A Trio of Lenten Offerings from the Augustine Institute Invite the Faithful on a Unique Journey Well Before Ash Wednesday

Florissant, MO, February 18, 2025— In an effort to foster a fruitful and transformative Lenten experience for Catholics, the Augustine Institute invites the faithful to get a head start this year.  How To Lent is a new four-part video series available on Formed, the Augustine Institute’s faith formation streaming platform. Lively and accessible, these episodes challenge the commonly held notion that Lent is merely about giving things up. Using the experience of Jesus’ temptation in the desert, episodes dive into the three Lenten pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to ultimately help Catholics understand why purposeful preparation is important before Lent even begins.  Viewers are invited to continue their journey through Lent on Formed with Foretold: Learning to Trust in God’s Providence, a second video series launching on Ash Wednesday that weaves together stories of the Old and New Testaments to reveal the prophecy and fulfillment of Christ throughout history.  A final resource, Lent: Coming to Christ, is a new mini journal with reflection questions for both series and space to write along the way.  

“In order to have a holy Lent, we need to understand, or be reminded of, what Lent is and why it matters,” said Dr. Scott Hefelfinger, host of How to Lent and Director of Content Development at the Augustine Institute. “How to Lent equips Catholics with the tools they need to understand the scriptural basis for Lent and what it can do for our spiritual lives.  We want people to have a lasting encounter with Jesus in the desert and deepen their relationship with Him during Lent and beyond.  This series is meant to lay out the roadmap to make this possible.”  

Hefelfinger, who is also an Associate Professor at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, is not the only voice people will hear from in How to Lent.  He is joined by fellow professors as well as priests and religious sisters who serve as Lenten “spiritual directors” through the course of the program.  Viewers will also receive practical tips from laypeople about their own Lenten practices.

In Foretold, which picks up where How to Lent concludes, Dr. Sean Innerst, esteemed Professor of Theology and Catechetics at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, highlights the connecting threads of the Old and New Testaments that reveal Jesus as our fulfillment from the very beginning.  In eight captivating episodes that span the 40 days of Lent, Innerst explains how the Easter story fits into the larger biblical narrative, demonstrating how God’s providence is still at work in our modern-day lives.  

While viewers learn more about the biblical origin of Lent and ponder their own individual sacrifices, they are invited to use Lent: Coming to Christ as a tool for deeper prayer and reflection in the weeks leading up to Lent and the 40 days beyond.  The pocket-sized mini journal is divided into two sections for How to Lent and Foretold and includes introspective questions and space for writing.  Each page provides a place for true contemplation and encounter with the Lord. Bulk discounts for the journal are available for parish groups already subscribed to the Formed platform. Individuals can purchase the mini journal for $5 (shipping included) and receive a free three month subscription to Formed to engage fully in both series during the Lenten season.