A way to live Lent with steadiness and intention, integrating prayer, sacrifice, and love of neighbor into daily life.
About SIMPLE40
SIMPLE40 is a Catholic Lenten program designed to simplify your Lenten experience so you can receive all the graces being offered to you by God during this holy and transformational season in the life of the Church. Simple does not mean easy. In this case simple means choosing with intention those things to work on that will draw you closer to God. That is the purpose of Lent. We pray, fast and give alms with a concerted and focused effort to grow spiritually.
The 3 pillars of the Integrated Life are the foundation of this program:
1) Spiritual (pray) - read daily SIMPLE40 email message, pray, meditate, journal, worship 40 minutes/day
2) Self (fast) - intentional movement/exercise 40 minutes/day. And...This year, I am adding the option to fast in three distinct areas: food, speech, and media...each offering a way to empty ourselves so Christ can fill us. This is not complicated and does not require any more of your time to complete. These things are a matter of choice and will actually help you live more simply. (or more...or less...what is going to challenge you? See below for ideas)
3) Service (give alms) - 40 intentional acts of service over the course of Lent (see list below for ideas)
Your daily email will contain a short reflection on simplicity and virtue, encouragement during your fast, and optional videos and music to enhance your Lent. As always, I have a collection of 40 recipes to share.
SPIRITUAL
SIMPLE40 provides daily growth and formation in the virtue of simplicity. In addition to learning about simplicity via daily email reflections, you will spend 40 minutes in prayer/meditation per day. I recommend that you "bookend" your days in prayer in whatever way you choose. This can be in the form of the Liturgy of the Hours morning and evening prayer, or morning offering and nightly examen. Choose at least one other DAILY spiritual activity to help you get to know God more personally this Lent. You will find that 40 minutes of prayer goes quickly. Done consistently, by the time Holy Week and Easter arrive, you are ready to embrace Christ's Passion and Resurrection with greater love and devotion.
Here are some ideas for your prayer time:
*Rosary
*Liturgy of the Hours (I really enjoy Sing the Hours)
*Lenten devotional of your choice (Magnificat Lenten Companion, In Conversation with God, etc)
*Chaplet of Divine Mercy
*Chaplet of St. Michael
*Litany of Humility (or any litany)
*Adoration
*Examination of conscience (listen to Fr. John Hardon's Lenten Examen)
*Confession at least twice during Lent
*Daily Mass if possible
*Meditate on daily Mass readings (read or listen on an app or podcast)
*Spontaneous prayer journaling
*Gratitude rosary (mention something you are grateful for on each bead of the rosary-59 different things)
*Gratitude journal (at least 3 things you are grateful for each day)
SELF
In living the spirituality of SIMPLE40, self-knowledge and self-discipline are essential. Together, we will walk side by side with each other and step by step with Jesus through the desert by eliminating distractions in our daily lives.
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GRAYSCALE YOUR PHONE:
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, you will receive a challenge to put your phone in grayscale mode for the entirety of Lent. Doing this is proven to help your brain detach from your phone/screen.
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INTENTIONAL MOVEMENT/EXERCISE:
40 minutes of intentional movement each day of Lent. This does not have to be a hard-core workout. If you have a device to count your steps, you can set a goal for a certain number of steps each day. It is proven that intentional exercise for 40 minutes a day (including walking) burns calories, reduces stress, improves immunity, helps to regulate blood sugar, improves your mood and overall mental health, and helps to manage your weight. Get outside if you can.
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FAST:
Food: Not Simply Giving Up, but Nourishing Well
For food, fasting might mean setting aside a familiar comfort, the thing you reach for without thinking. Classic ideas include:
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sweets or dessert
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sugary drinks or coffee additives
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fast food or eating out
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snacking between meals
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processed foods high in sugar or preservatives
Speech: Disarming Our Language
The second area of fasting is less familiar but deeply transformative: speech. In his 2026 Lenten message, Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to “disarm our language”...to refrain from words that wound, harsh judgments, rash comments, gossip, or speaking ill of those who cannot defend themselves.
He asked the faithful to measure their words carefully, cultivating:
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kindness and respect in families
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considerate speech among friends and colleagues
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charity on social media and in public discourse
This form of fasting helps free our hearts from the inner noise that dulls our ears to God and to one another. When hurtful words give way to words of hope and peace, we begin to build communion rather than division.
Media: Creating Space for Silence and Presence
Finally, we fast from the noise of media, the constant pull of screens and endless input that shape our attention and imagination. Consider what you might choose to set aside for Lent:
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social media scrolling or television binges
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repetitive podcasts or constant music
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aimless YouTube watching or news consumption
Then ask: What will take its place?
Some ideas:
silence - spiritual reading - prayer - reading Scripture - preparing a healthy meal for your family - a quiet walk with God
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Reclaim your mind and your attention so your heart can hear God’s voice again.
Fasting in these three areas of food, speech, and media is to help you simply create space for prayer, peace, love and most importantly, for God.
SERVICE
Serving others (giving alms) with practical simplicity is the fruit of having a strong spiritual foundation and knowing who you are in Christ. Practical simplicity is the practice of moderation and removing any excess from your life. This requires intentionality and being true to yourself so your "yes means yes", and your "no means no". This Lent, you will be called to use your God-given gifts and talents to serve your spouse, family, friends and community in a way that brings you fulfillment and joy.​
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CLICK HERE for a list of 100 ways to serve this Lent. Print it out and cross off the ones you complete.
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Here are some other ideas:
*Meal plan consistently and minimize trips to the grocery store
*Send hand-written notes to family/friends
*Collect food for the food bank or volunteer at your local food bank
*Spiritually adopt a mama and her unborn baby - that she may choose life
*Participate in your local 40 Days for Life campaign
*Choose to stand in the longest line at the store. No self check-out.
*Pick up someone else's trash
*No complaining
*Donate any clothing not worn in the last year (or 6 months if you live somewhere warm)
*Offer to help a new mom with a meal or cleaning
*Socialize after Mass
*Support your local Friday Fish Fry
Remember that all this is to help you improve your relationship with God. If you need help honing this down, please reach out. I am here for you! I have 1:1 coaching opportunities available. Your first session is 100% FREE!
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Use the following postcard to write your commitments down and keep handy to help you stay on track.
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Luke 10:42 tells us that "one thing is needful." This one thing is God and our relationship with Him. Let's make this Lent the simplest and most fruitful one yet!
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Please share with a friend if you think they would like to grow in simplicity this Lent.
I am looking forward to having you join me on this journey!
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Your Sister In Christ,
Katie Donahue
Integrated Life Coach
