Virtus Journey: Great Lent 2026

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 of 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 ("Carême 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 "Carême 40" programs offered by the brothers of Chéméré-le-Roi. 

Each participant of Virtus engages himself to live this "great Lent" through 5 commitments in each of the 3 main domains of effort : prayer, virtue and penance.

- 🙏5 commitments of prayer : one hour dedicated to God each day, freed from the slavery of screens and divided into 20 minutes silent meditation, 20 minutes of rosary, 20 minutes of formation, the daily examination of conscience and a regular practice of the sacraments (mass and/adoration once a week, outside from Sundays, confession at least twice in the overall journey). 

- 💪5 commitments of virtue : freedom from screen-slavery (no screen outside of familial/work necessities), give our bodies enough sleep, no food between meals, two hours of physical/manual activity a week, practice corporal or spiritual works of mercy for one hour per week.

-🔥 5 commitments of penance, to be freely chosen from this list : 

• No alcohol

• Cold showers

• Friday fast (one frugal meal + two optional small snacks, which together must not equal a full meal)

• No sweets (sugar, honey, candy, cookies, chocolate, pastries, sweet breads, syrup, sodas, etc.)

• No meat

• No cheese

• No cigarettes (if I happen to smoke)

• No coffee or tea (if I happen to drink them)

• Do not add salt or pepper to meals, or any other condiments (soy sauce, etc.)

• Get up immediately when the alarm goes off

• Fast on Wednesday or another day (it is possible to choose other fasting days, each counting as a separate “commitment”)

• Sleep on the floor or without a pillow

• Sobriety in appearance: limit makeup and accessories that lead to seeking external approval, in order to place oneself simply under God's gaze

• Give up all unnecessary purchases or shopping

• Do not play background audio during car or public transport journeys, or while doing household chores (one may instead listen to a meditated rosary on Rosario)

• Any other penitential commitment that is well suited to you (free ascetic practice)...