For many of us, the approach of Lent brings a familiar mix of good intentions and low-grade anxiety. We want to “do it right.” We start thinking about big sacrifices, ambitious prayer plans, and radical self-improvement—often while juggling work deadlines, family life, classes, or just trying to get enough sleep.
If that sounds familiar, here’s some good news: preparing for Lent doesn’t have to be intense to be meaningful. In fact, a quieter, more realistic approach may be exactly what helps the season bear fruit.
Here’s a not-so-intense way to get ready for Lent—one that fits into real life and leaves room for grace.
1. Start by Noticing Where You Actually Are
Before deciding what you’ll do for Lent, take a few moments to notice where you are right now. How’s your energy? Your prayer life? Your relationships? Your sense of peace—or lack of it?
This isn’t about self-criticism. It’s about honesty. Lent isn’t meant to turn us into someone else; it’s meant to meet us where we are and slowly draw us closer to God.
Jacques Philippe often emphasizes this gentle realism in The Way of Trust and Love. Growth in the spiritual life doesn’t come from grand gestures, but from accepting our poverty and allowing God to work within it. Lent begins not with intensity, but with truth.
2. Choose One Small, Faithful Practice
Instead of overhauling your entire spiritual routine, consider choosing one small practice you can actually sustain. That might look different depending on your season of life:
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A young professional might commit to five minutes of quiet prayer before checking email.
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A college student might read the Gospel of the day a few times a week.
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A parent might offer up the daily chaos as a simple prayer, or listen to a short spiritual reflection while driving.
The goal isn’t to impress God—it’s to show up.
3. Let Lent Be About Making Space, Not Just Giving Things Up
Lenten sacrifices are valuable, but they’re meant to create space for God, not just test our willpower. Before deciding what to give up, it can help to ask: What do I want to make room for?
Less noise? More patience? A greater awareness of God’s presence during the day?
Sometimes “giving up” looks like loosening our grip on constant distraction or unrealistic expectations of ourselves. In Time for God, Jacques Philippe gently encourages readers to protect even small pockets of silence—because that’s often where God does His quietest and most important work.
4. Pick a Companion for the Journey
Lent can feel long when we try to walk it alone. Choosing a spiritual book as a companion can help anchor the season and offer perspective when motivation dips.
For readers looking for something accessible and encouraging, Searching for and Maintaining Peace speaks directly to the interior restlessness many of us carry into Lent. For those longing to grow in confidence in God’s mercy rather than fear of failure, The Way of Trust and Love remains a steady guide.
Even reading a few pages a week can be enough. Lent is a marathon, not a sprint.
5. Trust That God Is Already at Work
Perhaps the most important—and least intense—part of preparing for Lent is remembering this: God is already at work before we begin. Lent is not about earning grace; it’s about responding to it.
Wherever you find yourself this year—enthusiastic, tired, distracted, hopeful—God can meet you there. A quiet, faithful Lent lived imperfectly is far more fruitful than an intense plan abandoned by the second week.
As the season approaches, consider starting small, staying gentle, and trusting that God will do the rest. That, in itself, is a very good way to begin.
