During his pontificate, Pope Francis has described Lent in many ways — as a time of recovery, renewal and conversion, a time to receive the love of God and rediscover the direction of life. In his Lenten message for 2021, the Holy Father refers to Lent as a time for renewing faith, hope and love, all things greatly needed during these challenging times. Pope Francis explains love as “the highest expression of our faith and hope,” saying “Love rejoices in seeing others grow”—a beautiful expression of Lent for children. To start: PREPARE YOURSELF In line with the adage,” You can’t give what you don’t have,” it’s important for teachers to have the mindset of Lent in order to plan for Lent in the classroom. Before creating your Lenten plans for students, plan your own Lenten renewal. Do you need a fuller understanding of Lent? More time for prayer and reflection? More charity towards others? More periods of silence, even brief ones, where you can hear the still, small voice of God? PREPARE YOUR CLASSROOM Simplify your classroom decorations. Become a minimalist for six weeks. Rely on color—purple for Lent—and include various images, symbols and words of the Lenten season, according to the age of your students. Minimizing visual stimulation helps children focus on the few things that are visible to them, especially as they are related to a lesson, or in this case, a liturgical season. PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS Children learn religion better when they start from a place of understanding they are beloved children of God. From there they will grow to appreciate what Lent offers. Help them by explaining why we undertake the Lenten practices of prayer, almsgiving and fasting – all of which may be considered acts of love meant to transform hearts and minds. While fasting for Lent does not apply to children under 18, and abstinence does not apply to children under 14, children (and adults) can find value in other ways of fasting, especially from behaviors that impede our relationship with God and others. Enjoy RCL Benziger’s free downloadable and printable resources for celebrating the season of Lent.