent
Conversion is about changing our perceptions, not just our behaviors. 

Start spreading the Good News
Lent could be a good time for us as the church to rethink its message to outsiders. Can we be more welcoming for Lent this year? 

Baby's first Holy Week
A self-proclaimed Holy Week junkie sees the Passion in her life as a new mother when she can't make it to church.

Via Dolorosa
A cancer patient finds the Passion in her own journey to the end.

Outside resources:

The pope's 2011 message for Lent

Lenten resources from the U.S. Catholic Bishops

Discuss Lent:

Lent is a time for fasting, praying, and almsgiving. What Lenten practices do you follow and why? Share your plans for Lent--and the temptations you face for these 40 days--in the comments section. You can also take our poll on how you feel when you fast here.