Lent Reading List
These books are related to Lent in some way, whether giving its history or providing resources for Lenten spiritual discipline. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, giving to others, and even reading scripture. This list is meant to help you with these disciplines, and the list will grow as we discover more books. We also have a main reading list, the Ancient and Future Reading List.
The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (Catholic)
Lent is a perfect time to start or restart a discipline of scripture reading. We have linked to the RSV-CE, a favorite of traditional Catholics.
The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis (Catholic)
Thomas a Kempis has written this classic on Christian spiritual discipline. Reading through the entire book during Lent (and attempting to follow Thomas' suggestions) will help one become more like Christ, and less like the world.
The Early Church Fathers, 38 Volumes - Donaldson, et. al. (Protestant Editors)
Lent is a good time to start reading the ancient Fathers of the Church. While Bible reading should come first, learning how past Christians interpreted Christ and the Bible is a perfect endeavor for Lent. This set is fairly expensive, but at this link, the whole 38 volume set is extremely reasonable. The only drawback is that the set was translated by Protestants before Vatican II, so the authors often are strongly anti-Catholic in rhetoric, and as such, this blinds them to some of the Fathers' insights.
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church by F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone (eds.) (Ecumenical)
This large book (unfortunately it is fairly expensive), gives the history of Lent and many other Christian terms, holidays, and traditions. It is essential to understanding the Church year.
Contemplative Prayer by Thomas Merton (Catholic)
Merton, a Trappist monk, provides a guide for contemplative prayer, using the ancient mystics and fathers as his inspiration. While the book is written for monks, it is
a good book for everyone seeking to deepen his or her spirituality, which is especially helpful to deepen one's Lenten discipline.
A Day in Your Presence: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of St. Francis
This is a 40 day devotional series based on the life and writings of St. Francis of Assisi, tied to the Bible. Reading one chapter for every day for Lent will bring one closer to Christ through learning about (and imitating) the simplicity of St. Francis.
See: A Comprehensive Guide to Lent: History, Resources, Links, and FAQ
ChurchYear. Net
Ancient and Future Catholics
All About Ordinary Time!