Lent, Holy Week and Easter
Lent, Holy Week and Easter
Lent is a season for investing time and care in our relationship with God. Many people make extra time for daily bible reading and prayer during Lent.
The Sacred Season of Lent is a journey we undertake each year with our Lord Jesus Christ – from his public ministry through his betrayal, passion and death by crucifixion, to his resurrection and ascension to God’s right hand.
The story has its origins in history and is interwoven with rich symbolism. It is the story of our redemption from the power of evil that began in the Garden of Eden, through the Old Testament teaching on sacrifice that atones for sin and which prophets insisted had moral consequences for those seeking salvation or wholeness. Jesus Christ conquered death and sin, and we are called in the New Testament to walk in his footsteps to fulfilment and glory. In Lent, we make time to survey the wondrous Cross that makes this possible.
Easter is a time of reflection, tradition and symbolism. So, what’s the meaning behind the symbols of Easter.
Lent 2026 Resources
Joy Lenten Studies 2026
Daily reading and reflections, with group study questions, written by the bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia
Abraham: A Journey Through Lent
Follows the biblical account of Abraham and his family in Genesis, while drawing out key points of reflection and action during Lent – written by Dr Meg Warner, Principal of Wollaston Theological College, and the basis for the Lenten Study available on the Perth Diocesan app
HOLIDAY: Stories of Jesus set in an Australian landscape
ABM’s 2026 Lenten Study which imagines the Gospel stories set in a contemporary, Australian landscape starting with Jesus’ baptism by John and finishing at the Resurrection
Were You There?
Weekly reflections on the lives of those who played a role in the Passion story – produced by Anglican Overseas Aid and Mothers Union Australia
Women of Holy Week | An Easter Journey in Nine Stories
The events of the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension told by biblical scholar, Paula Gooder, through the eyes of nine female characters
Join us at The Table
Scripture-rooted devotions from theologians, artists, and non-profit and ministry leaders around the world, produced by Tearfund
Draw Near: Life-giving habits for Lent
Printed and digital resources by the Church of England for Lent 2026
Palm Sunday
Falling on the Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. This is done with the distribution of palm leaves tied into crosses. It is these same crosses which are burnt the following Ash Wednesday with the ash marked on the foreheads of worshippers.
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross is also called Way of Sorrow or simply The Way. This is a series of artistic representations, very often sculptural. They depict Christ carrying the cross to his crucifixion in the final hours (or Passion) before he died. The devotions use the series to commemorate the Passion, often moving physically around a set of stations. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St Francis of Assisi and extended throughout the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval period. It is commonly observed in Lutheranism and amongst the Anglo-Catholic wing of Anglicanism.
The Way of the Cross
Credit: The Book of Occasional Services, by The Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Church Publishing: New York, 2018.
Resources and liturgies from the Church of England for praying the Stations of the Cross
The Episcopal Church has also produced a set of Stations of the Cross for Global Justice and Reconciliation
Lent, Holy Week and Easter Resources
Each liturgical feast, fast and season has its own special character. To help congregations travel through the whole spiritual landscape of the Church’s year, these resources are provided for some key events: Ash Wednesday and its focus on repentance and returning to God, Passion Sunday also known as Palm Sunday with its dramatic readings from the Gospels, Maundy Thursday and the washing of feet, Good Friday and its solemn celebration of the Lord’s death, and the great Vigil of Easter, complete with lighting of the new fire, special readings and psalms, renewal of baptismal promises and celebration of the resurrection.
For the other Sundays and weekdays of Lent and the Easter Season, up to and including Pentecost, variations on the “Gathering in God’s Name” section of the Eucharist are also offered.