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&#039;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 (&#34;Carême 40&#34;), invite you to experience a profound Lent in community through &#34;Virtus,&#34; 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 &#34;great Lent&#34; 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 &#34;Carême 40&#34; programs offered by the brothers of Chéméré-le-Roi. Each participant of Virtus engages himself to live this &#34;great Lent&#34; 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 : <ul><li id="isPasted">No alcohol</li><li>Cold showers</li><li>Friday fast (one frugal meal &#43; two optional small snacks, which together must not equal a full meal)</li><li>No sweets (sugar, honey, candy, cookies, chocolate, pastries, sweet breads, syrup, sodas, etc.)</li><li>No meat</li><li>No cheese</li><li>No cigarettes (if I happen to smoke)</li><li>No coffee or tea (if I happen to drink them)</li><li>Do not add salt or pepper to meals, or any other condiments (soy sauce, etc.)</li><li>Get up immediately when the alarm goes off</li><li>Fast on Wednesday or another day (it is possible to choose other fasting days, each counting as a separate “commitment”)</li><li>Sleep on the floor or without a pillow</li><li>Sobriety in appearance: limit makeup and accessories that lead to seeking external approval, in order to place oneself simply under God&#039;s gaze</li><li>Give up all unnecessary purchases or shopping</li><li>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)</li><li>Any other penitential commitment that is well suited to you (free ascetic practice)...</li></ul>

Virtus Journey: Great Lent 2026

"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.


WHY JOIN? For some time now card shops have been encouraging us to focus on that important date in February – sadly, not Ash Wednesday, 18 February, but Saturday 14 February, St Valentine&#039;s Day! One day associated with greetings cards, expensive flowers, and romantic meals, the other a penitential day of fasting and abstinence, the start of the season of Lent.But before we dismiss the romance of St Valentine&#039;s Day, a word about this early saint may provide some food for thought: Valentine was a priest who lived in the 3rd century and who healed the blind daughter of a Roman judge. In thanksgiving, the judge destroyed all the pagan images in his household and released all Christian prisoners. He and all his household were baptised. But later Valentine was again arrested for converting people to Christianity and refused to renounce his faith. Emperor Claudius II had him put to death and he was executed in Rome on 14 February 270.Not much there to do with romantic cards. But Valentine was a man of virtue who devoted his life to sharing his love for Christ and was martyred for his faith. Renewing our love for Christ? Witnessing to our faith? Isn&#039;t that what Lent is about, calling us to focus on prayer, almsgiving and charity?     Encouraged by the example of Saint Valentine, I invite you to join us on this journey of renewal towards Easter.“Once again the Lord is calling us to follow him along the journey of Lent. Each year all the faithful are invited to respond anew as individuals and as a community to our baptismal vocation and to bear fruits of conversion. Lent is a journey of evolving, creative reflection which inspires penance and gives new impetus to every aspect of our commitment to follow the Gospel. It is a journey of love which opens the hearts of believers to our brothers and sisters and draws them to God” (Saint Pope John Paul II).The ProgrammeEvery Sunday and Wednesday in Lent and every day in Holy Week a series of meditations and questions for reflections, linked to the papal Messages for Lent published in recent years, will be posted to help us prepare for the joy of the Resurrection.Liam KellyLiam Kelly works at Ampleforth Abbey and has written a number of books, including Lent in 50 Moments, a series of reflections from Ash Wednesday to Easter Wednesday.

Journey through Lent with the Popes

Heavenly Father,
thank you for the gift of this season.
May these weeks leading up to the celebration of your 
Passion, Death and Resurrection
remind us of who you are, how you love us, 
and how you have called us to be your followers.
May we journey through this season in prayer,
removing distractions that take our gaze from your glory.
May we see your love and goodness in new ways.
May our actions reflect our hearts and may we worship you 
through all that we say and do throughout the coming weeks. 
May Easter be a day of joyful celebration 
as we meet you, who alone can raise us up from our ashes,
Christ our Lord.
Amen. 

Rediscover the essence of Lent and draw closer to Christ through a transformative 40-day fast.This Lent, we challenge you to reclaim the sacred discipline of daily fasting—a practice that, though unfashionable, remains as vibrant and fruitful as ever. Just as Our Lord fasted in the desert, preparing His heart for the mission that would change the world, we too must journey into this holy season with reverence and purpose.The Norbertines invite you to take up the discipline of daily fasting, a sacred tradition that Holy Mother Church and her saints have practiced through the centuries. Through this practice, you will draw closer to Christ, strengthen your spirit, and find renewal in holiness. Will you answer the call to make this Lent a profound time of transformation and renewal?

The Great Fast | St. Michael's Abbey

Let us Pray,
Stir up in me this day O Savior, by the merits of the mystery of your Fast in the Wilderness, the earnest desire and the effective will to choose to fast, and so repair my many falls, order my bodily appetites, and purify my mind. 
Unite me in the present struggle with all the Christian penitents throughout the world who will pass this day in self-denial. 
By this holy observance increase my hunger for the delights of the banquet of the Lamb below under the sacramental signs, and finally above in the vision of Your Blessed Face. 
Amen.

<h2>A Walk of Faith for Valentine&#039;s Day!</h2>Now is the time to experience the spirit of Valentine&#039;s Day, by confidently entrusting our desires to live a Christian marriage to St. Valentine, a great martyr and the patron saint of lovers.Be assured that we share your hopes and keep your intentions in our hearts every day!<h2>The Grace of Love: a Gift from God</h2><ul><li>Pray for yourself: pray that you meet someone in accordance with the Lord &#039;s heart.</li><li>Pray for yourself: entrust God with your desire to live a fruitful Christian marriage.</li><li>Pray for a single person you know who suffers from loneliness.</li><li>Pray for all those who desire to get married.</li><li>Pray that marriages be based on the « Rock of Faith » .</li><li>Pray for young people who are not looking to commit to the Sacrament of Marriage </li><li>Pray that the world regains a deep sense of commitment to sacraments.</li></ul>… other ideas? Share them with us!St. Valentine will certainly be happy to hear them and present them to the Lord!<h2>Commitment</h2>Commit yourself to offer your thanks to St. Valentine: if you feel that he answered your prayers, celebrate his Feast Day in a spirit of gratitude for his intercession on your behalf!<h2>Click Join to receive the prayers</h2><a href="https://hozana.org/en/intentions">Click here to leave your prayer intention.</a>

Meet Your Soulmate with the Novena to St. Valentine

Loving Father,
You know that the deepest desire of my heart is
to meet someone that I can share my life with.
I trust in Your loving plan for me and ask that I may soon meet
the person that you have prepared for me.
Through the power of Your Holy Spirit,
open my heart and mind so that I recognize my soulmate.
Remove any obstacles that are in the way of this happy encounter,
So that I might find a new sense of wholeness, joy and peace.
Give me the grace too, to know and accept, if you have another plan for my life.
I surrender my past, present and future into the tender heart of Your Son, Jesus,
full of confidence that You will hear and answer my prayer.
AMEN.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.
St Valentine, pray for me.