Free Printable Lenten Lessons and Activities

Lent begins each year with the Imposition of the Ashes on Ash Wednesday, which in the western calendar for 2008 will begin very early on February 6. Lent begins a 40 day journey of fasting, acts of mercy and spiritual pilgrimage. We try to live, in our poor humble human way, in solidarity with Our Lord as he fasted in the desert for 40 days and made his final pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A Roman cross, torture and crucifixion awaited Him. But so did the glory of Easter, the Resurrection. Lent is a season for intense and deep personal and spiritual reflection.

Here are several well researched websites in line with the Magisterium (the teachings of the Holy Roman Church), the Holy See (seat of Peter) and the catechism. I try to make sure that all Catholic materials have the Nil Obstat and Imprimatur (these are seals of approval from the bishops and of the church that this material does not deviate in any way from Catholic doctrine).

Catholic Mom offers coloring, activity, word searches, crossword puzzles and lesson plans based upon the daily mass readings from the St. Joseph's daily missal. You may print any of these free and use with students or children. I wish that when I was home-schooling and teaching CCD that I had access to all this wonderful material online. The license to print is a very special gift and ministry to other families and teachers. You will find archived materials from Cycle A, B and C.

St. Charles Borromeo was a Spanish saint known to Catholics for his great teaching ability. This site of which he is the patron or guiding saint, offers a complete Bible study with reflections and further. Readings for each of the three cycles are available. The vestment color for the day is noted and a church liturgical calendar is given. All of the materials are available to print free in Adobe Acrobat or pdf format. Use these as a basis for reading, spelling, grammar lessons as well as religious instruction.