Crux: A Daily Reading Plan for Lent

Susan Ciancio reviews a new Lenten program from Ascension Press. 

As an avid reader, I am always looking for quality Catholic books, and that is something I desire even more during special liturgical seasons, such as Lent. So I was thrilled to see a new Lenten program from Ascension this year that is incredibly versatile. You can read it alone, you can join a group at your parish, or you can read it with your entire family.  

Called Crux — meaning cross — this program contains a devotional written by Father Columba Jordan, CFR, which walks readers through each day of Lent and invites you to participate in numerous challenges — both physical and spiritual. Its accompanying journal allows you to write down your thoughts or any lines that stood out from the readings. And if you want an even deeper experience, you can subscribe to the Ascension app for daily videos from Fr. Columba. (New members can join for just $4.99 for a 90-day period. Crux also offers weekly videos, which are the same as the Sunday videos from the daily program, but they are made available free of charge to parishes and small groups as a multi-media companion to the devotional.)  

The devotional “is intended to help you and your family draw closer to Jesus during the Lenten season by letting you build a habit of daily Scripture reading and prayer, keeping your eyes fixed on your Lenten goals, and reminding you of your true identity in Christ.” It includes suggestions for physical disciplines, such as fasting and exercise, and spiritual disciplines, such as readings and prayer. Its goal is to “explore the truth that we are not just bodies and not just souls; we are a unity of both.” 

Resources that Benefit the Whole Family

One of the things I really like about the devotional is that it contains excellent resources for the family, including prayers, fun activities and challenges (including a “Lent Bingo”), inspirational quotes from saints, and so much more. The devotional is meant to really immerse you in God’s word, in His teachings, and in His love, and it fosters important theological conversations with your children or your spouse.  

Throughout the pages of this devotional, Father Columba teaches many crucial lessons, as he strives to help us get to know the heart of God better. He truly wants us to understand the message that God is giving us this Lent and always — that we are His children, that He loves us, and that He delights in us. As Father Columba explains, “The goal is to simply believe, internalize, and live these truths, removing every obstacle to them in your heart and mind.” 

In one entry, Father Columba talks about the storms we all face in life and the fact that many people feel abandoned by God during times of difficulty. He explains that this is not the case:

God often waits and lets us struggle for a while, but it’s not to be cruel. It’s because these moments make us recognize our own powerlessness and give us a chance to recognize our own need—a need that only God can fulfill.

He continues, “Jesus asks us to recognize Him in the storm, to trust that He has everything under control.” 

These are words we all need to hear, for they are the words that fortify us and that keep us from despair. 

But Father Columba doesn’t just seek to comfort us; he challenges us with his words as well. Some of his reflection questions ask,

How can you always be spiritually prepared for the end of your life or of the world? What kinds of spiritual ‘tools’ would you fall back on? Would you behave differently if you thought the world would end in the near future?

Contemplating our mortality as we approach the most sorrowful day of the year is a beautiful way to think about the fact that, though we are all sinners, we can be forgiven. That is why Christ died. That is why He rose from the dead. His love for us can be seen within His outstretched arms on the cross, and when we contemplate how we live our lives and what we should do differently in order to attain heaven, we are building that spiritual strength that Father Columba knows we so desperately need. 

The Crux devotional is truly a phenomenal way to spend the weeks leading up to Christ’s death and Resurrection. Father Columba’s friendly and conversational style of writing will resonate with people from all walks of life, and through each page you will come to know the heart of our Lord, strengthen your faith, and see your own inherent value.  

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Copyright 2026 Susan Ciancio
Images: Canva