Behind the Covers: All About Lent and Holy Week
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Who else dreads Lent? It’s not the fasting, it might be the weather and time of year, but mainly it is making this time of penance come alive for my children. It is so easy to throw a party for a feast day or a solemnity and to bring the saint or the solemnity to life. But helping our children embrace suffering and penance, is a whole other ball game. But not this year! I have tidings of great joy regarding Lent! A new picture book! (And a giveaway at the end of this post!)
All About Lent and Holy Week, by Katherine Bogner, illustrated by Shari Van Vranken
This answer-to-prayers picture book is brand new, it was just published last year for Lent! So if you missed it last year, make sure to get your own copy this year. I will be giving away a free copy, so make sure to scroll down and enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post! This picture book is not a sit down and read cover to cover book but more of an encyclopedia for Lent and Holy Week. From the biblical roots of Lent to beautiful explanations about the liturgy that we follow during this season, this will answer all of the questions! Not only that but it will be a beautiful guide to help my family deep dive into Lent and embrace this truly beautiful season of the Liturgical Year.
Introduction to Lent
The first few pages are an introduction to Lent. They explain the “Why” of Lent as a season of preparing ourselves for the greatest event of the Liturgical Year: Easter! Lent is not a punishment, it is a season of cleansing our lives and our hearts to be ready for Our Lord’s resurrection. Just like we would prepare for an eminent guest coming to stay in our home, therefore we prepare our hearts to receive the Risen Christ. All About Lent and Holy Week guides us through the significance of this preparation.
Special days
Throughout the book you will find a special page for each special day of Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. These pages describe the importance of each day and how to live them well. It also connects the day with the sacraments. I find this tremendously helpful as I am always surprised by the day, for some reason and usually don’t have time to prepare for it. Therefore we just skim over it and move on, but this year it will be different! We can prepare for it because it will already be written out for me in All About Lent and Holy Week!
Honestly I am breathing a serious sigh of relief. This season of life has been so busy and so much of what I love to do with my kiddos for the Liturgical Year has fallen by the wayside… But with a lovely guide in hand, I feel that Lent, Holy Week and the Easter season will be manageable.
Devotions
There are so many beautiful devotions to adopt during Lent, from the Stations of the Cross to the Chaplet to Our Lady of Sorrows. In All About Lent and Holy Week, Katherine Bogner guides us through each devotion and its significance. This is so precious to me! It makes it relatable to my children, they are making connections they may not have been able to make before. The step by step and simple explanation of each devotion is one of my favorite parts of this picture book.
And so much more
There is so much from traditions to explanations that are found in this treasure trove of Lenten wisdom and guidance! I just can’t cover it all. The illustrations and the design of All About Lent and Holy Week make it a pleasure for the eyes as well. Shari Van Vranken has done a stunning job illustrating and designing this book to make it even clearer and more enjoyable.
Katherine Bogner’s blog, Look to Him and Be Radiant, has so many more wonderful Liturgical Year resources. She has also included a wonderful page with over 20 pages of Lent and Holy Week Resources that match the picture book! I am having such a great time exploring it!
Wishing you all a deep and meaningful Lent!
Love,
Mattie
