Update: Print off all the readings here (courtesy of Sara Larson): Lenten Boot Camp readings
Here’s a daily regimen of prayer that grows in length and intensity as you get into spiritual shape. You’ll start your prayer time each day (ideally in a chapel) with a 5-minute warm-up, offering the Lord your distractions and discussing with him anything that might be weighing on you. When you’ve slowed down and entered into a spirit of prayer, feel free to begin. As Lent begins, you’re looking at 20-25 minutes of prayer time. By the last few weeks, it should be more like an hour, with longer stretches of silence.
Feel free to be flexible with your “silent time.” If a passage moves you and you end up doing Lectio Divina or an Ignatian Meditation for half an hour, don’t feel compelled then to sit for another 25 minutes. As with the Advent version, this is a guideline, not a foolproof plan. Feel free to substitute anything. What’s essential is that you’re spending time in silent prayer–not just prayer but silent prayer–and that you’re easing into it.
It’s pretty heavy on the reading and on the silence. If that’s not how you pray, try another way. But do try to be intentional about sitting with Jesus when you have “nothing to say.” That’s usually when he speaks the loudest.
| Ash Wednesday | Joel 2:12-17; Reading from St. Peter Chrysologus; 15 minutes silence |
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Thursday |
Genesis 3; decade of the rosary; 10 minutes silence |
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Friday |
Stations of the Cross (St. Alphonsus Liguori version); a few minutes silence after each station |
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Saturday |
Matthew 4:1-11; decade of the rosary; 10 minutes silence |
| First Sunday | Sonnet XIV (John Dunne); 20 minutes of prayer (your choice) |
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Monday |
Isaiah 53; memorize Isaiah 53:5; 15 minutes silence |
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Tuesday |
Rosary; 10 minutes silence |
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Wednesday |
Lectio Divina on Hebrews 12:1-4, then silence: 30 minutes altogether |
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Thursday |
CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph numbers) 598-605; 2 decades of the rosary; 10 minutes silence |
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Friday |
Mark 15:16-39; 15 minutes silence |
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Saturday |
Matthew 17:1-9; Reading from St. Leo the Great; 10 minutes silence |
| Second Sunday | O Deus Ego Amo Te (Gerard Manley Hopkins); 25 minutes of prayer (your choice) |
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Monday |
Exodus 12; Easter homily by Melito of Sardis; 15 minutes silence |
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Tuesday |
Reading from St. John Chrysostom; John 14; decade of the rosary; 10 minutes silence |
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Wednesday |
John 15; CCC 606-611; 20 minutes silence |
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Thursday |
John 16-17; 15 minutes silence |
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Friday |
Stations of the Cross (Mother Angelica’s); silence after each station |
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Saturday |
John 4:5-42; journal on the reading; decade of the rosary |
| Third Sunday | O Sacred Head Surrounded (or listen here); 30 minutes of prayer (your choice) |
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Monday |
Psalm 42-43; 20 minutes silence |
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Tuesday |
CCC 456-460; Rosary; 10 minutes silence |
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Wednesday |
Reading from St. Augustine; memorize Romans 5:8; 15 minutes silence |
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Thursday |
Isaiah 50:4-10; Reading from St. Aelred; 20 minutes silence |
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Friday |
Luke 23:18-49; decade of the rosary; 15 minutes silence |
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Saturday |
John 9:1-41; write 5 things it tells you about who Jesus is; 20 minutes silence |
| Fourth Sunday | When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (or listen here); 10 minutes silence; 30 minutes of prayer (your choice) |
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Monday |
Jonah; 2 decades of the rosary; 20 minutes silence |
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Tuesday |
Luke 9:23-26; Take Up Your Cross; 25 minutes silence |
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Wednesday |
CCC 612-618; Psalm 22; 20 minutes silence |
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Thursday |
Isaiah 58; 2 decades of the rosary; 25 minutes silence |
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Friday |
Stations of the Cross (inspired by Caryll Houselander); silence after each; Wisdom 2:12-24 |
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Saturday |
John 11:1-45; Ignatian meditation on the passage (feel free to use a guided one: Lazarus); 10 minutes silence |
| Fifth Sunday | Ah, Holy Jesus (or listen here); 20 minutes silence; 30 minutes of prayer (your choice) |
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Monday |
Ezekiel 16; Luke 15; 20 minutes silence |
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Tuesday |
Scriptural Rosary; 15 minutes silence |
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Wednesday |
Isaiah 53; make a good examination of conscience; 20 minutes silence |
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Thursday |
Reading from Maximus the Confessor; 30 minutes silence |
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Friday |
Matthew 26:14-75; 30 minutes silence |
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Saturday |
Matthew 27:1-66; Office of Readings; 30 minutes silence |
| Palm Sunday | The Hint of an Explanation; 30 minutes of prayer (your choice) |
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Monday |
Genesis 1:1-2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; 30 minutes silence |
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Tuesday |
Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; 2 decades of the rosary; 30 minutes silence |
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Wednesday |
Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4; 30 minutes silence |
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Thursday |
Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; 2 decades of the rosary; 30 minutes silence |
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Friday |
Isaiah 53; John 19 (if not attending the Good Friday Liturgy); Psalm 22; 45 minutes silence |
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Saturday |
Office of Readings; the Exultet; 45 minutes silence |
All the readings (compiled by the fabulous Sara Larson) available as a PDF here: Lenten Boot Camp readings
Be holy, friends–and do let me know how this works out for you!
What does CCC stand for? Sorry, not sure. Must be a book due to page numbers.
Oops–Catechism of the Catholic Church. And those are paragraph numbers. I’ll put that in parentheses so people know–thanks!
I did the Advent boot camp and loved it. I wasn’t perfect but it sure helped to focus me on Advent. I am glad this time you included a pdf of the whole boot camp not just the readings.
Wondering what I’ve missed: I downloaded the pic with hyperlinks, but they don’t respond to my clicks. Is this because I’m on a Kindle Fire? Thanks for your help!
Thank you for putting this together! I definitely needed a kick-start for my prayer life (and a little guidance and variety, as well), and it turns out my husband was feeling the same way, so we’re both doing your Boot Camp plan this Lent. It’s going well so far, even if my mind doesn’t like to settle down into silent prayer very easily. (I’m trusting a few more weeks of consistency will help with that.) I really appreciate the scripture readings, as well as the selections from the saints and even a little poetry thrown in as well. It’s a great balance for me, and I hope it’s fruitful for everyone else as well!
Also – I created a word document to print with all of the linked readings, since I don’t like to pray with a screen. If you or anyone else wants me to send that to them, let me know. (It’s 23 pages, front and back.)
Thank you for your ministry to all of us anonymous readers!
Sara, that would be awesome! Could you email it to me? mhunterkilmer at gmail 🙂
Thanks so much, Meg. This is really great. I had an aha! moment on day 1 with the reading that you included from St. Peter Chrysologus. Fantastic.
I have been partially following your Lenten schedule. So glad you gave us this to consider. I have just read John 9. Your prompt to write down 5 things about Jesus from this really opened my eyes to the reading. Thank you so much! I feel enriched. Pray it does me some good…. 🙂
Keep up the Good Work! xx
This has been an amazing way to practice Lent and just what I was looking for and needed.
Hello! Thanks for the great post- I’ll definitely be trying this for Lent. However, part of the layout is covered by the Instagram feed pictures and unable to be seen. Is there way to move either the schedule (whatever you would call it) or the feed? Thanks.