With the ‘Penance and Pancake’ tomorrow, Lent is well and truly upon us. There will be two options for Lent groups this year with the parish of Christ the King: one following on from the Advent course, continuing to look at the Lord’s Prayer and another one, using group materials at St Joachim. However many people also like to have their own materials for devotions. The CTS site has many options. Here are four books which may pique your interest.

This booklet focuses on the Passion of Christ by looking at parts of a Crucifix. Written by Julien Chilcot-Monk who restores crucifixes, there is an interesting blog post and podcast explaining how this Lent booklet is to be used.

Calvary through the eyes of Mary also focuses on the Passion, but uses a format of the Stations of the Cross. The author, Helen Pepper draws on her experience of walking the Via Delarosa in Jerusalem and her reflections on becoming a mother to meditate on Mary’s experience of walking the way of the cross with her son.

By Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB, this book uses Lenten readings from the lectionary to meditate on the journey through Lent. Wansbrough draws on his extensive Biblical scholarship and there are actions linked to each meditation.

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week is the second in Joseph Ratzinger’s (Benedict XVI) three books, in which he seeks to investigate and encounter the real Christ. A result of his own personal devotion and his lifetime of brilliant theology, Ratzinger takes the reader through the whole of Holy Week drawing on his insights and synthesis of tradition and scholarship. This is a profound book to take you through Lent.

Whatever you choose private study, prayer and devotions deepen our walk with Christ, through the desert and on to the Passion in Jerusalem.