Five Must Read Books for Lent

Has anyone noticed how close Lent is? It is closer than one may think. The season of penitence can teach us how to detach from distractions and grow in sanctity and even wisdom. Many saints in the church sought the wisdom of others to grow in their strive to be the best version of Christ.

Lent can be a great time to read from the wisdom of saints or classics with spiritual themes that cultivate the message of faith.

The Brothers Karamazov: Fyodor Dostoevsky

For those who have the Hallow app, it was announced that the Lent 40 challenge will focus on a beloved classic of Russian Literature.

Dostoevsky wrote a story about three brothers, their life trials, and how it teaches us the value of ending feuds.

Confessions: St. Augustine

The father of our pope. St. Augustine knows too well what it was like to live a life of sin and misery until his heart desired God.

The Screwtape Letters: C.S. Lewis 

Lewis came close to how the devil can do everything in his power to destroy us from our goal in life to get to heaven. Enter Screwtape, a demon known as “Our Father Below” who corresponds with his nephew Wormwood as he tries to seduce an ordinary man into giving in to the culture rather than doing God’s will.

The Cries of Jesus from the Cross: Blessed (Soon to Be) Fulton J Sheen

This must be a popular devotion for Lent for all who are in love with the writings of the great 20th-century writer and orator.

Fulton Sheen accompanies us as we journey to the cross with Jesus and Mary.

The Power of Silence: Cardinal Robert Sarah

Cardinal Sarah offers an insight as to why silence is important. He goes deeper by saying that silence “is more important than any other human work, for it expresses God.”

This was a reading that I did last year, and it was so mind-opening. It will help us understand silence at a deeper level. It is more than just canceling the noise all around us.

Each book offers timeless wisdom. They can help us grow in faith and even overcome the obstacles keeping us from growing closer to God or not getting close to the cross.