Virtus Journey: Great Lent 2026

retreat from Feb 1, 2026 to Apr 12, 2026

Join this community to experience the extraordinary "Virtus": 70 days to be transformed by Christ and enter with him into the joy of Easter.

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To take a step forward and rekindle the flame within your spiritual life, join the Virtus program: a profound Lenten journey of prayer, virtue, and penance, to arrive renewed at Easter. 

Perseverance produces proven virtue; proven virtue produces hope; and hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:4-5). 

In the Eastern tradition, as in some monastic customs, the Easter feast, the high point of the liturgical year, is preceded by a “Great Lent,” a time of penance and the development of virtues in two stages, leading to Easter joy. 

How many Christians would like to experience Lent more fully, to make it a true time to draw closer to God and grow in virtue, to learn to pray and enter into a life of prayer?

Hozana, Claves.org, and the priests of the Fraternity of Saint Peter, in partnership with the religious of the Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer (Lent 40), invite you to experience a profound Lent in community through "Virtus," a time to deepen your relationship with the Lord and undergo a profound transformation of your spiritual life, drawing upon the rich tradition of the Church. 

From Septuagesima Sunday to Easter Octave (70 days in total), Virtus is a "great Lent" to be lived in community, forming a fraternity of men or women to pray, live, and grow together. Each day, Virtus members will find a message of encouragement from a priest of Claves on Hozana. During the 40 days of Lent, this initiative is further enriched by the "Lent 40" programs offered by the brothers of Chéméré-le-Roi. 

Retreat prayer

Prayer of the "Virtus" Fraternities

"O my God, I approach your infinite mystery and I adore you. Holy Trinity, pacify my heart, make it your beloved dwelling place, the place of your beatifying presence. O Jesus, you who constantly stand at the door of my heart and knock, enter and change my life by the infinite power of your love. Bear my burden, lift up my weaknesses, transform me and unite me to you in an awakened and adoring faith. What shall I render to the Lord for all that he has given me? I will take up the chalice and the cross of salvation, I will offer myself entirely to his holy will. Sacred Heart of Jesus, in whom I place all my trust, never let me abandon you. May every beat of my heart, every breath of my soul, be an echo of your love. Remove from my breast the heart of stone, place there a new Spirit and your Heart of flesh. Be my rest, My strength, and my light for eternity. Amen.