Season of Lent & Holy Week: On-Line Resources   "So what are you giving up for Lent?"  That was the common question my friends and I asked each other growing up in a Roman Catholic ethnic neighborhood.   Everyone knew that the Season of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday, had something to do with making sacrifices, doing penance, thinking about Jesus' passion, and getting ready for Easter Sunday.   But few of my friends and neighbors, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant, knew how Lent got started, why it was forty days long, and what the real point of it was.  That Lent was supposed to be a season of liberation, freedom, joy, and evangelization never really occurred to us.   The Lenten resources below are intended to give us all a deeper insight into the meaning and power of the Lenten Season and to make Holy Week a truly life-changing experience of spiritual transformation.  Articles like "40 ways to Get the Most Out of Lent" are offered as practical ideas for Lenten devotions and practices for you, your family, and your parish.  On the practical side, we also have great devotions, prayers and readings for Holy Week and the Triduum.  Other articles share the meaning of Lent and reflections on key Scripture passages from the Lenten Sunday Readings, such as the Temptations of Jesus Christ in the Desert.  Still other readings from the Fathers of the Church cover the meaning of Christ's passion, and the three great Lenten weapons in the war of liberation from sin: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting.    In many cases, you can not only read these Lenten and Holy Week resources in html format but can download them in easily printable PDF format as well.  Please feel free to print, copy, and share freely.  We only ask that you leave the contact info for the Crossroads Initiative on any copies you make and distribute so that people can find their way back to our site for further resources for spiritual growth.   Don't forget the audio, video, and printed resources available from our shopping cart.  The CD "Who Needs Confession" and "Personal Prayer, Pathway to Joy" are perfect resources to enrich your Lenten experience.  And  the Feast of Faith audio/video series on the Eucharist would be an excellent way to deepen your understanding of the greatest Lenten resource of all!   For more Catholic resources to feed your faith, visit the Crossroads Initiative Homepage.   To sign up for our free weekly e-mail with Dr. D'Ambrosio's commentary on the Sunday readings, liturgical feasts, updates on where Dr. D will be speaking, a chance to WIN a FREE CD and MORE, CLICK HERE!     Riveting Inspiration Want to know the very best devotion available? Then get this Roman Missal and be sure to follow the Mass Readings daily during Lent.  The Church has put together for us an awesome study from Old and New Testament on the key Lenten themes of repentance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.   This single volume is the complete source of the Bible passages and prayers that form the rich tapestry of our Mass.   The Daily Roman Missal presents the liturgical year's worth of Sacred Scripture, allowing the faithful to follow and delve further into the Church's holy celebration.   This new edition is updated with the guidelines of the Bishop's Committee on the Liturgy. It also features the new English translation of the daily and Sunday readings from the Revised New American Bible.   Retail Price - $89.95 Feast of Faith - The Transforming Power of the Eucharist  This enlightening, four-part adult faith formation series developed for the Year of the Eucharist is perfect for Lent, Dr. D’Ambrosio offers profound reflections on the nature of the Holy Eucharist – the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith.