Lent is often experienced as a personal journey. Yet it can also be a wonderful adventure to be enjoyed together, as a family. Whether you're parents, children, grandparents, brothers or sisters, there are a thousand ways to make this liturgical season a time for sharing, praying, listening and growing. There's no need for grand ideas or strict rules. What counts is the intention: to create a space where God can dwell in our daily family life, with gentleness and simplicity.

Here are five simple ideas for living Lent as a family, at your own pace, according to your own reality, but always with an open heart.

Create a prayer corner in the heart of the home

Installing a small, visible corner in the home can transform the atmosphere during Lent. It can be very simple: a purple tablecloth, a cross, a candle, a Bible open to a verse, or even a pebble or object picked up on a family walk. This small space becomes a landmark. You can stop there in silence, read a prayer together in the evening, or light a candle before a meal. It's a reminder, without words, that God is there, in the middle of the house. This simple gesture creates an atmosphere of contemplation and peace.

Choose a joint Lenten effort

Rather than inviting everyone to make an effort on their own, why not choose a small family commitment? It could be: not complaining during meals, saying thank you instead of grumbling, turning off the screens one evening a week to play or pray together, eating more simply on certain evenings to think of those who have less... The aim is not to achieve everything, but to experience something together, like a small step towards God. This shared effort unites, encourages and teaches solidarity.

Read or listen to a Bible passage each week

Lent is a perfect time to reconnect with the Word of God. Each week, we can choose a Gospel passage and read it as a family. Even the youngest can listen, ask questions and react. For those who prefer it, there are audio versions or illustrated Bibles for children. After the reading, we can simply ask ourselves: what is this passage saying to us today? What is God trying to teach us? The point is not to give a theology course, but to open a door to the living word of God.

Experience concrete gestures of sharing

Lent is a time turned towards others. As a family, we can make small gestures of solidarity that are suitable for everyone. Baking a cake for a lonely neighbour, writing a card to someone going through a difficult time, donating clothes to an association, setting aside a little money for a charity chosen together... These gestures awaken generosity. They give meaning to the word "gift", and teach us that faith is also action. Children, in particular, remember these concrete moments more than the grand speeches.

Take time to review the day together

Each evening, or each week, we can stop for a moment to do a simple review of what we've been through. This could be around the dinner table, or before going to bed. Each person can say something beautiful that they have experienced, a thank you, a request for forgiveness, a prayer intention. This ritual, however short, creates a climate of trust. It allows us to take a deeper look at our days, to cultivate gratitude, and to open up the space of our hearts. It's a beautiful way of learning to talk to God together, without pressure, in truth.

Conclusion

Lent as a family is not a rigid programme. It is an invitation to grow together in faith, gentleness and listening. It means opening our home to a little more silence, a little more prayer, a little more love. These simple gestures, repeated week after week, leave their mark. They form a discreet but fertile breeding ground, where God can come and sow his joy. And even if everything isn't perfect, even if we forget some days, the most beautiful thing is this shared desire: to walk together towards Easter, united, and with our hearts a little more open to God's love.