Welcome to the fifth week of Lent. These upcoming final weeks of Lent always fly by for me each year, and Holy Week begins in one week! 😱

Speaking of Holy Week...If there's one thing I'm good at it's Holy Week. It is peak Fiat Sanctum. I've gradually honed my Holy Week traditions and prayer practices over the years, and this year we can experience it together. Sign up for Holy Week Day-by-Day, a daily walk through the most sacred and solemn time of the liturgical year. I've only offered this as a paid course experience in the past, but now it's free for everyone! If you want a guided journey each day, check out Holy Week Day-by-Day. Also...psst...I'm going back to Spain for Holy Week in a few days!! I can't wait to share everything with you.

Our weekly challenge theme is to keep it simple. Lent can begin to fall off the rails at this point, so get back to basics and prepare yourselves for Holy Week. If you love a checklist, like I do, then I've made you one for this week to focus your Lenten devotions​

Weekly Prayer Challenge: Eucharistic Adoration

One of the best New Year's goals I've ever set for myself was to attend Eucharistic Adoration weekly in 2023. This has never come close to a consistent practice in my life, but I felt God tugging at my heart to make it a priority this year. What an incredible gift it's been.

It is hard for me to sit in one place with "nothing to do" for up to an hour, but each week it's gotten a bit easier and now a Holy Hour flies by. I've got my routine down: I have a special bag I bring with me with an Adoration devotional, a spiritual book I'm reading, and a prayer book. Sometimes I bring my Lent devotional or something else that strikes my fancy. I spend the time hanging out and reading with Jesus, and also listening for His voice. I've grown to crave this weekly time with Him. In fact, I've had to miss it a couple of times (due to weather or sick kids) and I've been grumpy!

This week, pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Find a way to attend in-person, if you can. I had to rearrange some things in my schedule and ask for help to make it happen. For example, my husband takes my youngest into daycare on Friday mornings while I put my 4th graders on the bus. This gives me enough time to make it just in time for Adoration to start, and I look forward to it every week.

Weekly Fasting Challenge: Make a Fasting Plan for Holy Week

Catholics are required to both abstain from meat and fast on Good Friday, so plan ahead for what and when you'll be eating. You may wish to continue eating simply through Holy Saturday, that way Easter Sunday is a big celebration!

Weekly Almsgiving Challenge: Care for the Sick

I'm a bit biased in this week's challenge because I am currently sick! In fact, this newsletter is two days late because I came down with a raging ear infection in the middle of writing it on Sunday and had to rush to Urgent Care 🥴 So...my apologies!

It's that time of year when it feels everyone is sick. Care for the sick people in your family, yourself, and other friends and coworkers this week. Make soup for a neighbor, send a note to a coworker who has been out sick, and find extra patience for a grumpy child who's not feeling well.

Song and Ambience of the Week

Song: Come Ye Sinners by Ordinary Time from the Into the Desert Playlist​

Ambience: Peaceful Holy Hour in Cathedral from the Lent Ambience Playlist​

Let's keep it simple in this final week of Lent before Holy Week begins. And don't forget to check out Holy Week Day-by Day for an immersive experience walking towards Calvary with Jesus.

Shauna'h